The coach stands on the player's side and feeds the ball off the court to the forehand side. The player then hits forehand on the rise.
Playing on the rise is a crucial skill for players who want to play aggressive tennis. By hitting the ball around the shoulder level, player meets the ball earlier so the opponent has less time for recovery and reaction. Maria Sharapova is a great example of female player who uses this tactic to stay in offense all the time.
In this drill, player works on playing on the rise. Close distance to the coach forces player to react faster and adjust technique (shorter backswing) to the current situation. The coach should encourage player to use whole body (lower and upper body) to generate more pace.
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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