Practice Drills

This document outlines a series of effective tennis practice drills designed to improve various aspects of your game, from fundamental strokes to strategic play. These drills are suitable for players of all levels looking to enhance their skills.

Warm-Up Drills

A proper warm-up is crucial to prevent injuries and prepare your body for the intensity of tennis.

• Mini-Tennis: Start close to the net and hit gentle forehands and backhands, focusing on control and consistency. Gradually move further back.
• Volley Exchange: Stand at the service line and practice volleys with a partner, emphasizing quick reactions and soft hands.
• Groundstroke Rally (Half-Court): Rally groundstrokes with a partner from the service line, focusing on rhythm and depth.

Fundamental Stroke Drills

These drills target the improvement of your core strokes.

Forehand Drills

• Cross-Court Forehand Target Practice: Place cones or targets in the cross-court corners. Hit forehands aiming for these targets, focusing on depth and angle.
• Down-the-Line Forehand Repetitions: Have a partner feed balls to your forehand side, and hit down-the-line forehands repeatedly. Focus on a compact swing and follow-through.
• Forehand Approach Shot Drill: Hit a deep forehand, then immediately run to the net to hit a volley. This simulates a common point scenario.

Backhand Drills

• Cross-Court Backhand Target Practice: Similar to the forehand drill, place targets in the cross-court corners and aim your backhands for them.
• Down-the-Line Backhand Repetitions: Practice hitting down-the-line backhands with a consistent feed.
• Backhand Slice Practice: Focus on generating backspin with your backhand slice, aiming for low, skidding balls.

Serve Drills

• Serving to Targets: Place targets in the service boxes (e.g., in the corners, down the "T"). Practice serving to these specific areas.
• Serve Consistency Drill: Aim to hit a certain number of serves in a row without missing.
• Second Serve Focus: Practice your second serve with added spin and control, ensuring it clears the net and lands consistently.

Net Play Drills

Developing strong net play can be a game-changer.

• Volleying from Mid-Court: Practice volleys from the mid-court area, focusing on attacking and defensive volleys.
• Overhead Smash Practice: Have a partner hit lobs, and practice overheads, aiming for power and accuracy.
• Approach and Volley Drill: Hit an approach shot (forehand or backhand) and immediately come to the net to volley the return.

Movement and Footwork Drills

Efficient footwork is essential for getting to the ball effectively.

• Side-to-Side Shuffles: Practice quick lateral movements across the baseline.
• Forehand/Backhand Recovery: Hit a shot, then immediately recover to the ready position at the center mark.
• Serve and Return Drills: Practice the sequence of serving, moving, and hitting a groundstroke, or returning a serve and then moving.

Strategic Drills

These drills help in understanding game situations and making tactical decisions.

• Point Play (Shortened Court): Play points on a shortened court (e.g., service box to service box) to emphasize quick points and decision-making.
• King of the Court: Play a series of mini-matches, with the winner staying on the court and a new challenger coming in.
• Live Ball Drills: Engage in full-court rallies with specific objectives, such as "only hit cross-court" or "attack short balls."

Cool-Down

After practice, it's important to cool down and stretch.

• Light Jogging: A few minutes of light jogging to bring your heart rate down.
• Stretching: Focus on stretching major muscle groups used in tennis, such as hamstrings, quadriceps, shoulders, and back.

Practice Schedule

A structured practice schedule can help maximize your improvement. Here's a sample weekly schedule:

Day	Focus Area	Drills
Monday	Forehand & Net Play	Cross-Court Forehand Target, Forehand Approach Shot, Volleying from Mid-Court
Tuesday	Backhand & Movement	Cross-Court Backhand Target, Side-to-Side Shuffles, Forehand/Backhand Recovery
Wednesday	Serve & Strategic	Serving to Targets, Serve Consistency, Point Play (Shortened Court)
Thursday	Review & Game Play	Any drills from Monday-Wednesday, King of the Court
Friday	Optional	Focus on a weaker area or rest
Saturday	Match Play	Practice what you've learned in a competitive setting
Sunday	Rest	Recovery