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Tennis: Serving feedback

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DESCRIPTION

The coach stands on the baseline in the deuce corner with racquet stretched to the right side. The player serves wide using slice serve. The goal is to hit the ball inside the service box and avoid the coach's racquet.

COACHING POINTS

Most of the time placement of the serve is more important than power. Knowing how our ball can create advantage from the first shot is a big strength that players can use at any level. Being able to differ first and second serves keep our opponent's guessing so we can expect more mistakes and increased number of easy returns.

In this drill, the player works on service placement. Having feedback like coach's position and racquet is an easy tool that keeps players motivated and more focused on the target. Serving many balls in a row can be a boring actions so coaches have to make sure that players have visible goals to achieve. To make it competitive, the coach can give points for successful serves or play to a given number of good serves.

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Move your Opponent

Develop your player's skills to move the opposition around the court with this session, working on key skills such as coming to the net, ready to take the advantage!

OFTEN USED WITH...

Shadow With The Band

You will need a resistance band to perform this drill. The player takes the band and shadows their serving motion. In this drill, the player warms up all the body parts needed for the serving action. The resistance band is great for working the arms as they are separated.

Serve and Return

Serving Accuracy Toss (part 2)

Cones are set up in front of the player.

Player tosses the ball in the air and tries to make the ball bounce inside this area.

Serve and Return

Slice and cut it down the line

Player A executes wide slice serve from the deuce side. Player B hits forehand cross court return. Player A moves diagonally forward and finishes with offensive down the line shot.

Drill specifications:

1 repetition per set

To make this drill really dynamic players should switch after one point at the serving side. Returning players can switch after few points to guarantee good consistency and more opportunities for the servers to work on the pattern. Waiting players should perform some footwork activities including quick diagonal movement to gain bigger improvements while moving to the ball after the serve.

Serve and Return

Serve with Opening

Player serves from one side. Coach feeds random ball as a return. Player reacts and hits the next shot to the open space.

Serve and Return

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MORE Serve and Return DRILLS

Advanced progression of Returning drills

Player 1 hits a serve, with player 2Â trying to return between the baseline and the Throw Down Line (lines are placed according to player's level).

Serve and Return

Chip and Charge

Player 1 only has one serve. Player 2 returns and follows it into the net to volley or smash. The server should not be allowed to lob the first shot. Player 2 should aim for either a deep return or cross court. Play out the points and first to seven points is the winner.

Serve and Return

Cone Serving

Players serve at the targets shown, taking two balls at a time and serving 1 first serve, 1 second serve at each target. After a certain amount of time players switch and repeat the same from the other side. The player with the most targets at the end of the practice wins the drill. If groups are large, players can take it in turns to serve one after the other, and/or also from the doubles serving positions.

Serve and Return

3 progressive returns

The coach stands on the service line (ad side), and the player starts from the baseline. The coach serves to the T, so that the players hits a forehand return cross-court. After successful hit into the zone, the player moves forward between service line and baseline, and hits another return. After successful hit into the zone, the player moves forward to the service line to execute another return.

Serve and Return

Accuracy Toss

The player tosses the ball up and leaves the non-dominant hand in the air. Ball should drop into the player's hand.

Serve and Return

Add Your Hips

Coach stands in front of the player with racquet. The player shadows the serve while trying to touch the coach's racquet with their leading hip.

Serve and Return

Answer the serve

Coach serves from the deuce side. The player then hits a cross-court forehand return.

Serve and Return

As high as you can

The player faces the back fence and imitates serving action. The player's goal is to reach with the racquet as high as possible and touch the fence with the top edge of the racquet.

Serve and Return

Backhand return of serve cross court

Coach serves to the player from the deuce side. Player moves into position to hit a backhand return cross court. Cones should be placed in the corner of the deuce side to give the player a target to aim for.

Serve and Return

Backhand Slice Return - Get Back To The Old Times

Player waits for the serve on the ad side. Coach serves wide from the ad side. Player executes deep backhand slice return in cross-court direction.

Serve and Return

Basic pattern for everyone

Player serves wide from the deuce side. Coach throws a ball to the deuce side. Player hits deep forehand cross court and recovers. Coach throws another ball to the deuce side. Player hits deep forehand down the line.

Serve and Return

Be Ready For Deep Return

Player serves from the deuce side. Coach hits a deep return to the middle of the court. Player stays close to the baseline and hits a half volley forehand to the open court.

Serve and Return

Big Power, Big Target

Player serves wide from the deuce side. Coach throws a short and high ball to the deuce side. Player moves forward and hits an offensive forehand drive volley to the center of the court.

Serve and Return

Big serve with drop shot winner

Player serves to the T from ad side. The coach hits the ball back to the player's backhand side. The player finishes with a backhand drop shot down the line. Place cones in the deuce service box for the player to aim for when hitting the drop shot

Serve and Return

Body Serve From The Deuce Side Progression

Player serves to the body from the deuce side, aiming through the cones. The coach then feeds a regular ball to the advantage side, and the player finishes with a deep backhand cross-court volley in between the cones on the other side of the court.

Serve and Return

Body Serve From The Deuce Side

Player serves to the body from the deuce side, aiming through the cones. The coach then feeds a regular ball to the advantage side, and the player finishes with a deep backhand cross-court in between the cones on the other side of the court.

Serve and Return

Bounce Over The Bar

Bar is set on the deuce side. Player serves from the deuce side. Player tries to make the ball bounce over the the set bar.

Serve and Return

Challenging Shot After the Serve

Player serves. Coach throws deep and low ball immediately after player lands on the court. Player quickly moves back and responds with controlled forehand stroke.

Serve and Return

Comfortable Against Deep Return

Player serves from the deuce side. Coach hits a deep return to the middle of the court. Player moves back and hits a topspin shot to the open court.

Serve and Return

Connect the Dots

Coach serves from Deuce/Ad side. Player returns with forehand cross court. Coach hits the ball back to forehand. Player finishes to the open space. In this exercise, returner works on basic forehand patterns. From deuce side, player returns cross court and finishes down the line. From Ad side, player goes with cross court and finishes with inside in.

Serve and Return

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