Coach serves the ball from the ad side.
Player then has to return the serve using a backhand slice return cross court between cones/ markers.
In this drill, the player works on his/her backhand slice when returning the serve.
The player should maintain a low position and 'cut' under the ball to clear the net and land the ball deep in the court.
Practising returning in a cross court direction is a tactical option, and when played correctly will allow the player to get into a good position for the next shot and increase their chances of winning the point.
As a player's skill level increases make the area they have to return the ball to smaller by moving the cones.
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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