Contact Help center
Tennis Tennis
HOME Tennis SEARCH

Tennis: direction

direction DRILLS
View All

Forehand Change of Direction R...

Player 1 - is working on change of direction on forehand. 2 forehands cross court, 1 forehand down the line Player 2 - feeding - can work on lateral movement and consistency, 2 cross court forehands and 1 back hand line.

General

Change Direction & Change Pace...

The player stands on the baselineCoach alternates feeding deep and short balls to the deuce sideThe player hits forehand cross-court from the baseline, attacking forehand down the line from the mid court, forehand down the line from the baseline and attacking forehand cross-court from the mid court area

General

Tennis: Backhand Lateral with ...

Live ball Drill<BR>Coach feeds from position 1.<BR>Players start off in forehand doubles alley and execute shots with direction. player has to to hit the first ball back to the coach to then hit the second shot down the line.

General

Changing Spin and Direction Ba...

Coach feeds balls to the ad side.Player alternates hitting a backhand slice cross-court and a topspin backhand down the line.

General

Know the Direction Smash Drill...

Coach feeds high balls into random spots. Coach moves to one of the sides. Player hits an overhead into the open court.

General

Tennis: Forehand recovery and ...

Players start off in centre and plays a forehand down the line then recovers back to the centre. To then run towards the short ball and hits this one down the line or cross court.

General

Control Direction Backhand Dri...

The player starts in the advantage corner and rallies with the coach, or with another player. The players alternates between hitting backhand cross-court shots and down the line.

General

GroundStrokes N/Movement and D...

Players start off on centre and hit 3 shots: Forehand crosscourt, backhand down the line and forehand crosscourt. (All shots back to coach position 3)

General

Forehands. Live ball with dire...

<b>Drill Set-Up:</b><BR>Players start ofrf on centre and rallys 2 balls back to coach and plays third shot down the line.<BR><b>Topic of Emphasis:</b><BR>Players try to recover after first shot and try to hit to catch with depth.Coach should not volley below the net.<BR><b>Variation:</b><BR>Second forehand could be inside out and third forehand could go cross court with depth.

General

Directional approach Forehand ...

The coach feeds shorter ball to the deuce side. The player moves forward, hits forehand approach shot down the line and comes to the net. The coach hits the ball back to the deuce side and then the player finishes with deep forehand volley cross-court.

General

Forehands only Forehand Drills...

Purpose:Learn to use forehand as a weapon. Move around the backhand each time to hit with forehand only. Coach feeds anywhere in singles court. Players can only hit forehand back to coach's backhand corner (sets of 5-6 feeds only). Variation: After hitting 3-4 forehands player can hit anywhere in singles court.

General

Forehand 4 directions Forehand...

The player starts from the middle. The coach tosses 4 balls into different directions (deuce side, short middle, ad side, deep middle). The player hits all the balls with forehand stroke.

General

Hit deep Forehand Drills - Ten...

Split the players into 2 equal groups, Both hitting forehands. Coach feeds left then right. Players have to move out to the ball and try to hit the ball into the coned are down the line. Play first team to score 10 points.

General

Deep directions + drop shot ch...

Deep zone and angle zone are set by cones. Coach feeds balls to one side. Player performs tactical pattern based on deep down the line shot, deep cross court shot, and drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1-2 repetitions per set1-2 patterns in a row is a number that each players should hit. With more players coach can set up 2 lines to work on forehand and backhand at the same time but it requires good feeding skills to keep the patterns in a right pace. Waiting players can perform physical drills or they can imitate well-disguised drop shot to get comfortable with the last-second change of grip and drop shot motion.

General

Full acceleration Forehand Dri...

Coach stands next to the player. Coach quickly throws the balls. Player fully accelerates and hits all balls as fast as possible.Max 4-5 repetitions per setThis drill is really demanding from the physical side so number of repetitions should be adjusted to the player fitness preparation. Too many reps will not bring good results because of the tired arm as also can be responsible for player’s injuries of the shoulder. Between the sets with the coach other players can work on specific drills with medicine ball/bands to strengthen the shoulder area.

General

2 and 1 Backhand Drills - Tenn...

Players rally together. Player A hits 2 backhands cross-court and 1 backhand down the line. Player B responds with all shots to the backhand corner.

General

Backhand slice - change of pac...

Players start the drill by rallying cross-court from the backhand corners.Player 1 can choose to slice a backhand down the line at any time and the point is then live. Player 1 can choose to hit the slice as an approach, or simply as a change of direction/pace in the rally.Players can play first to 7 points before player 2 has a turn at being the slicing player.If a mistake is made before the slice has been hit, it is not counted and the score remains the same.Players can find the slice down the line a difficult shot to play, particularly if they are used to using 2 hands on their backhand. They should be reminded to turn their shoulders well and follow the line of the ball with their feet and body.Players should make sure that they are in a good position to play the down the line shot, and be aware that in doing so they will be changing the pace, spin, direction, and flight path of the ball.Take care on it!

General

For singles and for doubles Se...

The coach serves wide from ad side. The player hits backhand return cross-court and starts the rally in cross-court direction.

General

Serve and Volley Serve and Ret...

Player 1 serves a 1st Serve and follows it in to hit a volley. If returner is finding it hard then serve a 2nd serve. Serve volley behind the returner i.e. to the same direction that the ball came from to wrong foot the opponent.

General

All down the line shots Foreha...

Player stands on the service line. Coach alternates feeding to the forehand and to the backhand side. Player hits all volleys in down the line direction.

General

Start the rally with return Se...

The coach serves wide from the deuce side. The player hits forehand down the line return and starts the rally in down the line direction.

General

Forehands (Inside out) (Dead Ball) Forward.

Drill Set-Up:Players line up on the centre and moves out to play first forehand and then runs around backwards and plays forehand.Topic of Emphasis:After the first forehand the player needs to back peddle with the racket turned and should step away from the ball prior to contact.Variation:Players can alternate directions and coach can feed from 1 - 3 positions.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Ground strokes under pressure

-Feeder hits first ball to forehand alley.-The second ball if fed to backhand alley.-The third feed goes deep to the forehand side.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Inside-out Forehand

Coach feeds the ball down the lineThe player starts in the middle and runs round to hit an inside-out cross court forehand to the target areaAlternatively a target can be positioned down the line and every third stroke can be hit to that direction

Forehand Drills

Lateral Forehands (Backwards) (Dead Ball)

Drill Set-Up:Players start off in doubles alley (Forehand corner) and moves along baseline hitting 2 backhands.Topic of Emphasis:Last stop should be towards the ball and elbows should not be too close to body at contact.Variation:Players can hit 3 shots.Players can alternate the direction of the balls.

Forehand Drills

Lateral Forehands (Forwards) (Dead Ball)

Drill Set-Up:Players start off in doubles alley (backhand corner) and moves along baseline hitting 2 forehands.Topic of Empahsis:As players move sideways they must take last step towards ball at contact.Variation:Players can hit 3 shots.Players can alternate the direction of the balls.

Forehand Drills

Serve and Volley

-Player serves diagonally to returner / feeder who hits cross court. -Server moves forward and volleys back to returner / feeder.-Returner / feeder hits a short low ball to the net players feet.-The returner / feeder then plays out the point.-Lobs are only allowed after a minimum of two volleys.

Serve and Return

Taking the ball early

-Both players have cones approx 2 meters in front of base line (depending on players skill level.-Players gain a point each time they hit between the cone and the base line. -One of the players has to stay on or inside the baseline. -With more advanced players both have to play on or inside the baseline.-First player to 11 points wins the game.-To make the drill easier it can be played on one half of the court and later progressed to full court. -The game can also be started with a second serve.

Rally Drills

The Wall

4 players 2 at the net and 2 at the baseline. Coach feeds the ball in to the baseliners and the point is played out. The volleyers can hit anywhere, however the baseliners cannot hit to the same volleyer twice in a row. After 2 volleys the baseliners are then allowed to lob. The winner is the first team to 11 points, after this the teams swap over.

Doubles Drills

Tennis: Hitting forehands from...

Players are working in groups of three.Player 1 is the 'working' player and players 2 and 3 are feeding the ball.Player 1 must hit only forehands and must hit one shot inside out to player 3 and one shot inside in to player 2.Player 2 hits forehands line, player 3 hits backhands cross.

General

Point the cone Agility & Fitne...

4 cones are set around the player. Coach faces the player and points out one of the cones. Player runs in this direction, touches the cone and recovers back.

General

Tennis: Inside out forehand an...

Players start in the centre and hits the first shot back to the coach with an inside out forehand. The player then moves on to a short ball to hit a winner, either a cross-court forehand or a down the line stroke.

General

Right leg cross lines Agility ...

4 pairs of cones are set around the player (back, right, left, front). The player runs to the first pair of cones and cross the line between the cones with the right leg. The player returns to the center and repeat this movement to the rest of cones

General

Side to side safe defense retu...

Hitting on the run is a skill that has to be practiced often because players must learn to control the distance between the body and the ball and how to hit the shot while still moving. In this exercise, the player aims for the middle of the court because it is the best defensive tactical return. This is because there is more court to aim for and the middle of the net is lower. Players should also know that hitting on the run forces them to lose time as they stop, change direction and recover. So tell your players to aim high over the net to gain additional recovery time while the ball is in the air.

General

All about forehand Forehand Dr...

Coach feeds balls to the 'ad' side. Player hits 2 forehands inside out and 1 forehand inside in.

General

Unfortunately there were no results for your search! Please try again
direction SESSIONS
View All

Feeling Comfortable At The Front Of The Court

To improve skills that are necessary to take advantage of short balls and win points at the net.

Create a Tactical Advantage with Spin

To constantly change the spin and direction of shots to gain a tactical advantage during a rally.

Play Back Behind, The Art Of Wrong Footing

Mix things up! Get your players hitting the ball in the space that's just opened up behind their opponent!

Unpredictable Competitor

To coach a player with variety and a broader repertoire of shots so they are unpredictable to play against.

No more Boring Basket Drills

Make training interesting by mixing up the practices to get your players thinking how to adapt from one situation to the next.

Winning Without A Bounce

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

Forehand-based Session for Kids: Ball Perception

It?s the stroke everybody enjoys playing the most, and can be the most dangerous stroke to play, so let?s enjoy learning it! See the kids hit forehands with smiles on their faces!

Keep Constant Pressure On Your Opponent

To understand how to put pressure on the rival and work on specific patterns behind and inside the baseline.

Move your Opponent

Develop your player's skills to move the opposition around the court with this session, working on key skills such as coming to the net, ready to take the advantage!

Control and Consistency on the Court

In this session we look at building consistency and control into rallies. We look at each skill you might use at different points throughout the rally and work on getting the basic technique of these skills perfect.

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

React and Win!

Get your players on their toes and reacting quicker than ever before to win those all important points

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!

Nail the Approach Shot

Work on your player's approach shots and coming to the net with this plan. Get them sprinting to the ball and hitting it out of reach down the line!

Achieving Backhand Stroke Consistency

Help your players achieve backhand stroke consistency in this great session packed with live ball drills!
direction ANSWERS
View All

Positioning on the court | Spo...

Positioning on the court can give us an advantage or put into really difficult situation. Players have to remember that right spot on the court is on the opposite side where they perviously hit the ball. can somebody please share some examples?

Nick Madahar Coach, Azerbaijan

re The Art of Feeding

I received your email on 'The Art of Feeding' and like to read your suggestions of drills. When looking at your suggested drills on this newsletter, I would like to ask for a bit of clarification on the coaching point 'as players move sideways they must take last step towards ball at contact'. I thought that the player must have stopped before making contact with the ball. Do you mean that the player's balance takes him into another step at contact? I'm really interested in your drills and plan to make a purchase in the near future. Best wishes, Nick-submitted by email

Sportplan Team Coach, United Kingdom

How to teach single and double-handed backhands to U10s?

teaching single and doublehanded backhands to under 10s

Archived User Coach

How do you teach position anticipation?

My daughter has the fundamentals and strokes but lacks where to anticipate her position on the court to finish out the point.

Archived User Coach

Speed and agility in tennis

Why we need speed and agility in tennis?What we can do for speed and agility training?Can you gave me general information for speed and agility in tennis?

Can Deniz Coach, Turkey

split step

what is this

Deborah Hooks Coach, United States

footwork

show me some footwork and recovery drills

Don Boyle Coach, United Kingdom

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1200+ tennis drills
  • create your own professional coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested plans
LATEST FROM THE BLOG
Banish Your Coaching Nightmares with Sportplan

Banish Your Coaching Nightmares with Sportplan

Save yourself a scare this Halloween and ensure your session runs smoothly. No chaos, no fright, just structure.

October 30th, 2025
|
Cam Hughes
The 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour: What To Expect

The 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour: What To Expect

As the Lions tour approaches with their first tour game this Friday against Argentina, we look ahead at what the fans can expect to see from both sides as the tour in Australia approaches...

June 18th, 2025
|
Cam Hughes
Transform Your Coaching: Discover the Power of FootballBot!

Transform Your Coaching: Discover the Power of FootballBot!

Introducing the Sportplan FootballBot. Your new coaching partner that has all the answers to the questions you may have...

June 12th, 2025
|
Cam Hughes
VISIT THE BLOG TO READ MORE
Tennis POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
kidsvolleygamessliceforehanddoublesservingbackhand drillsbackhanddoubles drillsfootworklesson plansconsistencyforehand drillsservedrop shotmini tenniswarm upbeginner

What our users have been saying...

Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.

Sportplan has been very helpful in guiding me through my first year as a High School Coach.

Bill O'Neill Newly qualified coach, America

Your tennis drills are extremely useful coaching tools.

Nail Tennis coach, Bangalore

Thanks for everything! Sportplan has helped me to improve my tennis lessons, making them more interesting and fun.

Andrea Tennis coach, England

Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....

Monique New Zealand

I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.

Debbie Cross Australia

What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.

Wes Campbell Rugby Coach Canada

I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.

Cornel Basketball Coach, South Africa

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1200+ tennis drills
  • create professional tennis coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested tennis plans

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

SPORTPLAN USES COOKIES

Sportspeople like cookies too! By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More info

Privacy Policy
We are committed to privacy and support current industry initiatives to preserve individual privacy rights on the Internet. Protecting your privacy on-line is an evolving area and this website will constantly evolve to meet these demands.


Cookies
Some of our web pages utilise "cookies". A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used, forexample, to collect information about web site activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recallPersonal Information previously indicated by a web user. Most browsers allow you to control cookies, includingwhether or not to accept them and how to remove them.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of our website, if you choose to block them some aspects of the site may not work for you. Non necessary cookies are only set when you have given your explicit consent to their use. Such cookies included those set by our statistics package Google Analytics.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.

More info
Tennis POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
approach backhand backhand drills badminton beginner donkey doubles doubles drills drills drop shot football footwork forehand forehand drills games kids lesson plans lob mini mini tennis search serve serving short slice smash tennis volley volley drills warm up
YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of tennis coaches plus 1200+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.
LET'S DO IT