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decision DRILLS
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Awareness of the opponent

Coach stands in the middle of the court and feeds the ball to the advantage side. The coach will then move left or right, and the player has to be aware of where the coach has moved, and hit a forehand to the open area opposite to where the coach is stood.

Forehand Drills

Backhand Down The Line From The 3 Zones - Progression

The player starts on the baseline and is fed 3 balls all to the advantage side. The balls should be fed deep, medium and then short. The player hits all of the balls backhand down the line before moving back to the centre of the baseline and then moves forward ready for the next ball.

Backhand Drills

Backhand Down The Line From The 3 Zones

The player starts on the baseline and is fed 3 balls all to the advantage side. The balls should be fed deep, medium and then short. The player hits all of the balls backhand down the line and moves forward ready for the next ball.

Backhand Drills

Backhand return on the bounce and volley

The coach seres to the player on the ad side. The player moves into position, lets the ball bounce and return with a backhand cross court side to the oach's ad side. Coach then return and again the player lets the ball bounce before returning it with a backhand cross court shot. Keeping the rally going the coach returns the ball high. The player has to move into position up the court and return using a backhand drive volley while the ball is still in the air. Note the three consecutive balls should be played as if in a rally.

Attacking

Moving Zones

Court is divided into 3 zones ("Deep" Cones to the baseline, "Medium" Cones to the service line; "Short" Service box). Coach feeds random balls. Player has to react and make proper decisions related to the zones. If the ball is deep, player has to move back and hit higher cross court. If the ball is medium, player can make own decision and hit neutral or aggressive shot. If the ball is short, player has to move forward and hit aggressively down the line or make a drop shot.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Quick Change

Coach stands in front of the player and feeds random balls (Forehand, Backhand, Low, Short, Deep etc). Player has to react and adjust to incoming balls.

Backhand Drills

Return and Volley Pattern

Coach serves from the deuce side to the T. Player hits backhand deep return cross court and comes to the net. Coach feeds the next ball to the deuce side. Player finishes with forehand deep volley cross court.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Rewarding depth

-Lines of cones are placed as seen in the picture above.-To make the drill easier it can be played on one half of the court and later progressed to full court.-If the ball lands in the service box a point is deducted.Ball landing between the 2 lines of cones = 1 point.Players gain 3 points for shots hit into the last quarter.-First player to 11 points wins the game.-The game can also be started with a second serve.

Rally Drills

Serve with Opening

Player serves from one side. Coach feeds random ball as a return. Player reacts and hits the next shot to the open space.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Height's decision Forehand Dri...

2 players rally in cross court direction. Players make proper tactical decisions according to the height of the ball they receive. If the ball is really low player hits neutral shot. If the ball is at knee-to-hip level player hits neutral/offensive shot. If the ball is over the hips player tries to be aggressive.Drill specifications:Switch after 1 min or specific number of shots4 players are hitting with each other while others cooperate with partners. Waiting players should focus on perception of the incoming ball so easy exercise where player 1 throws the ball at random height and player B has to say “high”, “medium” or “low” and hit it softly back to the player should be incorporated to accelerate the learning process. Fitness drills are also preferred with the main focus on legs and shoulders (necessary for successful attempts with high and low balls)

General

Backhand decisions rally Backh...

Player A stands in the ad corner, and player B tries to hit all balls to the ad corner. If the ball bounces in front of the cones, player A hits backhand down the line. If the ball bounces behind the cones, player A hits backhand cross court.

General

Attack it or drop it Forehand ...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds an easy ball and stays on the baseline or moves far behind it. Player has to make proper decision according to the coach’s position. If the coach is on the baseline player should attack the easy ball with a powerful groundstroke. If the coach moves far behind the baseline player should hit a drop shot.Drill specifications:4 repetitions per setSmall number of repetitions is required to achieve quality work. Peripheral vision is one of the skills that is necessary to effectively execute offensive strokes. Waiting players should work on making quick decisions after the visual sign so coach should prepare physical drills based on quick reaction.

General

Consider point of contact Fore...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds shorter balls with different heights. Player picks the right offensive method according to the ball’s height. Higher balls are hit with powerful strokes; lower balls are hit with more topspin and control.Drill specifications:4 repetitions per setWith more players on the court students make 2 lines and work on forehand and backhand separately. It allows the coach to put more players in play and work on proper tactical decisions. Waiting players should perform reaction drills to accelerate learning process and improve offensive skills in the hitting drill.

General

Rally and run around Forehand ...

The player stands between 2 cones. The coach and player rally with each other. The coach tries to hit all the balls between the cones, which the player then hits the ball and runs around the cone according to the stroke he chose. If the player hits a forehand he has to run around the right cone. If the player hits a backhand he has to run around left cone.Adding decision making skill to simple rally is a great way to teach your players how to act under the time pressure. If the player is able to maintain consistency while making right decisions, then they won't have problems with smart strategy during the match. It is important to design drills that are consisted of skills that players have to use during competition because the more similar the practice environment to the competitive one, the easier it will be to perform at the same level day by day.

General

Return and Volley Pattern Serv...

Coach serves from the deuce side to the T. Player hits backhand deep return cross court and comes to the net. Coach feeds the next ball to the deuce side. Player finishes with forehand deep volley cross court.

General

Different colours different di...

The coach feeds orange, and green balls to the forehand side. The player hits only forehands. If the ball is green, the player has to aim cross-court. If the ball is orange, the player has to aim down the line.

General

Air depth variation Forehand D...

The player starts behind the service line and the coach feeds high ball to the forehand side. The player executes forehand drive deep cross-court and moves to the net. The coach feeds another ball to forehand side and the player then finishes with forehand stop-volley cross-court.

General

Quick Change Movement - Tennis...

Coach stands in front of the player and feeds random balls (Forehand, Backhand, Low, Short, Deep etc). Player has to react and adjust to incoming balls.

General

Controlled wide ball Backhand ...

The coach stands in front of the player. The coach throws difficult ball to the backhand corner, the player then sprints, slides and hits neutral/defensive ball.More and more players are able to really hit the ball from the baseline so there are many situations during the match when we are under time pressure. Being able to survive these critical moments can be a deciding factor about who will win the match so players have to work in these conditions during practice session to develop automatic responses.

General

Change the pace Forehand & Bac...

Coach feeds the ball to one side. Player alternates aggressive and regular down the line shots.Drill specifications:2-6 repetitions per setThe minimum number of repetitions is 2 but it can go up to 6. It all depends of how many players we have on the court. With less players more repetitions are recommended while with more players less reps will be a better option to keep all students hitting. Coach can set up 2 lines of players to work on forehand and backhand down the line shots at the same time.

General

Forehand split step Forehand D...

Rings are placed in front of the player. The player rallies with the coach/player and has to perform split step inside the rings before each shot.

General

Have unpredictable forehand Fo...

Coach feeds balls to the forehand side. Player alternates hitting forehand topspin cross-court and forehand slice cross-court.

General

Zone dictates the shot Forehan...

2 zones are set on player B side (deep corner and angle). Players rally together in cross court direction. Player A can pick one of 2 options. If the player hits deep zone 2 times in a row, he finishes the next ball with a down the line shot. If the player hits an angle zone, he finishes the next ball with a drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1 min and switchOnly 2 players can work on one court so time changes are working perfectly for this type of drill. Rest of the players should perform physical exercises e.g footwork on the ladder or jumping rope while waiting for own turn.

General

Automatic pattern Forehand Dri...

The coach stands at the net on the ad side and feeds the ball to the backhand side.The player runs around and hits forehand inside out. The coach hits the ball back, and the player finishes with forehand inside in.

General

Hit angle from anywhere Foreha...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach faces the player. Coach throws different balls to one side. Player hits angle shot and recovers.Drill specifications:1-5 reps per setClose drills can be easily adjusted to the different numbers of players. Coach can make this drill really dynamic by switching the players after only one hit. This variation is a great way to stay in the rhythm of hitting and to learn from others while waiting only few seconds for own turn. To improve cooperation and teamwork coach can put one of the players to feed the ball however coach has to be aware of player’s feeding skills and give him instructions on where to aim with the feed. While having a someone to feed coach can stay next to the hitting players and constantly give feedback about their performance.

General

Backhand with Variation Backha...

The coach stands at the net (ad side) while the player is on the baseline (ad side), and both rally together. The player uses only backhand stroke. The coach keeps regular rally and hits random high ball to allow the player to hit backhand in the air.Modern tennis is an offensive game so players can't use backhands only to keep the ball in play. Players like Djokovic or Wawrinka show us that an ability to be offensive, keep the ball deep and rip it down the line are factors that can win the match

General

Bonus for good positioning For...

2 players play points against each other. Each player has a chance for additional points if he/she moves inside the baseline after a good offensive shot that forces the opponent to play defensively.Drill specifications:1-2 points and switch2 players compete with each other. With more players coach can set up specific footwork drills to improve movement or let players watch the points and pay attention especially to moving inside the baseline after a good offensive shot. This drill can work as a competition where players work individually or in teams.

General

Make response difficult and pr...

The coach stands on the service line. The player returns from deuce side and the coach serves wide. The player hits forehand slice return deep down the line.

General

Tennis: Keep the opponent on t...

Player A serves to the T from the ad side. Player B hits forehand cross-court return and both players rally using only backhands cross-court.

General

Rally with observation Rally D...

The coach stands at the net and rallies with a player. The coach hits all the balls randomly and can change position. The player has to play all the ball back to the coach even if she changed her court position.Opponent's perception is a skill as any other that players have to practice. Most of the time players focus on the ball so they are pretty good with ball perception but they don't have the same ability according to the opponent. Knowing where the rival is situated on the court can be a great advantage because we can use more effective tactical decisions and win points without taking too much risk.

General

Make your opponent run Forehan...

Player A hits forehand cross court, forehand inside out and forehand inside in. After this pattern both players play the point out.

General

Rally with 3 zones Forehand Dr...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. 3 zones are set on each player’s side (Red, Yellow, Green). Player has to hit particular shot according to the opponent’s balls placement. If the ball lands in the red zone player hits defensive/neutral shot. If the ball lands in the yellow zone player hits neutral/offensive shot. If the ball lands in the green zone player has to attack it.Drill specifications:30-60 seconds and switch4 players can work on the court at the same time while others can have different duties. Coach can put 2 players next to the net post and let them say “stop” when the ball goes over the net. This is the signal for the player and feedback at the same time of their perception time. If there are more players on the court coach can make them do some fitness drill or put them far behind the hitting players and work on ball perception on their own.

General

Approach from the Alley Foreha...

The coach stands in front of the player and throws the ball to the deuce alley. The player sprints, hits forehand approach from the alley and follows to the net.

General

Smarter than the opponent Fore...

Coach feeds the angle shot. Player runs diagonally forward and hits drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1 repetition per setOne player is working with the coach so other players should perform speed exercises to improve their movement to the ball. On clay court coach should demand sliding to the ball; on harder surface full sprint without stopping is required to answer the angle shot.

General

Accuracy Toss Serve and Return...

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

General

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decision SESSIONS
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Better footwork, better tennis

Improve your player's footwork with this week's session. Better footwork = better tennis!

Net game is still alive

Get your players comfortable at the net and making some key shots with this net game session!

Dealing with left-handers

Deal with left-handers effectively with this session, helping you adapt on court to tricky situations

Pre-Tournament Priority Session

Focus on your players serve and return game to address priorities before heading into competition

Varying The Depth At The Net

To improve depth perception when coming into the net to hit the ball with precision at various depths on the approach or at the net.

Winning Without A Bounce

To work on technical and tactical nuances related to an effective net game and highlight the importance of control.

Forgotten Variety - Playing Backspin

To implement backspin as a variety that puts more pressure on the rival and understand tactical opportunities of playing slice in different situations.

The Beginning of the Point

To work on different aspects of the serve and return and to engrain shots that players could call upon at the start of the point.

Good Performance Close to the Net

To work on different aspects of volleying and positioning at the net to develop an effective net game.

Put Pressure On Your Rival's Movement

We look at how to take control of rallies by manipulating the opponent around the court. Instead of forcing shots, start winning rallies with controlled shots into space.

Serving wide to create the one two punch: Advantage court

Get your players using the flat and kick serve to develop an aggressive serve and first shot combination

The Modern Game: Applying the Backhand Slice

Add variation to your player’s arsenal with the backhand slice, an essential in the modern game!

Controlling the depth of the ball

Mix your player?s game up and work on their depth when hitting different shots - from the backhand volley to the inside-out forehand. Stun their opponents with variety!

Smash It! Perfect the Overhead Volley

Teach your players on how to improve the tricky overhead shot, developing their technique and tactical thinking - don?t tap it, smash it!

Get a Solid Forehand Volley!

Improve your player’s forehand volley with this attacking session and put them on the front foot. Teach your players how to time their attack correctly, and how to execute the perfect volley.

Forehand Slice in Modern Tenni...

Coach the benefits of the forehand slice in the modern game, giving your players an advantage on the court!
decision ANSWERS
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How to plan 4 progressive lessons?

Hi, I'm on Level 2 Tennis Assistant Coach course, and have a task to plan 4 progressive lessons, explaining the objectives,overall aims and what the players should be able to do before they move onto the next lesson. I did my Level 1 11 years ago, so I'm a bit out of touch. Can any one help please?

Archived User Coach

Refund money

Dear sportplan, When there was a sale on your platform I bought the membership for 1 $. It was on the 6th of novemver 2021 I wanted to try it and then to take a decision whether to subscribe again or not I didn’t add my banking card into accout by myself But today (11.12.2021) I saw that the payment has been done automatically That means that the card some how was added into my account after my first payment without actions from my side So cound you, please, refund me these money ($29.99) and cancel my subscribtion

Olivia Kendal Coach, Russia

Best player - bad attitude/det...

I have a learner that is super talented, he gets the game, he handles pace, power and depth well. He is aggressive and tennis just comes naturally when it comes to this kid but he lacks determination. I am really struggling to keep him motivated not to loose focus or to let one mistake make his shoulders hang for the rest of the lesson. Footwork is unfortunately a big problem and when he loses a point it's even worse, this kid is just draining me mentally every session, its a mental thing but i'm having trouble defeating it. If i'm too hard on him, he closes down and might as well stop and if i play too much and don't push him, he plays with no effort and just hit very sloppy shots. I do know that his situation at home is not good and i think it has a lot to do with his bad attitude on the court but i really need some advise, this is my hardest lesson to plan, what is most important about my lesson with a student with a bad attitude, no temper but just unmotivated and i don't want to give up because this kid really has the talent...he really can be the next junior champion in Africa if he really wants to. Would really appreciate some tips from the professionals that dealt with this before.

Archived User Coach

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