TOTAL HOURS ON COURT:   

2003

Ace
A fast, well placed serve that your opponent can't get to.  Instant point for you.

Advantage
The point scored after deuce.

Ad In
The point scored after deuce by the server.

Ad Out
The point scored after deuce by the receiver.

Approach Shot
Hitting the ball nice and deep (often nicely angled too) so you can "rush the net" and "put it away" with either a strong fast pace smash, light touch volley with great angle, cross court winner or down the line passing shot... whatever you have in your goodie bag at the moment.

Backhand
Hitting the ball with the racquet to your side with your palm facing away from the net, striking the ball with the "back" of your racquet while transferring your weight from your back foot to your forward foot.

Crosscourt
Hitting the ball across the center line from where you are, not straight down the line.

Down the line
Hitting the ball straight down the side you're already on or hitting your forehand straight from the forehand side of your body, or your backhand straight down the side of the court that corresponds to the backhand side of your body.

Drop shot
A ground stroke hit softly with little back swing, but lots of backspin so that it bounces very close to the net once it hit the other side.  You can also hit a "drop volley" of course.

Forehand
Hitting the ball with the racquet to your side with your palm facing the net, transferring your body weight from your back foot to your forward foot as you come through the ball.

Inside out forehand
Hitting a forehand, often cross court from your backhand corner.

Let
A let is a ball which strikes the net, strap or hand, but lands in the proper court on the serve.  A let should also be called when a player is unable to play a shot due to circumstances beyond his/her control, such as interference by a ball or a player from another court.  Replay the point.  It's also a let to serve before the receiver is ready, so pay attention to that.

Lob
A high, arching shot that is hit over a player's head and deep into his/her backcourt (great for passing a net rusher).

No-Man's Land
The area between the baseline and the service line. Because most shots bounce in no-man's land, a player should not stand there.

On Serve
The status of the score of a set when both players (or both doubles teams) have won as many games as they have served.

Overhead
Hitting the ball when it's high above your side or head - sometimes done before the ball bounces as a volley, often done with great pace (smash).

Passing Shot
A hard ground stroke, cross court or down the line - often hit with topspin that usually passes your opponent while he or she is standing near the net.

Serve
Serving the ball into the appropriate deuce or ad court by tossing it up and hitting it before it lands or bounces.

Return of Serve
Getting to a service ball and hitting it back, inside the lines - thus thwarting an ace and continuing the point.

Volley
Hitting the ball before it bounces (forehand or backhand).

Wrong Footed
Say you hit a forehand cross court, followed by a backhand cross court, back and forth like that a few times and suddenly you hit a blistering backhand down the line while your opponents body and mind were already drifting back to the other side for the next cross court.  That little stumble step that will be too late to get to the ball is what I'd call wrong-footing your opponent, grabbing a well deserved point as your ball sails "behind" your opponent's back.

It's when they're feet are in the wrong direction either because of a little groove they got into or because you hid your racquet backswing or preparation in such a way as they couldn't predict what direction you were going to hit the ball into... sometimes the only way to end a point that seems to be going on forever.  You've got to be clever if you lack the steam to work up a nice approach and put away.