Down the line for dough, cross-court for show!
The good old down the line shot is money when executed correctly. Poor footwork and poor mechanics renders the down the line useless as the side wall will kill the down the line attempt.
Why? Well, if you do not hit “out” and are hitting “down” chances are good you will catch the side wall. Catch the side wall and the ball ends up in center court. That error gives your opponent an easy shot in the front court.
Want a Cure? Work on staying away from the ball. Here is one of my favorite drills. Stand on the right side of the court and hit a half speed shot left; be sure to hit a nice fat setup at the receiving line. Move to the left and execute a down the line shot. Stay there and repeat to the right. Work on moving your feet and staying away from the ball and execute a down the line on the right as well!
Why half speed? The idea is to train your feet and your body to move in a way that allows you to execute the shot!