What's the difference between a great shot and an out shot?

A millimeter.

I get the strangest looks from people complaining about bad calls when I reply with this question. They don't view it from the same perspective that I do.

Here's the way I look at it: Let's say that here comes the ball. It can land at Point A or at Point B. If it lands at Point A, it's in. It it flies a millimeter farther to land at Point B, it's out.

What's the big difference? Is that Point-B shot any harder to hit back? No. So, it isn't like you're being made to play more difficult shots than your opponent. You are just as capable of returning the Point B shot as the Point A shot.

So, be confident in your ability. Don't wish for points on millimeters and technicalities.

This is why people with a positive attitude freely give the benefit of the doubt to their opponent, as they should. The only time they are bothered by bad calls is when they see that an opponent is deliberately "wishing" their shots out or playing "when in doubt, call it out." Then it IS unfair, because you are giving the benefit of the doubt to him and he is too.

When people with positive, sporting attitudes play against each other, they each play a few out balls per match.

By the way, when I was as the Vic Braden Tennis Academy, we did an experiment with high-speed film to judge who sees the ball best: players, spectators, or linespeople.

The linespeople won hands down. Guess who was worst at calling the shots? The players.