There is an emerging trend in tennis teaching to move away from drill-based approaches towards game-based techniques that simulate match situations and emphasize quick thinking and strategizing skills necessary for playing tennis successfully. This means fewer drills but more strategic thinking that leads to improved tennis performance overall.
Set-Up: Player stands ready at baseline while coach stands opposite side service line with basket of balls, feeding balls from distance. Coach feeds balls directly to player who alternate between high forehand volleys and low backhand volleys.
Serve and Volley Drill
Serve and volley is an integral component of doubles tennis, and should be practiced frequently to maximize effectiveness. Your goal should be to quickly get to the net after serving, then hit a volley shot for your next shot – an effective tactic worth practicing frequently with this volley drill that will not only strengthen your hands but make it more challenging for opponents to return volleys from you!
This drill allows you to explore different volley types, such as punch volleys, drive volleys and smash volleys. It is an ideal warm-up drill because it is fun and challenging, while teaching how to volley within a match environment. While ideally performed with two people partnering up for this exercise, soloists may also perform it effectively by positioning themselves a few inches behind one service line, then midway between net and baseline on either side of the court for optimal results.
Once players have 10 points, roles are switched. When hitting their volley, players aim to strike it so as not to let it pass them by and misses will incur points loss; when successfully hitting, volleying wins points and misses lose one; once successful hitting is accomplished and one point earned, two positions switch roles.
Rally to each other and exchange forehand and backhand volleys as an excellent volley drill, honing both footwork and hand speed while making it more difficult for opponents to volley your shots. To add an authentic feel, a sand trap or cones on the ground may help delineate a service zone during this drill.
Backhand and Forehand Stroke Drill
Many players focus on developing their forehand alone, but to become an all-around tennis player you must also master your backhand. A strong backhand will enable you to win points on the other side of the net in close play while providing protection from forehand counterattacks. If you want to work on improving your backhand stroke then try these drills to strengthen it:
Feed From Behind will focus on improving both the supination of your backhand as well as its grip. To do this, stand in the service box with a partner and hit one-handed backhands towards each other one-handed. Make sure to hit up on your backswing while following through and the more often this practiced will make for better backhand performance! The more time spent doing this exercise will only strengthen it further.
Figure 8 Drill is another effective backhand drill designed to improve both footwork and technique. Partner up and have them feed backhands from behind while forehands come towards your front body; then move between cones to improve footwork timing – this will enable you to hit both forehands and backhands in rallying situations more consistently!
Finally, another great backhand drill is the Swinging Forehand Drill which will help develop your swing speed and accuracy. To do this, take a neutral stance with an opponent who hits various shots such as drives, loops and chops into you before responding with forehand counter-drives to each of these hits. As you become more comfortable with this drill you can increase the difficulty by adding spins or speed. This way you will be prepared for whatever comes your way during gameplay!
First and Second Serve Accuracy Drill
One of the more challenging aspects of serving for players is knowing how high to toss their ball. Ideally, they should aim for tossing 2-3 feet above their maximum reach of their racquet if they fully extend their arm; otherwise they risk dropping it prematurely, throwing off their service motion and decreasing accuracy.
This tennis serve drill is designed to help players develop more consistent toss heights, offering an easy way to practice serving. Simply position yourself along the baseline with racquet in hand and assume serve stance, before placing a can on opposite side of court where first serve should land.
Once they hit their desired can, they can take turns hitting it back to it. For example, if they want their first serve to land in the left corner of the service box, they could place a red can there before hitting it into that location with their serve. After they complete this target successfully, they can move onto another target.
This drill is an effective way to develop players’ ability to serve under pressure. While many don’t practice enough at it, acquiring this ability will allow for improved performance in actual match play.
Beginning the drill with three first serves and awarding points if they win one within the first two shots, players can experience all of the pressure associated with real game playing while having fun and learning from mistakes.
Court Speed Drill
One key to being effective at tennis is quick, agile movement. Not only can this help with defending shots but it can also assist with approaching the net for volleys or overhead returns. To improve agility use the following drills.
Shuttle Sprints
To perform the exercise and develop your ability to change directions quickly, have a partner or coach mark a starting and finishing point approximately 30 yards apart. When signaled by your coach or training partner to begin sprinting toward the finish line. When told by them to backpedal back towards starting line. This drill simulates how quick movements occur during a match.
Lateral Jump Drill
This simple yet highly effective drill helps develop side-to-side speed and cutting abilities. To perform it, mark a line on a wall equivalent to the height of your net; stand with feet together, push off from the ground laterally from left to right and wait approximately two seconds before jumping back up again into starting position – repeat this exercise multiple times!
Overhead Return Drill
One of the more challenging aspects of playing tennis is making your way up to the net to receive a lob and returning it effectively. To develop these essential skills, the overhead return drill can be carried out. A player should stand on a baseline court, with another person on either side hitting a ball into your forehand side whereupon your partner should volley it back using both forehand and backhand swings before passing back over.
Backhand Slice Drill
Backhand slices are an invaluable defensive asset in tennis. By staying low over the net and creating tough third shots for opponents, a solid backhand slice provides essential defense. Achieved effectively takes proper technique, lower ready position, appropriate racquet face angle and swing path as well as timing – this drill provides an opportunity to sharpen these skills and perfect the backhand slice.
In this drill, the player and coach stand on the service line while an instructor feeds a ball from the center of the court. When instructed by their instructor, each student hits it one-handed backhand to their partner standing just behind the baseline; their partner then returns the serve with one-handed backhand; this process repeats until either player misses or misidentifies a serve type.
Once a player and instructor have returned a few volleys together, they should switch positions to help the player learn to work as part of a team and read each other’s shots. This will assist the student in becoming an efficient tennis player.
This fast tennis drill improves footwork and agility while simultaneously burning calories. To use it effectively, one must stand inside a ladder square before quickly moving out either to the left or right side. Each side follows different patterns.
This drill teaches players how to work as a team when moving in the net, providing an effective exercise to develop volleys. Furthermore, this exercise emphasizes the significance of always knowing where one stands on the court at all times – it should not be too close as this may lead to mistakes and lack of control from players.