Contact Help center
Tennis Tennis
HOME Tennis SEARCH

Tennis: switch

switch DRILLS
View All

Bluff Doubles Game

Players are effectively playing a game of touch-doubles, so the ball is fed in and the point played out within the service boxes, with the tramlines being out. Players must use touch and feel as no pace or power can be use to win the point. They can volley and the ball is allowed to bounce as in normal tennis. However, each player only has to look after their own service box quarter. Balls which land in their zone are the only ones they are responsible for retrieving. If they so wish, they can poach and intercept balls in the other players' box, but the player next to them is not going to cover their back and switch sides as in normal doubles.

Doubles Drills

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

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

Non-stop alternate shots

Players are playing the point out from the hand but are taking it in turns to hit alternate shots with their partner. Pairs take it in turns to feed the first ball in but as soon as the point has finished the next ball can be fed in immediately. Players can play first to 11 points before switching partners and after 3 rotations the individual players' totals are added up.

Coordination / Fun Games

Non-stop points out the hand

Players play the point out from the hand with each end of the court taking it in turns to feed the first ball in. If the player wins the point they stay on to play the next one with a maximum of 3 points in a row being played before switching with their partner. As soon as the point is complete the next ball can be fed in without having to wait for the opposing players to be ready. The drill should be non-stop, and the players are playing as a team with their points counting together. Players can play first to 11 points in this way.

Coordination / Fun Games

Over their head - Lob at the net

Player 1 is working in the full court and player 2 in half court, starting with the backhand corner. The coach (or player 3) feeds a very short ball/ dropshot that player 1 must chase down and push back deep into the corner where player 2 is waiting. Player 2 must then attempt to hit a winning topspin lob aggressively over player 1 who has moved to the net after playing the dropshot. Player 1 can try to chase down the lob if it goes over their head or smash/ volley it away into the backhand corner if the lob is not good enough. Players switch ends before repeating the drill to the other corner.

Lob

Serve / Return Point Play

Player 1 is serving and will play a sequence of 4 points against player 2 as follows: Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve wide. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's forehand side. Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve inside. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's backhand side. Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve inside to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's forehand corner. Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve wide to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's backhand side.

Serve and Return

Sharpening up!

Players 1 and 2 are at the net, player 3 is working from the baseline. The point is live as soon as the first ball is fed in from the volleyers with tramlines being out for both ends. However, the volleying players cannot hit a clean winner to win the point, they must force player 3 into making an error to score. Player 3 can do whatever they wish with the ball to win the point, they also win the point if they can make the ball bounce before the volleyers can get to it.

Volley Drills

Using the middle to neutralise

Player 1 is working in a full court and player 2 is 'feeding' from the centre of the court along the baseline. The players rally co-operatively for 3 minutes but with player 2 working the ball around the full-court making player 1 move a reasonable amount without a pattern. Player 1 is aiming for the rectangle at the back of the court marked by targets and player 2 should count how many balls player 1 makes into the rectangle within the 3 minutes. When the time is up the players switch roles. This drill can be repeated 3 times for each player and then the totals added up to see who was the most accurate!

Rally Drills

Zig Zag Volleys After Approach

Players approach on Forehand, switches to backhand for first volley, then changes to forehand volley.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Hit well and switch Forehand D...

Zones are set in both corners. The coach feeds balls to the ad side, and the player runs around and hits forehand inside out. If the player misses the zone, he has to continue to play in this direction. If the player hits the zone, coach says "switch" and the player then hits the next ball with forehand inside in.

General

Deuce mini killer Forehand Dri...

The coach stands at the net on the deuce side and the player starts from the service line. The coach moves the player around with volleys, and the player hits only slices back to the coach.

General

1 Offense 1 Defense Forehand D...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A hits all the balls aggressively. Player B hits all the balls defensively. After the point both players switch roles and play another rally.Drill specifications:5-10 min per sideWith more players on the court coach can use this drill strictly for the learning process or to make it really competitive. For learning purposes, players switch after few points to have a time to work on their shots as also to spend some time on different skills. For competitiveness, coach should put players into teams and play cross court points with clear defensive/offensive goals.

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

Pick the Corner Forehand Drill...

Coach feeds high balls. Player picks the corner and hits all overheads to the same side.

General

Can you hit 3 balls Forehand &...

2 players play points together. Zone is set in the deep area in the middle on the player A side. Player A tries to win the point by hitting offensively. Player B wins the point if the opponent misses the ball or if he makes 3 defensive shots into the zone.Drill specifications:1-2 points and switchThis drill has a competitive context but players shouldn’t forget about their goals. Players should switch after 1-2 points to keep all players rotating dynamically. Coach can set up a game where 2 teams are playing up to 10 points and they switch defensive/offensive roles after the game is over. While waiting for own turn, coach shouldn’t give any additional drills for players to let them watch others and learn from their decisions.

General

Hitting on the Rise Forehand D...

<br>Player stays on the baseline. Cones are set behind the player. Coach feeds deep higher balls. Player takes the ball on the rise and hits aggressively. Cones prevents the player from moving back.

General

Tennis: Kick wide + Forehand i...

Player A executes wide kick serve from the ad side. Player B hits backhand return cross court. Player A runs around and hits offensive forehand inside in.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 specific footwork drills focused on the running around the backhand to improve this aspect while hitting after the serve.

General

Attack + play points inside th...

2 players play points against each other. Player B feeds an easy ball. Player A attacks it and the point begins. Player A has to play the point all the time inside the baseline. Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchPoints are short so players can play few rallies in a row before they switch. Playing inside the baseline requires great footwork skills and many shots played in low position so lunges can be performed by waiting players to improve legs’ strength and become more natural while playing shots in really low position.

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

Serve body + volley Serve and ...

Player A executes serve into the body. Player B hits the return. Player A finishes the point with a volley.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 sprints next to the court to improve the speed that is really helpful while running to the net after the serve.

General

Attack + play points inside th...

2 players play points against each other. Player B feeds an easy ball. Player A attacks it and the point begins. Player A has to play the point all the time inside the baseline. Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchPoints are short so players can play few rallies in a row before they switch. Playing inside the baseline requires great footwork skills and many shots played in low position so lunges can be performed by waiting players to improve legs’ strength and become more natural while playing shots in really low position.

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

T + Forehand corner Serve and ...

Player A executes flat serve to the T. Player B hits defensive return. Player A moves forward and hits offensive forehand into one of the corners.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. It is important for returning players to not miss returns into the net because it completely prevents from hitting the next shot. Waiting players can throw a medicine ball in an overhead motion to improve strength and increase the power of the first serve.

General

Ball roll Movement - Tennis Dr...

Player 1 is feeding from the service box and player 2 starts on the baseline T in the ready position.Player 1 rolls tennis balls along the ground, in a random pattern, one after the other and player 2 must move to each ball, stop it with their hand before it goes outside the singles tramlines or baseline.After stopping the ball player 2 should roll it back to player 1 who can then roll the next ball.

General

Bluff Doubles Game Doubles Dri...

Players are effectively playing a game of touch-doubles, so the ball is fed in and the point played out within the service boxes, with the tramlines being out.Players must use touch and feel as no pace or power can be use to win the point. They can volley and the ball is allowed to bounce as in normal tennis.However, each player only has to look after their own service box quarter. Balls which land in their zone are the only ones they are responsible for retrieving. If they so wish, they can poach and intercept balls in the other players' box, but the player next to them is not going to cover their back and switch sides as in normal doubles.

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

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

Proper positioning Forehand Dr...

Red cones are set on deuce side; yellow cones are set on the ad side. The coach throws balls to the ad side, and the player runs around and hits forehand inside out (yellow cone) or inside in (red cone). After the shot, the player recovers to the proper cone according to the shot's direction.

General

Cone Serving Serve and Return ...

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.</div>

General

Using the middle to neutralise...

Player 1 is working in a full court and player 2 is 'feeding' from the centre of the court along the baseline. The players rally co-operatively for 3 minutes but with player 2 working the ball around the full-court making player 1 move a reasonable amount without a pattern.Player 1 is aiming for the rectangle at the back of the court marked by targets and player 2 should count how many balls player 1 makes into the rectangle within the 3 minutes. When the time is up the players switch roles.This drill can be repeated 3 times for each player and then the totals added up to see who was the most accurate!

General

Surprise after the angle Foreh...

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 with drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1 point and switchWhile 2 players are hitting on the court others can work on different skills. Physical activites are always good to incorporate but because of the drop shot included in this pattern, waiting players can cooperate and sharp this skill (player A is throwing the ball and player B is softly hitting drop shots back to the feeder).

General

Follow the angle Forehand Dril...

Coach feeds the ball to the player. Player hits an angle shot and runs to the net. Coach hits the ball back. Player finishes with the shot in the air.Drill specifications:1 repetition per set2 players can work on this pattern at the same time so players should switch after one repetition. Because moving to the net requires quick movement players should perform some sprinting exercises to work on speed and anaerobic endurance.

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

Send and adjust Forehand Drill...

<br>2 players rally in cross court direction. Players adjust their court position according to the placement of own shots. If the ball is hit really deep players move closer to the baseline. If the ball is hit with medium depth players maintain the position around 2 meters behind the baseline. If the ball is hit short players quickly move back to prepare for defense.<br>Drill specifications: 1 min and switch 4 players work with each other at the same time so the coach can walk around and provide constant feedback about the footwork and positioning. Main goal is to focus on these two aspects so any faults related to stroke’s technique shouldn’t be pointed out at this time. Waiting players should do fitness drill to work on their footwork skills and legs endurance. Ladder, jump rope or plyometrics are great examples to implement while waiting for own turn.

General

Don't open the court Forehand ...

Deuce service box is marked with cones, and the coach feeds balls to the backhand side. The player hits forehand inside in or inside out - they have to avoid the marked zone (deuce service box)!

General

Over their head - Lob at the n...

Player 1 is working in the full court and player 2 in half court, starting with the backhand corner.The coach (or player 3) feeds a very short ball/ dropshot that player 1 must chase down and push back deep into the corner where player 2 is waiting.Player 2 must then attempt to hit a winning topspin lob aggressively over player 1 who has moved to the net after playing the dropshot.Player 1 can try to chase down the lob if it goes over their head or smash/ volley it away into the backhand corner if the lob is not good enough.Players switch ends before repeating the drill to the other corner.

General

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

Get Out Of The Backhand

Improve your player's technical patterns so they play less consecutive backhands

Solid game based on fundamental principles

To work on players baseline game focusing predominantly on reactions but also technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects of building and winning a rally.
switch ANSWERS
View All

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

I'm coaching middle school tennis for the first time. Where to begin?

Coaching tennis to middle school athletes for the first time. How do I begin?

Rhonda R Lang Coach, United States of America

How do I coach 14 girls (varying abilities) on just 2 courts?

How do I coach 14 girls, all of varying levels from beginner to advanced on just two courts?

Archived User Coach

How much does full Sportplan membership cost?

Archived User Coach

The monthly charge for Sportplan?

After the free joining fee, how much is the monthly fee for sportplan?RegardsJM

JM Coach, England

Can I transfer my membership from rugby to football?

School rugby season has finished. Can I switch my membership to football for this term (then cricket for the summer)? Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

D Whipp Coach, England

Sport selection query

If I look to purchase one individual sport, can I then swap it for another sport as many times as i want?

Ryan Gould Coach, England

Sports

how do I change to a different sport which I added to my profile?

Crystal Coach, South Africa

switch to field hockey

I would like to pay for the field hockey membership right now and pause the basketball.

Jennifer McGovern Coach, United States

How do I coach 14 girls (varyi...

How do I coach 14 girls, all of varying levels from beginner to advanced on just two courts?

Archived User Coach

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
History Of The Modern Olympics and Its Cultural Significance

History Of The Modern Olympics and Its Cultural Significance

How did the Modern Olympics originally begin and why are they so culturally significant today?

July 25th, 2024
|
Cam Hughes
The Professionalisation of Netball

The Professionalisation of Netball

The Professionalisation of Netball is changing the game. Here is how it is helping to develop the sport.

July 17th, 2024
|
Lucy Chatwin
Score More Goals: 5 Proven Strategies for Netball Coaches

Score More Goals: 5 Proven Strategies for Netball Coaches

Scoring more goals is often the key to victory in netball. Here's how Sportplan can help you achieve this.

July 5th, 2024
|
Cam Hughes
VISIT THE BLOG TO READ MORE
Tennis POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
backhand drillsdoubles drillswarm updrop shotservingfootworkforehand drillsbackhandkidslesson plansgamesbeginnerservedoublesslicevolleyforehandconsistencymini tennis

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