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Tennis: early

early DRILLS
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Early Return

Player 1 only has one serve. Player 2 is returning the ball whilst 1 metre inside the baseline or closer if the serve is short. Player 2 should be aiming for either target A or B.

Serve and Return

Fast Rally - Maximum Contacts

Players rally up and down the middle of the court cooperatively. They must try and hit as many contacts as they can within a timed one minute period, regardless of whether the ball goes out or in the net. This one minute period is repeated 5 times with 1 minute in between each repetition for players to recover and collect balls ready for the next working slot.

Rally Drills

First volley and live!

The coach feeds the ball from the basket to player 1 who is moving forwards to play a 1st volley. As the coach makes contact with the ball player 1 must split step and aim to meet and hit the 1st volley on or inside the service line. They must play this ball deep down the line, whether it is a forehand or backhand volley and once this ball has been made, the point is live. Player 2 moves to whichever side the ball has been hit to and attempts to pass player 1 down the line. The point is played out in this way, first to 11 points before the players switch ends.

Volley Drills

Restricted Space

Two players play out a point and they are not allowed to step outside of the back of the court (resticted area). If players do step into the restricted area they immediately forfeit the point.

Rally Drills

Run and smash

Every player with a ball each. They have to run to the net while bouncing the ball on their racket. when they get to the net they throw up the ball and smash it across the net after which they have to run back. First one back is the winner

Smash Drills

Table tennis rallying

Players stand opposite one another in the service boxes and play the point out. However, this time, the ball must be hit down into the court so that it bounces on the player's own side before it goes over the net (like in table tennis). The ball cannot therefore bounce before the opposing player makes contact with it themselves. Points can be played up to 21 in this way.

Coordination / Fun Games

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

Taking the ball inside the court

Both players rally up and down the middle of the court from a central position. Every so often the coach shouts 'player 1' or 'player 2' and for the next 30 seconds that particular player must not step foot behind the baseline. Every ball they hit must be played with both feet in front of the baseline, however difficult this is.

Rally Drills

The loop and sneak: Cat and mouse!

Players are rallying up and down the centre of the court in the usual way. When either player decides to, they can change the flight path of the ball and hit an aggressive topspin loop to push the opposing player to the back off the court. The point is then live and the players play first to 11 points. The player who has hit the aggressive loop can wait to see what damage their shot has done to their opponent before deciding where to position themselves on the court. If the loop has been played well and deep, the player may look to sneak into the net after it as it is likely the opponent will hit a weak reply. However if the loop has not been hit deep enough it may provide the opponent with a slower midcourt ball so the player must be ready to defend if this is the case.

Lob

Taking the ball early Rally Dr...

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

General

Taking the ball early: One up,...

Players rally up and down the middle of the court with 1 player at the baseline and one at the net. The aim of the drill is to hit as many balls in 1 minute as possible, counting as they go. The minute period is repeated 5 times with players resting for 1 minute between each repetition to recover and collect balls ready for the next drill. Players should continuously try to beat their own score each time, but this drill can also be made competitive by comparing the scores between other pairs of players.

General

Early Return Serve and Return ...

Player 1 only has one serve. Player 2 is returning the ball whilst 1 metre inside the baseline or closer if the serve is short. Player 2 should be aiming for either target A or B.

General

Using the Body Forehand Drills...

The coach and player rally together. Each player has to firstly touch the ball with one body part, and then he/she can hit it over the net with the racquet.

General

Catch & Throw Like A Volley Vo...

Working on volleys should be incorporated in the early stages of learning tennisIt is not purely about volleying well but it is about not being scared of the incoming ball as also playing without the bounce and without the backswingKids who are introduced to the net game on mini-court find it easier to come to the net also while playing on bigger court so this transition is smoother if the proper approach is taken with smaller court and softer balls

General

Threes - One up, one down Rall...

  Player 1 is working in the whole court and must hit 1 forehand cross-court, 1 forehand line, followed by 1 backhand cross-court finishing with 1 backhand line. Player 2 is working in the forehand corner and must hit 2 cross-court forehands. Player 3 is working in the backhand corner and must hit 2 cross-court backhands.  

General

Serve And Body Ball Movement -...

Player serves the ball, and immediately after serving, the coach tosses a deep ball into player's body. The player's goal is to move back and hit with control.

General

Restricted Space Rally Drills ...

Two players play out a point and they are not allowed to step outside of the back of the court (resticted area).If players do step into the restricted area they immediately forfeit the point.

General

Forehand plus development Coor...

Coach rallies with player. Player alternates hitting forehand and catching/throwing forehand.

General

Continuous 1 vs 1 (3 players) ...

1 vs 1, with a second person at one end who takes over as soon as the point has finished. Therefore 1 person plays continuously, whereas the other 2 switch every point.The player at the 2 person end starts with the ball and the other player starts on the left hand side of court. The ball is played crosscourt to the right corner for the continuous player to run onto. Players then rally until the point is won. Then revese the direction of the run in.Rotate between the 3 players so that each person has a turn at being the continuous player.

General

'X' movement Movement - Tennis...

Purpose:learn to move in an &quot;X&quot; pattern under pressure of movement.Coach feeds the ball in the sequence 1,2,3,4 for each player in turn. Coach feeds high deep balls to points 1,3 and shorter feeds to 2,4.Exact pattern of 1,2,3,4 maintained throughout.Player hits feeds 1,3 deep crosscourt. Feeds 2,4 down the line. Feed in sets of 16 balls.

General

Run Forrest, run! Volley Drill...

The coach feeds a drop-shot from the basket. Players 1 and 2 are at the same end as the coach and are positioned at the net.Player 3 must run forwards to try to get to the drop-shot and play it up to either of the players at the net.The players at the net must lob-volley the ball back over player 3's head. Player must then 3 run back to chase the ball hitting it again to either of the players at the net, who then drop volleys this ball.The point continues in this way until an unforced error is made or player 3 cannot run anymore!

General

Take Pace Off With Control Vol...

Player stands inside the service box. Coach feeds balls alternating the sides. Player executes a forehand stop volley down the line and a backhand stop volley cross-court.

General

Less Time For Reaction Backhan...

Coach feeds balls to the backhand sidePlayer hits backhand cross-court and as soon as player hits the ball, coach delivers quickly another ballThe second ball, player has to run around and hit backhand

General

Different colours different de...

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

General

Doubles returning Serve and Re...

<BR>-Players are positioned in a doubles formation as seen in the picture. <BR>-The server will serve first and second serves as in a game situation.<BR>-The receiver will hit any of the returns as shown in the picture.<BR>-The players can play out the points after the return.<BR>-After approximately 6-10 serves the players swop round so that each player gets to serve and return and from both sides.

General

Comfortable New Grip Forehand ...

Player inserts a pen between the hand and the racquet's grip. Player imitates forehand without changing a grip. In this exercise, the pen is a valuable tool that will do all the work for the coach. Every time the player tries to change the grip to the old one, they will feel it because of the pen. After imitating, the coach should toss or feed balls to challenge players at the early stages of grip's change.

General

3 progressive returns Serve an...

The coach stands on the service line (ad side), and the player starts from the baseline. The coach serves to the T, so that the players hits a forehand return cross-court. After successful hit into the zone, the player moves forward between service line and baseline, and hits another return. After successful hit into the zone, the player moves forward to the service line to execute another return.

General

Under pressure ground strokes ...

<BR>-Rally until a mistake is made by the baseliner.<BR>-Baseliners swap out on mistakes.<BR>-Volley player swaps after 2-3 minutes.

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

Serve And Body Ball Serve and ...

Player serves the ball, and immediately after serving, the coach tosses a deep ball into player's body. The player's goal is to move back and hit with control.

General

Depth of serve Serve and Retur...

TDL = Throw down lines<BR>Place some TDL 2 feet inside the service line<BR> - Player A only has one serve per point. <BR> - If they serve between TDL and the service line and eventually win the point they score two points but if the serve is short they will only score 1 point.

General

Don't let it bounce Volley Dri...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds a moonball. Player moves inside the baseline and hits a groundstroke drive in the air.Drill specifications:1-4 repetitions per setWith less players on the court coach can increase the number of repetitions to allow players to hit few strokes in a row. Waiting players can do figure 8 drill around the cones to work on the important aspect of the forehand in the air - adjustment steps. With more players coach can make them switch after one shot to keep the drill dynamic and improve anaerobic endurance at the same time.

General

Shot selection Rally Drills - ...

<br />-Players play in pairs as a team and alternate shots scoring a point each time a shot is hit in the back 1/3 of the court.<br />-If a ball is hit short the players can attack. <br />-Attacking shots should also be hit deep (1/3 back of court) and if they are hit as outright winners the team will score an extra 3 points.<br />-First side to 7 points wins the game.<br />-The game can also be started with service and then carried on as described above.

General

Offensive response to high bal...

The player stands on the baseline and the coach feeds high ball. The player moves forward and hits forehand in the air to the ad side.

General

Length Rally Drills - Tennis D...

Can use this rally as a progression of &quot;Height&quot; drillPurpose:Understanding the importance of lengthStart with a coach feeding the balls from the other side of the net. Only shots landing deep of service line count as &quot;in&quot;. Progress to a rally with 2 Players full courtPlay up to 11 points.Feed underhand for 2 points alternately.

General

Fast Rally - Maximum Contacts ...

<div class=&quot;practiceText&quot;>Players rally up and down the middle of the court cooperatively.They must try and hit as many contacts as they can within a timed one minute period, regardless of whether the ball goes out or in the net.This one minute period is repeated 5 times with 1 minute in between each repetition for players to recover and collect balls ready for the next working slot.</div>

General

One serve - Under Pressure Ser...

Player 1 has only one serve and the score is 30 - 30. The first player to win 3 games is the winner. If player 1 successfully makes the serve and wins the point they win the game. If not they only have 1 serve for the next point. If they win that point the game goes to sudden death.

General

Surprising inside out opener F...

2 players use backhands to rally together in cross court direction . Player A picks the right moment to surprise the opponent and hits forehand angle inside out. After putting the opponent outside of the alley player A takes the next ball and finishes with backhand down the line.Drill specifications:1-2 minutes and switch2 players can work on forehands and backhands at the same time so 1-2 minutes periods for switching are appropriate. Waiting players can perform some footwork exercises with the emphasis on running around footwork patterns based on crossover steps to improve the effectiveness of the angle shot while hitting.

General

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early SESSIONS
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Body and racquet under control

Develop balance and early footwork to maintain control of the body and racket head when hitting to all parts of the court.

Adapting to Different Points of Contact

To work on the forehand in different situations that require varying points of contact. To understand the necessity for technical adaptation when dealing with low, medium, and high balls.

Learning to take the ball early and inside the court

Get your players to take the ball at the top of the bounce, making the shot easier for themselves while simultaneously giving their opponent less time!

Mid Court Shot Execution

Develop weapons that will allow for successful performance in the mid court area.

Tactical aspects faced in the match

Develop tactical awareness to understand what shot to play, where to recover to and ultimately to create point winning opportunities.

Points based on Forehand scenarios

Work on different tactical plays with your players on court, based on their forehand stroke, to catch the opposition off guard!

Pressure Rallying - Movement and Concentration session

Improve your players' rallying under pressure and use a ticking clock scenario in this high-intensity movement and concentration session

Winning Without A Bounce

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

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.

Controlled Pressure

Learn how to tactically put pressure on the opponent in different situations on the court.

Hitting On The Run

Teach your players how to hit correctly on the run without giving their opponent an advantage!
early ANSWERS
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Backhand grip

In Nick Saviano's book, Maximum Tennis, Andre Agassi is said to have a very 'soft' left hand on his backhand, and yet often I hear and read many tips suggesting a very dominant, or active, supporting hand for the two handed backhand. Especially now, with the more semi-open stanced players, what should I suggest when teaching the backhand to developing players?

Archived User Coach

What are usefull tips for a tennis lesson given to?

What are usefull tips for a tennis lesson given to kids 6 or 7 years old, complete beginners and in groups of 12 kids ?

Archived User Coach

What is the best way to share playing vocab at this site...

...where it will list and describe playing terminology such as shave, tackle-back, steal, forehand.

Ejaz Syed Coach, United States of America

perception of the ball

hi! I am a beginner coach, so need help! coaching a men around 45, he has trouble of understanding where the ball will land. he does backswing to early, to late, focusing to much on the ball and having trouble with footwork. any drills to make it easier to understand where the ball will land and how to prepare for it? thank you

Ekaterina Grib Coach, Russia

Animated tennis drills

Can I animate drills on IPad app?

Mattia Stoissa Coach, Australia

Invoice

Hi, My subsciption runs out in September but I have to use my budget in the next few weeks. Is it posible to get an early invoice for one more year of my current access so that I can pay it soon?

Nicola Coach, England

Strategy to win senior 70´s t...

How to win senior 70´s tournament singles? Strategy?

Archived User Coach

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