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Tennis: Answer the serve

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Nick, Tennis coach

DESCRIPTION

Coach serves from the deuce side. The player then hits a cross-court forehand return.

COACHING POINTS

If we are working on serving skills, we can't forget about the returning skills too. Each points starts from serve or return, so both abilities have to be taught at the young age.

In this drill, player works on returning skills. Control and placement are priorities to teach players how to be consistent from the first shot. To make it more competitive, coach can give one point for each good cross-court return and see who the best returner is.

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Improving Key Skills For Juniors

Use this session plan to help your playersâ confidence and skills grow, by putting in use of key skills that are required in the game.

OFTEN USED WITH...

Accuracy Toss:

The player tosses the ball up and leaves the non-dominant hand in the air. Ball should drop into the player's hand.

Serve and Return

Add Your Hips:

Coach stands in front of the player with racquet.

The player shadows the serve while trying to touch the coach's racquet with their leading hip.

Serve and Return

Cone Serving:

Players serve at the targets shown, taking two balls at a time and serving 1 first serve, 1 second serve at each target.

After a certain amount of time players switch and repeat the same from the other side.

The player with the most targets at the end of the practice wins the drill.

If groups are large, players can take it in turns to serve one after the other, and/or also from the doubles serving positions.

Serve and Return

Mini-returning skills with the cone:

Player stands on the ad side with a cone in hand. Coach serves from the ad side. Player then catches the ball inside the cone and throws it over the net.

During the first few tennis lessons, it can be too hard for kids to return the ball with the racquet. So the coach has to adapt to this situation and still improve returning skills; using a cone is a great opportunity to imitate a returning environment and improve receiving abilities.

Serve and Return

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