Coach serves from the deuce side. The player then hits a cross-court forehand return.
If we are working on serving skills, we can't forget about the returning skills too. Each points starts from serve or return, so both abilities have to be taught at the young age.
In this drill, player works on returning skills. Control and placement are priorities to teach players how to be consistent from the first shot. To make it more competitive, coach can give one point for each good cross-court return and see who the best returner is.
On-court coaching is now fully legal, technology continues to advance, and the ATP calendar evolves. Here's what tennis coaches need to know for 2026.
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