The player starts from the middle. The coach tosses 4 balls into different directions (deuce side, short middle, ad side, deep middle). The player hits all the balls with forehand stroke.
Tennis is a game of movement so learning all strokes has to involve proper movement. Without great footwork skills it is impossible to effectively compete against top players. Many mistakes in the forehand stroke are caused because of poor movement skills so coaches have to analyse this aspect all the time to make players improve.
In this drill, the player works on forehand quality with the strong emphasis on footwork skills. The coach should make sure that the basics are right (wide and low position, split step, explosive first step) as also he should teach different movement patterns according to the specific tactical situation.
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.