The "standard ball" is a flat ball hit sufficiently high over the net to land in the back nine, see Figure 1 below. As seen in the Figure, it is not necessary to have power to hit a standard ball to get depth. This simulation shows that the speed of the racquet is only 50 mph, well below today's professional flat ball speeds which can range from the 70 to over 90 mph. An interesting twist is that the standard ball can be hit with an eastern grip.

The purpose of studying the standard ball is to understand why depth is superior to speed. It is also a value to master this shot for use when the persistence rally is appropriate. An opponent who is nervous or anxious can easily miss hit the return of the standard ball.