The Run-Around Forehand — Technical Reference
The run-around forehand — sometimes called inside-out or inside-in, depending on where you send it — is the footwork pattern that lets you hit a forehand from the backhand side of the court. In the modern game, this is a genuine dominant weapon, letting you dictate a rally with your stronger wing instead of settling for your backhand on a ball you could otherwise attack.
How It Actually Works
The moment you recognize a slow or centrally placed ball arriving on your backhand side, you use rapid adjustment steps — quick crossovers or deep shuffles — to get around the ball. This depends heavily on tracking the ball early and reading it well before it arrives. By creating that space on your backhand side, you free yourself up to unleash a heavy topspin forehand — either cross-court to your opponent's backhand (inside-out) or down the line (inside-in) — and take control of the point.
Where It Goes Wrong
The most common failure is deciding to run around the ball too late — after it's already bounced. Do that and you'll get jammed, forced into a weak, off-balance forehand that gives away everything you were trying to gain. The second common failure is running around successfully but then failing to actually hit an aggressive shot once you're there — that leaves your entire forehand side of the court wide open, handing your opponent an easy winner for the trouble you just went to.
How to Train It
This needs specific footwork drills that focus on moving backward and laterally at the same time — not one or the other. And just as important: practice exploding back out of your backhand corner right after you hit the shot, so you recover your court position immediately instead of standing exposed on the side you just abandoned.
Related reading: 5R Movement System, Winning Patterns, Forehand Mechanics