The coach stands next to the player and keeps their racquet in a horizontal position.
The player moves their racquet over and under the coach's racquet to imitate a forehand stroke.
Most players' techniques differ when taking the racquet back, but we can find some similarities in this motion. The loop is the most visible factor that can be observed. Players take a bigger or smaller loop because it helps to generate topspin in a more natural way.
Players who take the racquet back in a straight line prefer to hit flat shots and have problems developing a heavy topspin response.
In this drill, the player quickly gets an idea of how to make a loop by avoiding hitting the obstacle, in this case the coach's racquet.
If the player is comfortable with shadowing, the coach can toss some balls to see if the motion is controlled while hitting the ball.
Indoor courts give players less time and less room. Help them sharpen their split step, shorten their swing and stay calm, and winter becomes a season of real progress.
A tiebreak is a short sprint where every point is worth the same as a break of serve. The players who win them are rarely the ones who hit hardest. Here is how to coach the patterns, habits and scoreboard thinking that win the big points.
Most club players practise the serve on its own and then have no idea what to do with the ball that comes back. Serve plus one is the pattern that turns a good serve into a won point.
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