Players stand opposite one another in the service boxes and play the point out.
However, this time, the ball must be hit down into the court so that it bounces on the player's own side before it goes over the net (like in table tennis). The ball cannot therefore bounce before the opposing player makes contact with it themselves.
Points can be played up to 21 in this way.
This will feel strange to most players as it is the opposite of how tennis is played. However players should soon get the hang of it and good points can be constructed from playing in this way.
It encourages players to get to the ball as early as they possibly can, as it is obviously easier to hit it down if they reach the ball early.
Players will find it harder to do this on the backhand side due to wrist and arm strength so they can move around to hit more off the forehand wing if they wish.
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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