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Tennis: Learn the Drive

Sportplan has been very helpful in guiding me through my first year...

Bill, Newly qualified coach

DESCRIPTION

The coach demonstrates how to execute backhand drive in the air and emphasizes 4 major steps: shoulder turn with backswing, positioning, high point of contact and weight transfer. Players shadows the stroke to get the feeling of a motion.

Demonstration of a new skill can accelerate the learning process or it can prevent players from reaching higher levels. Coaches have to make sure that all players understand technical parts of this stroke before they move to the ball-specific drills.

COACHING POINTS

In this drill, the players shadow backhand drive in the air. Presentation of the stroke should be short and clear to give players more time for practicing.The coach should emphasize high point of contact as a priority to hit over the net from all places on the tennis court.

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RELATED PLANS...

Let's Drive It - Attack with your Tennis

With this session, get your players hitting down the line more with the powerful drive shot and playing more attacking tennis.

OFTEN USED WITH...

Lateral Backhands:

Dead Ball drill
Players start in the forehand alley and hit two backhands on the move.
Trying to hit both shots at down the line.

Backhand Drills

lateral backhands (forward):

Dead ball feed
Players start off in forehand doubles corner and ply to backhands along baseline. As player moves towards the ball they keep racket prepared and the last step before contact should be towards.

Backhand Drills

Drive and Drop:

The player stands on the service line, while the coach feeds a higher ball to the ad side. The player hits backhand drive in the air down the line and moves closer to the net. The coach feeds another ball to the ad side, and the player finishes with backhand drop volley down the line.

Backhand drive in the air is an offensive shot so most of the time it should be connected with moving forward and trying to win the point at the net. Ability to pick proper balls to atack with drive in the air is a skill that has to be practiced from the early years.

Backhand Drills

Know Your Place - Backhand Cross Court:

Coach feeds balls to the backhand side. Player hits backhand volley cross court and recovers to the cone. Proper spot after cross court backhand is on the deuce side. Coach should explain to players that they have to be on the same side where they hit the ball. This rule is crucial at the net because player has to cover first down the line passing shot (down the line crosses the net faster than cross court).

Backhand Drills

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