Player stands close to the net. Coach feeds easy ball to the forehand side, and the player hits it aggressively without touching the net with the racquet.
Taking advantage of the short ball is a skill that every player should work on. Proper technique is a necessity to successfully execute offensive shots with decent consistency. The most important part of technique that players have to learn is a point of contact. Taking the ball on the rise shortens opponent's reaction time so coaches should spend enough time to teach players how to hit balls around the shoulder level. Additionally, players have to adjust backswings to be able to execute flat shots with minimum chance to hit into the net. In this exercise, player stands close to the net and coach feeds easy balls. Player's goal is to hit aggressively without touching the net. The obstacle (net) will force players to adjust backswing (higher level) as also to modify the swing (high-to-low or forward).
Indoor courts give players less time and less room. Help them sharpen their split step, shorten their swing and stay calm, and winter becomes a season of real progress.
A tiebreak is a short sprint where every point is worth the same as a break of serve. The players who win them are rarely the ones who hit hardest. Here is how to coach the patterns, habits and scoreboard thinking that win the big points.
Most club players practise the serve on its own and then have no idea what to do with the ball that comes back. Serve plus one is the pattern that turns a good serve into a won point.
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