Why Giving Up the Occasional ATP To Your Opponent Isn't a Bad Thing

ATPs rock, plain and simple.

Going "around the post" is an instant highlight-reel shot and leaves newcomers stunned and asking, "Wait, is that even legal?"

Sadly there are not enough ATPs in the wild. At the intermediate level, there seems to be a fear of giving up an ATP like it carries more weight than any other point.

News flash, it doesn't.

Fear of giving up an ATP should not prevent you from using the full width of the court. You need to get your opponent moving side to side and the only way to do that is to use the whole court.

We’re not saying to give them cupcake balls out wide to allow for an easy winner, just that you should make them earn it. Make them prove they can hit one before completely shying away.

Particularly against the left-side player:

• A backhand ATP is probably twice as hard as a forehand ATP

• There is a huge benefit to getting them (and their forehand) out of the middle of the court and out wide

• Combine a middle dink followed by a dink out wide to get them moving and open up the middle of the court

Giving up one or two ATPs will not kill you and getting reps defending them is difficult to recreate while drilling.

Pro and PicklePod co-host (click here to subscribe) Zane Navratil would argue that you should miss more serves to ensure you’re pushing your limits.

We’d argue you can apply the same logic to dinking out wide.