Tennis Drills

Builds: The full forehand swing without a game-speed ball

Feeder stands on the same side of the net as the player, ten feet inside the baseline, and tosses underhand balls to the player's forehand strike zone (waist height, three feet in front of the body). The starting drill for first-time players because it isolates the swing without the noise of an incoming ball.

Reps: 20 reps, then rotate roles

Builds: Consistency and depth on the highest-percentage shot

Two players rally only cross-court (deuce side to deuce side) from the baseline. Cross-court is the highest-percentage shot in tennis because the net is lower in the middle and the court diagonal is longer, so most points start cross-court.

Target: 10 consecutive shots in the court before resetting

Builds: Change-of-direction timing and balance

Place a cone three feet inside the singles sideline, six feet from the baseline. Player rallies cross-court for three balls, then changes direction down the line on the fourth. The down-the-line shot off a cross-court rally is one of the most common tactical patterns in modern singles.

Reps: 12 reps per set

Builds: Attacking with the dominant stroke from the weaker side

Feeder tosses to the backhand side; player steps around the backhand and hits an inside forehand. The step-around forehand is one of the most common patterns at the WTA and ATP levels. A 14U-and-up drill because younger players often lack the lateral quickness for the step-around.

Reps: 15 reps per set

Builds: The baseliner's point-controlling pattern

Player stands in the backhand corner and hits a forehand into the opponent's backhand corner (diagonally across the court), with a cone target three feet inside the singles sideline. The inside-out forehand is the tactical signature of a baseliner who controls points, then waits for the short ball to finish inside-in down the line.

Reps: 15 reps

Builds: Recovery pattern that holds court position in long rallies

Player hits an open-stance forehand from the deuce corner and recovers two steps toward the center mark. Feeder then sends the next ball wide to the backhand, and the player slides into a closed-stance backhand. Builds the recovery pattern that lets a baseliner stay in long rallies without giving up court position.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: Topspin that lets a player attack with margin above the net

Feeder hand-feeds balls to the player's forehand. Player focuses on a low-to-high swing path that brushes up the back of the ball, producing topspin that drops inside the baseline. Coach calls the target net clearance: three feet on the first set, six feet on the second, ten feet on the third.

Builds: The most common backhand on tour, hand-fed

Feeder hand-feeds balls to the backhand strike zone. The two-handed backhand is the most common backhand on tour because the two-hand grip provides stability on hard shots and lets a player generate pace from a stretched position. Start two-handed if a player is brand new and unsure which grip to learn first.

Reps: 20 reps

Builds: A low-staying change-of-pace and approach shot

Feeder hand-feeds balls. Player hits a continental-grip slice with a high-to-low swing path so the ball stays low after the bounce, forcing the opponent to hit up. A tactical alternative to the topspin two-hander, useful as an approach shot, a defensive bailout on a wide ball, or a change-of-pace shot in a long rally.

Reps: 15 reps

Builds: Backhand depth and consistency under repeated reps

Two players rally only cross-court (ad side to ad side) from the baseline. Most rallies above the recreational level cycle through the cross-court backhand because both players are forehand-dominant and hide their backhand cross-court when on defense.

Target: 15 consecutive shots in the court

Builds: Precision and decisiveness on a low-margin shot

Player rallies cross-court backhand for three balls, then changes direction down the line on the fourth, aiming at a cone three feet inside the singles sideline. The down-the-line backhand is one of the tougher tactical shots because the net is highest in the middle and the court diagonal is shortest, so it leaves less margin for error.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: The bailout backhand that turns defense into a neutral rally

Feeder hits a wide ball to the backhand corner, forcing the player to slide or sprint to reach. Player gets the racquet on the ball and lifts a defensive shot back into play, then recovers two steps toward the center. Builds the bailout backhand that turns a 1-out-of-4 winnable point into a 1-out-of-2 neutral rally.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: Reach on wide balls and a natural slice transition

Feeder hand-feeds balls to the backhand strike zone. The one-handed backhand requires more shoulder strength and timing than the two-hander but offers reach advantages on wide balls and a more natural slice transition. Teach as an alternative for older juniors with strong shoulder stability who already have a reliable two-handed backhand.

Reps: 20 reps

Builds: The most undervalued variable in serving: a repeatable toss

Player stands at the baseline and tosses the serve without hitting the ball. A tape mark on the court inside the baseline shows where the toss should land (about a foot in front of the lead foot for a flat serve, a foot behind for a kick). A half-meter inconsistency in the toss makes the swing impossible to repeat.

Reps: 20 reps

Builds: Turning a serve that goes in into a serve that goes where you want

Place three target cones on each service box (wide, body, and T). Player serves ten balls aiming at each cone, recording hits and misses, then repeats on the ad side. The drill that turns "I make my first serve in" into "I make my first serve to the body when I am ahead 30-15."

Reps: 10 balls per cone, both sides

Builds: Second-serve reliability that holds up on break points

Player feeds themselves balls and serves second-serve kicks aiming at the opponent's backhand corner. The kick serve uses a continental grip, a toss slightly behind and to the left for right-handers, and a brush across the ball from low to high. Second-serve reliability decides break points at every level above 3.0.

Reps: 30 reps

Builds: Planning two shots ahead instead of one

Player serves to a designated spot (wide, body, or T) and the returner returns; the server hits the next shot (the +1) into a pre-decided target corner. The serve + 1 pattern is the most common scoring pattern in modern tennis: serve wide, +1 into the open court.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: Deep returns that push the server off the baseline

Place a cone in the deep third of the court (six feet from the baseline). Server hits flat or sliced first serves; the returner aims to clear the cone with depth. Deep returns push the server off the baseline and stop the serve + 1 pattern from working as designed.

Reps: 15 returns

Builds: The bailout return against a big first serve

Server hits fast first serves; the returner uses a short, compact swing (block return) with no follow-through past the shoulder to neutralize the pace and put the ball in play. The block return is the bailout shot against a server hitting 110+ mph, where a full swing usually produces a return error.

Reps: 15 returns

Builds: The offensive complement to serve + 1

Returner blocks or drives the return deep, then hits a pre-decided +1 shot (down the line, cross-court, or approach). Returners who plan two shots win more break-point opportunities than returners who treat the return as an end in itself.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: A third serve placement alongside wide and T

Server aims at the returner's hip pocket (about two feet from the body on the forehand side for a right-hander returning a right-hander). The body serve is the most underused first-serve placement at every level because returners struggle to clear their own body and end up with a defensive return.

Reps: 20 serves

Builds: The punch volley motion without a moving ball

Feeder stands at the baseline; player stands at the service line. Feeder hand-tosses forehand and backhand volleys. Run this before progressing to live-ball rallies, since the controlled toss lets the player groove the punch motion without the chaos of a moving ball.

Reps: 10 forehand + 10 backhand volleys

Builds: The most common net-play sequence in singles

Feeder feeds a short ball inside the service box. Player approaches with a sliced backhand or topspin forehand approach shot, follows the approach to the net, and finishes with a volley into a target cone. Builds the short ball, approach, finish sequence.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: The punishment shot against a defensive lob

Feeder lobs balls to the player at the service line. Player turns sideways, tracks the ball over the shoulder, and finishes with an overhead smash into a target. Missing overheads turns a winnable point into a momentum swing.

Reps: 15 reps

Builds: The finishing touch against a baseliner who hangs back

Feeder hits a hard pass; player absorbs the pace with a relaxed grip and drops the volley into the service box short. A 14U-and-up drill because younger players usually lack the grip control to absorb pace consistently.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: The fundamental offensive pattern in doubles

Four players in a doubles formation. The server's partner at net poaches the return on a designated signal, finishing the volley into the opposite team's gap. Run from both deuce and ad sides. Teams that drill the timing of the poach win more service games than teams that play passive net positions.

Builds: Reactive volley speed and soft hands

Two players stand at the service line, ten feet apart across the net, and volley back and forth using compact punches. Run as a warm-up at the start of every doubles practice.

Target: 15 consecutive volleys

Builds: The recovery shot on a ball at the feet

Feeder hand-feeds balls that land at the player's feet just inside the service line. Player half-volleys (picks the ball up on the short hop) and lifts it deep into the court. The recovery shot when an approach lands short or an opponent hits a low return at the feet.

Reps: 12 reps

Builds: Court-coverage conditioning for a three-set match

Place five balls in a star pattern around the center mark (one at each corner of the court and one at the T). Player sprints from center to a ball, picks it up, returns to center, drops the ball, and sprints to the next ball. Time the full round.

Target: Sub-25 seconds (competitive at high school level)

Builds: Lateral quickness to cover the corners on wide balls

Agility ladder placed lengthwise. Player side-shuffles through the ladder with two feet in each rung, turning quickly at each end.

Reps: 6 rounds x 30s, 15s rest

Builds: The habit of recovering to center after every shot

Three cones at the deuce corner, center mark, and ad corner. Coach calls a corner; player sprints to that cone, touches it, then recovers to the center mark. Coach calls the next corner before the player finishes the recovery, building the habit of recovering toward the center instead of standing where the last ball landed.

Reps: 10 reps

Builds: The split step that separates reacting from reaching

Feeder simulates an opponent's swing motion. Player executes a split step (small hop, landing on the balls of both feet) timed to the feeder's contact, then the feeder hand-feeds a forehand or backhand. Split-step timing is the single biggest difference between a player who reacts quickly and one who reaches for every ball.

Reps: 20 reps

Builds: Change-of-direction conditioning

Four cones form a square the width of the doubles court. Player sprints diagonally from one cone to the opposite cone, side-shuffles laterally to the next cone, sprints diagonally again, then side-shuffles back to start.

Reps: 3 rounds

Builds: Conditioning for long, all-court rallies

Feeder hits three shots in a sequence: deep to one corner, wide to the opposite corner, short into the middle. Player hits each shot and recovers to the center mark before the next ball. Builds the conditioning to survive the all-court rallies that decide late-set games.

Reps: 6 rounds

Builds: The fastest way to cover wide balls

Player starts at the center mark. Coach calls a corner; player uses a crossover step (back leg crosses in front of the lead leg) for the first three steps, then runs out the rest of the distance. The crossover step is the foundation of the open-stance forehand recovery.

Builds: Consistency and stamina under repeated pressure

One player holds the King side (the deuce side); challengers cycle through the ad side. King serves, challenger returns. First to win two consecutive points wins the King side, and the previous King rotates to the back of the challenger line. The most engaging point-play drill at every level.

Builds: Controlling the two shots after the serve that decide the point

Server serves into the deuce or ad box; returner returns; server hits +1; returner hits +2. The drill stops after the fourth shot regardless of the outcome. Targets the 80/20 rule: most points end within four shots, so the player who controls the first two shots after each serve usually controls the point.

Reps: 12 reps per side

Builds: Converting short balls into won points

Coach feeds a short ball inside the service box. Player approaches the net with a sliced or topspin approach shot and plays out the point against an opponent at the baseline. First team to ten points wins. Builds the approach-and-finish habit instead of leaving short balls as neutral rally balls.

Builds: Thirty live points in eight minutes across three lanes

Six or more players. Three serve at the same time from one end; three return from the other end. Coach designates a target placement (wide deuce, body ad, T deuce); servers aim there and returners play out the point. Compresses thirty live points into eight minutes by running three simultaneous lanes.

Reps: 10 rounds, rotating partners

Builds: Decision-making under no-ad pressure over a long block

Two players play to 21 points with one-up scoring and no-ad scoring at deuce points. The loser of each point serves the next. The format keeps both players competitive across a long block because the lead can swing quickly and the no-ad pressure forces decisions under stress.

Builds: Shot tolerance within a tighter geometry

Players play points only on the deuce side of the court (right half from the server's perspective). First to ten points wins. Forces players to construct points within a tighter geometry, building shot tolerance and tactical awareness on the side where most break-point swings happen.

Builds: Late-match composure that decides three-set matches

Two players play a first-to-seven tiebreaker. Coach calls scoreboard pressure scenarios ("4-4 in a third-set tiebreaker, you serve") and runs the breaker live, then resets and runs again with the other player serving.

Builds: The swing pattern without the noise of a ball

No ball. Player runs the forehand, backhand, and serve motion in slow motion, then at game speed. Builds the swing pattern without the noise of a ball flying past.

Reps: 10 reps each stroke

Builds: Racquet-face awareness every stroke depends on

Player bounces a ball on the racquet face (up-bounce), then down-bounces it on the ground. Builds the racquet-face awareness every stroke depends on.

Reps: 20 up-bounces, then 20 down-bounces

Builds: Feeling the swing in isolation

Player drops a ball, lets it bounce once, and hits a forehand or backhand into the opposite service box. Removes the moving-ball variable so the player feels the swing in isolation.

Reps: 15 reps each side

Builds: Contact point and racquet control before baseline depth

Two players stand at the service line and rally inside the service boxes with soft touch and slow pace. Builds the contact point and racquet control before adding baseline depth.

Target: 10 consecutive shots inside the boxes

Builds: The most repeatable solo drill, no partner needed

Player hits balls against a practice wall from ten feet back, controlling pace so the ball comes back into the strike zone. The most repeatable solo drill because the wall does not get tired and the ball returns at the speed the player sends it.

Target: 20 consecutive hits

Builds: A no-queue rotation that keeps a large group moving

Players line up at one end and feed forehands or backhands in rotation, with the last one missing winning. Keeps a ten-player group moving without queues.

Builds: Ball-tracking before racquet skill at the 5-7 age band

A red-foam-ball catch-and-throw game that builds ball-tracking before racquet skill at the 5-7 age band.

A points match played with an orange ball on a mini court, sized for the 7-9 age band.

Builds: A continuous volley chain for a group of kids

Six kids form a continuous volley chain at the net, keeping one ball moving down the line.