Tennis: Keep the opponent on the backhand side

Get your players into the game straight away, by working on the first shots of the rally, such as the drop shot!

Player kneels down on the ground in a sideways position. The coach tosses a medicine ball to the player. The player catches, turns and throws the ball back by using upper body rotation. This exercise is a great tool to improve backhand stroke by learning how to generate more power without using lower body.

Dead ball feed
Players start off in forehand doubles corner and ply to backhands along baseline. As player moves towards the ball they keep racket prepared and the last step before contact should be towards.

Coach feeds balls to the backhand side. Player hits backhand volley cross court and recovers to the cone. Proper spot after cross court backhand is on the deuce side. Coach should explain to players that they have to be on the same side where they hit the ball. This rule is crucial at the net because player has to cover first down the line passing shot (down the line crosses the net faster than cross court).

Coach feeds balls to the backhand side. Player hits backhand volley down the line and recovers to the cone. Proper spot after down the line backhand is on the ad side. Coach should explain to players that they have to be on the same side where they hit the ball. This rule is crucial at the net because player has to cover first down the line passing shot (down the line crosses the net faster than cross court).