The coach feeds balls to the ad side. The player alternates hitting backhand down the line and backhand slice down the line.
Down the line shot is really important in tennis. It provides opportunity to place the ball into opponent's weaker side as also it gives a chance to move opponent around and force him to miss the shot. Cross-court shots have many strategical benefits but if we play only in one direction our game becomes predictable. That is why by implementing down the line shot, we become more dangerous for our rivals so it is easier for us to win more points.
In this drill, the player works on topspin and slice backhand in down the line direction. The coach should explain to the player that point of contact is closer to the body in comparison to cross-court shot so the player can make this adjustment. Additionally, the coach has to warn the player that late down the line shot will always land behind the sideline so it is crucial to pick right moment to use it. The coach can set up a zone to hit into or can make the player focus on own body without external targets.
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