Coach stays at the service line. Coach feeds balls to the backhand side. Player slices the ball with an objective to make it bounce inside the service line.
It is important that players are able to use the slice when they are under pressure. There is a lot of tension when a decent opponent comes to the net and players have to learn how to execute the slice with calm. Too many times players try to hit winners with the first shot which results in many unforced errors. It is important to understand that we can win from unforced errors or we can easily put away when we have more skills than just driving the ball. Hitting the slice into the legs of the opponent (when the ball bounces inside the service box) means that your rival has to hit the ball up which is not an offensive solution for the attacker. Knowing and practicing this situation can open players' eyes for many more tactical possibilities to win the point.
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.
Register for FREE and get coaching tips, top drills, session and more every week!
