What is the difference between up the line and down the line?

Question

What is the difference between up the line and down the line?

Answer 1

I do not know. Sorry. I'm just starting to learn tennis.

Answer 2

There is no difference. It is just a different way of saying the same thing.

Answer 3

that would depend on what side of the court its coming from...

Answer 4

The first guy Kravvits nailed it!!

Answer 5

It's the same thing.  I would guess that it's either a regional thing, or due to watching on television as somebody already mentioned.  People who just watch the sport might call a down the line shot by the closer player on the screen "up the line", but most people who actually play tennis will see that shot and think "down the line" no matter which player hits it.

Answer 6

When courts were laid or paved a long time ago they would be on a slight angle or decline from one baseline to the other to assist with rain run off and make drying easier. So the higher baseline was considered up and the lower baseline was down. So the player standing up hit down the line where as the player standing down hit up the line. This did not apply to clay courts as clay could use the rain to keep the dust down, but grass and hard courts were the ones affected.

Answer 7

haha, great question....perhaps the angle on watching on TV...when watching the bottom of the screen, the shot naturally would be "up the line" and when watching the person at the top of the screen, it would be "down the line"...I dunno, that is just a TV based observation.

I wonder what applies if one is watching a live match and sitting on the sidelines. Curious to see other folks thoughts.

Answer 8

I've never actually heard anyone say up the line :/

They most likely mean the same thing anyway.

Answer 9

there is no difference actually. Just preference, and whichever way you like to say it. Both have the same meanings!