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When the ball is at the front on your forehand, in most situations we would like to get our chest round to face the side wall. This gives us the option to hit an accurate straight drive. However when the opponent has you under too much pressure this just isn’t possible as you do not have the time to get your body round.
In these situations, when you find yourself at the very edge of your ability to retrieve the ball, it’s most efficient to stretch in on your racket leg in the front forehand corner. This is your right leg if you are a right hander (left leg if you are a left hander). This gives you the longest possible reach as it pushes forward the side you hold the racket with, enabling you to reach balls you just could not physically reach on the other “conventional” foot.
Your shot choices are limited when in this defensive position, but it’s still possible to play a shot that will give your opponent a headache You have the option to cross-court lob, which is the most obvious sensible choice. Your direct route in to the corner gives you a natural playing angle, and the shot will give you time to recover the T.
More aggressively, you can play a cross-court or straight drop. This is more difficult, as you’ll need to retain your balance in this difficult position to control your shot, but the reward, if you can pull it off, is a potential winner from a tricky situation.
Even if you are happier playing the percentages and lobbing, it’s important to try the riskier attacking short shots occasionally. This will stop your shot selection becoming predictable and hold your opponent forward to cover the front court just in case. This in turn makes your lob all the more effective.
