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Tennis: finishing

finishing DRILLS
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2 points per rally

2 teams two balls Players play a half court rally until one makes a mistake for the first point. The second ball then becomes live and should be played out by all 4 players for the second point.

Rally Drills

Automatic pattern

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.

Forehand Drills

Deuce Pressure Return

Coach serves wide from the deuce side, and the player hits a forehand cross-court return, aiming for the ball to bounce in the coned area. Modification includes coming to the net after returning and finishing with forehand in the air.

Forehand Drills

Difference in the Air

The coach feeds an easy high ball, and the player hits forehand in the air to the deuce side and moves up.The coach hits a lob back, with the player finishing with overhead to the ad side. Many players don't play too many shots in the air because they have poor ball-tracking skills. The coach should implement different varations of drills that consist of drives and overheads to make players more comfortable with hitting without a bounce.

Volley Drills

Forehand low point of contact - follow through

The player stands on the service line. Coach then throws a low ball to their forehand side. The player should then run forward, bend their knees and hits the forehand.

Forehand Drills

Forehand pattern with finishing down the line on the run

There are 3 movements in this drill. Coach feeds first ball to the deuce side and player responds with forehand cross court. Coach immediately feeds second ball and the player hits an inside out. The next ball is fed aggressively to the deuce side. Player finishes with forehand down the line on the run.

Forehand Drills

Fun Finishing

Coach sets up a target (basket). Players compete with each other while trying to throw the ball inside the basket.

Coordination / Fun Games

Return With Courage

Coach delivers easy second serve. Player attacks with forehand to the backhand corner. Coach hits the ball short and player finishes to the other side.

Attacking

Threes - One up, one down

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.

Rally Drills

using the serve advantage

The player serves wide from the ad side, with the aim of getting the ball to land between two cones in the serving box on the opposite side of the court. The coach, standing in front of the player, then feeds him/her the ball to their backhand side. The player then has to run around and hit forehand inside in, with the aim of getting the ball to land between two cones placed in the corner of the deuce side on the other side of the net.

Forehand Drills

Finishing at the net Movement ...

Purpose:To move in the correct patterns at the net, hitting smash and high volley. Coach feeds in this sequence-1) Deep high lob to be <em>smashed</em>2) Soft high for <em>backhand volley</em>3) Deep high lob for <em>inside out smash</em>4) Soft high ball for <em>forehand volley finish</em> Feed in sets of 8-12

General

Finish in 3 shots Forehand & B...

2 players play points against each other. Player A has to finish the point in 3 shots to win.Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchPoints are short so players can play few rallies in a row before they switch. With more players on the court waiting players should perform physical activities to improve footwork or they can observe other players to learn different tactical approaches.

General

Approach and volley Volley Dri...

Players start off on baseline moves into no mans land for approach shot then move up to hit a 1st volley and finish with a 2nd volley.

General

Attack and finish Forehand & B...

The coach serves second serve from the ad side and the player hits offensive forehand return to the ad side. The coach defends and hits easier ball back. The player finishes with deep forehand to the deuce side.

General

Open the court and finish down...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A picks the right moment to hit angle shot and opens the court up. After successful angle shot player finishes the next ball down the line.Drill specifications:1 point and switchOnly 2 players can play at one court so quick change after the point is the best way to keep all players hitting. While waiting for own turn players should perform specific fitness drills that will lead to the improvements in their games. Jump rope or footwork on the ladder are quick and dynamic exercises that can be used to achieve these goals.

General

Pocket Serve Serve and Return ...

Player executes regular serve.Player focuses on bringing the tossing arm to the opposite pocket as well as on moving the hitting arm to the left side of the body.<br>

General

Tennis: Cross court pattern wi...

The player stands at the net, with cones set up in the ad corner. The coach feeds a lob, and the player hits overhead back to the coach to deuce side. The coach then hits the ball back to the ad side, and the player finishes with deep backhand volley cross court.

General

Short ball down the line Passi...

Players line up in two lines half way down the court. The coach feeds the ball short over the net for a player to run diagonally across the court to play the ball down the line.

General

Deuce Pressure Return Forehand...

Coach serves wide from the deuce side, and the player hits a forehand cross-court return, aiming for the ball to bounce in the coned area. Modification includes coming to the net after returning and finishing with forehand in the air.

General

Live Ball Pressure Volley Dril...

Coach feeds easy ball to the backhand side. Player hits backhand cross court (approach shot) and moves forward. Coach hits the ball back to make player respond with backhand cross court volley. Coach hits again and player has to finish with forehand cross court volley.

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

2 points per rally Rally Drill...

2 teams two balls Players play a half court rally until one makes a mistake for the first point. The second ball <em>then</em> becomes live and should be played out by all 4 players for the second point.

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

Taste your own shot Smash Dril...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds high topspin ball into one of the corners. Player moves back, hits high topspin ball to the backhand corner and moves forward to the net. Coach hits the ball back and players finishes with a volley or smash.Drill specifications: 1 repetition per setThis drill should be performed dynamically to keep all players in a game as often as possible. To make it real coach can put one player to feed and hit off the other player’s moonball. Players switch as feeder after few minutes to make sure that all participants work on different skills in the same drill.

General

Different winners Different po...

2 players play points against each other. 3 zones are set on one side of the court. Zone 1 is the deepest one, zone 2 is the medium one, and zone 3 is the closest one to the net. Winners from different zones have different bonus points. Winners from zone 1 are for 1 point, from zone 2 for 2 points, and from zone 3 are for 3 points.Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchThe main emphasis should be put on hitting winners so players have to put maximum effort and focus on each stroke. Waiting players can work on their strength with medicine ball drills to improve their chances for hitting powerful winners especially from the short and medium-long balls.

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

Drop and lob Lob - Tennis Dril...

The coach feeds the ball to the backhand side, and the player hits backhand drop shot down the line and moves forward. The coach comes then to the net and feeds the ball to the backhand side. The player finishes with backhand volley lob cross-court.

General

Width Rally Drills - Tennis Dr...

Use this drill after &quot;crosscourt theory&quot;Purpose:Understanding the importance of widthCoach feeds the ball to begin.Central third of court is out. Progress to 2 Players rallying full courtFeed underhand for 2 points alternatelyPlay to 11 points

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

Connect the Dots Serve and Ret...

Coach serves from Deuce/Ad side. Player returns with forehand cross court. Coach hits the ball back to forehand. Player finishes to the open space.In this exercise, returner works on basic forehand patterns.From deuce side, player returns cross court and finishes down the line.From Ad side, player goes with cross court and finishes with inside in.

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

Deep and Short Movement - Tenn...

Coach feeds an easy ball to the advantage side. Player runs around and hits forehand inside out. Player runs forward to take proper position at the net. Coach feeds another ball to the deuce side. Player finishes with forehand drop volley cross court.

General

Slice and cut it down the line...

Player A executes wide slice serve from the deuce side. Player B hits forehand cross court return. Player A moves diagonally forward and finishes with offensive down the line shot.Drill specifications:1 repetition per setTo make this drill really dynamic players should switch after one point at the serving side. Returning players can switch after few points to guarantee good consistency and more opportunities for the servers to work on the pattern. Waiting players should perform some footwork activities including quick diagonal movement to gain bigger improvements while moving to the ball after the serve.

General

Approach the net using down th...

The coach feeds shorter ball to the ad side. The player hits backhand approach shot down the line and comes to the net. The coach feeds another ball to the deuce side. The player finishes with forehand volley down the line.

General

Conscious doubles game Volley ...

The player serves wide to the deuce side and the coach feeds short ball to deuce side. The player hits deep forehand approach shot cross-court and comes to the net. The coach feeds another ball to deuce side and the player finishes with forehand volley cross-court.

General

Approach and Close Attacking -...

<br />The coach feeds into the service area.<br />-Before the coach feeds Player 1 has to nominate the corner into which they hit their approach shot.<br />-Player 1 plays an approach shot Player 2 has to hit down the line, Player 2 then finishes the rally at the net.

General

6 spots with one result Foreha...

The coach feeds an easy ball to the deuce side and the player hits offensive approach shot to the deuce side and comes to the net. The coach feeds the ball to the backhand side and the player then finishes with backhand volley to the deuce side. The player repeats this pattern from middle of the court and from the ad side.

General

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finishing SESSIONS
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Developing The Basics Of The Baseline Game

Learn how to perfect the baseline game and dominate your opponent!

Another way to win points faster

Give your players the advantage with this session, by implementing the forehand drive into their game!

The Serve for Juniors

Develop your juniors serve by starting with the fundamentals. As such a vital part of the game, making training effective yet enjoyable is a must, so use this session to get the best from your players.

Mastering the Volley: Success at the Net

Volleying is all about positioning and touch. Get your player in the in the right position to make the shot and finish the point and when perfected, it will be a lethal weapon in a players game.

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.

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

Develop the Backhand!

Work on the technical aspects of the backhand, as you work to improve on their groundstroke to succeed in matches!

Different Use of the Slice

Give your players a helping hand on court, by handing them a whole arsenal of shots to work with, from the slice to the drop shot!

Doubles-Specific Practice

Work on the tactical and technical areas of the doubles game, making your players aware of the different priorities needed than in a singles match!

Hitting On The Run

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

Coaching Groups Successfully

Coaching groups doesn’t have to be hard! Ensure your players keep busy with fun drills that will improve skills!

Tactical basics for effective ...

Understand tactical plays to create an advantage on the court by playing shots with a good depth to allow the player to approach the net and finish the point.

Points based on Forehand scena...

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

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

teaching single and doublehanded backhands to under 10s

Archived User Coach

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