The coach feeds shorter ball to the ad side. The player hits backhand approach shot down the line and comes to the net. The coach feeds another ball to the deuce side. The player finishes with forehand volley down the line.
Coming to the net is a good strategy to win against many rivals. By moving closer to the opponent, we put a lot of pressure on them as also check quality of their lobs and passing shots. That is why it is important to add this aspect to own game to feel comfortable in different zones on the court. You never know which strategy will be useful against particular opponent so having more weapons is always an asset.
In this drill, the player implements down the line shots into net game situation. Hitting approach shot down the line is crucial to take the best position at the net. The player should know that down the line passing shot has shorter way to go than cross-court shot so hitting down the line approach shot and staying on the same side of the court at the net force rival to try to go for cross-court ball. The player is ready for this action and hits finishing volley down the line. The coach can set up targets or make players do given number of successful patterns. The coach should never continue drill if the approach shot is missed because in a match there won't be a volley after that.
"It is not only useful for staff who are experienced but a valuable tool for those subject staff who have to take teams."
The variety of sessions across sports - sometimes we steal session ideas from one sport and use them with another.
As we enter the business end of the competition, we take a look at the remaining eight teams and the key talking points surrounding each side.