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Tennis: moving forward

moving forward DRILLS
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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

Deuce Pressure Return Progression

Coach serves wide from the deuce side, and the player hits a forehand cross-court return, aiming for the ball to bounce in the coned area. The coach then hits a ball again from the deuce side, and the player must come forward and hit a forehand cross-court volley into the coned area.

Forehand Drills

Drive and Drop

The player stands on the service line, while the coach feeds a higher ball to the ad side. The player hits backhand drive in the air down the line and moves closer to the net. The coach feeds another ball to the ad side, and the player finishes with backhand drop volley down the line. Backhand drive in the air is an offensive shot so most of the time it should be connected with moving forward and trying to win the point at the net. Ability to pick proper balls to atack with drive in the air is a skill that has to be practiced from the early years.

Backhand Drills

First volley and live!

The coach feeds the ball from the basket to player 1 who is moving forwards to play a 1st volley. As the coach makes contact with the ball player 1 must split step and aim to meet and hit the 1st volley on or inside the service line. They must play this ball deep down the line, whether it is a forehand or backhand volley and once this ball has been made, the point is live. Player 2 moves to whichever side the ball has been hit to and attempts to pass player 1 down the line. The point is played out in this way, first to 11 points before the players switch ends.

Volley Drills

Groundstrokes Moving Forward

Coach stands in front of the player and alternates tosses to forehand and backhand side. Player hits the ball and moves forward, while the coach moves backwards and repeats.Coach stands in front of the player and alternates tosses to forehand and backhand side. Player hits the ball and moves forward, while the coach moves backwards and repeats.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

In And Out With The Wall

Player stands facing the wall and hits forehand volleys against the wall. After each hit, the player moves forward and closer to the wall. Once at the wall, the player continues to hit the ball against the wall but now moves back to their starting position. The aim is for the ball to not touch the floor.

Agility & Fitness

Jump Rope Alternate

Player jumps with the jump rope while moving forward and backward. Player alternates legs while jumping.

Agility & Fitness

Jump Rope alternative warm up

Jump rope alternate move: Player alternates jumping foot as he/she hops the rope while moving forward from the base line to the net. The player the skips backwards from the net to the baseline, alternating the jumping foot. This drill is a good tool to warm-up lower and upper body and to work on coordination skills required to control shots in tennis.

Agility & Fitness

Overhead Volley

The coach feeds 20 balls from the basket alternating between an overhead and a put-away volley. The players aim the overheads at the deeper targets and the volleys at the shorter targets, hitting cross-court and closing the net down as they do so. The coach can feed forehand volley then backhand volley alternately after the smash but they should also vary this and change the pattern - so maybe they will get another forehand volley instead of the backhand that they were expecting. Once the player has completed the 20 ball set they go around the far end of the court to pick the balls up, and the next player has their turn. Up to 5 sets of 20 can be repeated in this way.

Volley Drills

Volley and charge at the net

Coach feeds the balls to the same side of the court. The player has to hit three balls to complete a full run through of the drill. The player hits each ball to a specific zone marked out with two cones. After the shot the player has to move toward the net. The third shot should be played close to the net. After the third shot the player moves back to their starting position on the court.

Volley Drills

Groundstrokes Moving Forward F...

Coach stands in front of the player and alternates tosses to forehand and backhand side. Player hits the ball and moves forward, while the coach moves backwards and repeats.Coach stands in front of the player and alternates tosses to forehand and backhand side. Player hits the ball and moves forward, while the coach moves backwards and repeats.

General

Tennis: Move forward and recov...

The player stands inside the service line between 2 cones, and the coach throws the high ball close to the net. The player moves forward, hits overhead and recovers to the cones.

General

Move Forward & Back Movement -...

Player stands on the baselineCoach stands in front of the playerCoach alternates feeding short and deep balls to the backhand sidePlayer hits backhand slice alternating loading front and back leg before the hit

General

Drop and lob Lob - Tennis Dril...

The coach feeds the ball to the backhand side, and the player hits backhand drop shot down the line and moves forward. The coach comes then to the net and feeds the ball to the backhand side. The player finishes with backhand volley lob cross-court.

General

Move Forward & Hit Volley Coor...

Cones are set on the player’s side in horizontal patternThe player starts from left side, moves between the cones and executes forehand volley into the targetThe player recovers back and moves between the next conesAfter reaching the last cone on the right side, player does the same with movement to the left and hits backhand volley

General

Moving Zones Movement - Tennis...

Court is divided into 3 zones ("Deep" Cones to the baseline, "Medium" Cones to the service line; "Short" Service box). Coach feeds random balls. Player has to react and make proper decisions related to the zones. If the ball is deep, player has to move back and hit higher cross court. If the ball is medium, player can make own decision and hit neutral or aggressive shot. If the ball is short, player has to move forward and hit aggressively down the line or make a drop shot.

General

In And Out With The Wall Foreh...

Player stands facing the wall and hits forehand volleys against the wall. After each hit, the player moves forward and closer to the wall. Once at the wall, the player continues to hit the ball against the wall but now moves back to their starting position. The aim is for the ball to not touch the floor.

General

Tennis: Jump Rope Alternate - ...

Player jumps with the jump rope while moving forward and backward. Player alternates legs while jumping.

General

Tennis: First Volley Down The ...

Approcher moves forward and plays backhand volley down the line whole passer trys to pass cross court. Volleyer must cover the cross court area.

General

Non-Dominant Warm Up Rally Dri...

Players rally up and down the middle of the court while standing on the service line using their non-dominant hand, looking for as much control as they can get.

General

Directional approach Forehand ...

The coach feeds shorter ball to the deuce side. The player moves forward, hits forehand approach shot down the line and comes to the net. The coach hits the ball back to the deuce side and then the player finishes with deep forehand volley cross-court.

General

Deep and short Forehand Drills...

Cones are set on the deuce side (deep and short). The player stands on the service line and the coach feeds high ball to the forehand side. The player executes forehand drive in the air deep cross-court and moves forward, before the coach feeds another ball to the backhand side.The player finishes with backhand drop-volley down the line.

General

Get comfortable with rallying ...

Players stand on the service line. Both players are only allowed to play their designated shot. Player 1 hits a topspin shots; Player 2 returns the ball by hitting half-volleys.

General

Tennis: Attack & Position - Vo...

Coach feeds easy ball around the service line.Player attacks using forehand and moves forward to the net.Player should stay on the same side where he hit the last ball too.

General

Movement and Footwork: The Ath...

General

Deal With High Balls Forehand ...

Coach feeds high and short balls to the deuce side.Player moves forward and alternates hitting attacking forehand after the bounce and forehand drive volley out of the air.<br>

General

Tennis: Jump Rope alternative ...

Jump rope alternate move: Player alternates jumping foot as he/she hops the rope while moving forward from the base line to the net. The player the skips backwards from the net to the baseline, alternating the jumping foot. This drill is a good tool to warm-up lower and upper body and to work on coordination skills required to control shots in tennis.

General

Tennis: Attacking forehand off...

Coach feeds an easy ball down the middle of the court. Player moves forward and hits an agressive forehand to the deuce side. Player then moves forward to take up a proper position at the net.

General

Tennis: Forehand Deep / Short ...

Dead Ball Drill<br />Players start off in backhand corner (doubles Alley)<br />Players move out to play first forehand along the baseline and then moves forward to play a short ball inside the service box for a winner down the line

General

All The Way Movement - Tennis ...

The coach stands on the service line and rallies with the player, who is stood on the baseline. Everytime the player returns the ball, they move forward. Once at the net, they move backwards after every shot. The player executes groundstrokes behind the service line, and volleys inside the service line.

General

3 progressive returns Serve an...

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.

General

Tennis: Volley and charge at t...

Coach feeds the balls to the same side of the court. The player has to hit three balls to complete a full run through of the drill. The player hits each ball to a specific zone marked out with two cones. After the shot the player has to move toward the net. The third shot should be played close to the net. After the third shot the player moves back to their starting position on the court.

General

Tennis: Backhand Down The Line...

The player starts on the baseline and is fed 3 balls all to the advantage side. The balls should be fed deep, medium and then short. The player hits all of the balls backhand down the line and moves forward ready for the next ball.

General

Tennis: Aggressive Forehand - ...

Coach stands on the player's side of the court and feeds the ball with the racquet off the ground. Player moves forward and hits an aggressive forehand.

General

Tennis: Hit and move: Running ...

Players are working in threes with player 1 in a full-court and players 2 and 3 in the forehand and backhand corners respectively.Player 1 is hitting running drives, 1 forehand cross followed by 1 backhand cross.Player 2 is hitting a forehand line, and player 3 a backhand line.The pattern is played in this way for up to 3 minutes depending on the level of fitness of player 1.

General

Tennis: Forehand 3 Zones Rally...

One player stands in the deuce corner and rallies with their partner. The player in the deuce corner hits three consecutive forehands to the different zones (cross court, centre and down the line). The player at this end meanwhile, hits all of the balls to the deuce corner.

General

The loop and sneak: Cat and mo...

Players are rallying up and down the centre of the court in the usual way.When either player decides to, they can change the flight path of the ball and hit an aggressive topspin loop to push the opposing player to the back off the court.The point is then live and the players play first to 11 points.The player who has hit the aggressive loop can wait to see what damage their shot has done to their opponent before deciding where to position themselves on the court.If the loop has been played well and deep, the player may look to sneak into the net after it as it is likely the opponent will hit a weak reply.However if the loop has not been hit deep enough it may provide the opponent with a slower midcourt ball so the player must be ready to defend if this is the case.

General

Tennis: Offensive Forehand Ret...

Player stands on the ad side.Coach provides easy serve.Player hits offensive return inside the court using only the forehand stroke.

General

Alternate hitting volley and s...

The player stands at the net on the ad side and the coach stands on the baseline on the ad side. Players rally together. The player at the net alternates hitting backhand volley and overhead.

General

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moving forward SESSIONS
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Feeling Comfortable At The Front Of The Court

To improve skills that are necessary to take advantage of short balls and win points at the net.

Responding to Drop-shots and Short Angles under pressure

Have your players mastered the dark art of the Drop-Shot and do they know how to spot a disguised Drop-Shot themselves? Find out in this tennis coach plan

Develop volleying success and netplay

Develop your players all round volleying skills so they can successfully hit the stroke from all positions on the court while getting them into the habit of moving forward after the shot.
moving forward ANSWERS
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Hi Guys, How best to teach a return of serve

Hi Guys, Just wondering if anyone has a suggestion on how to teach a block return from serve and a slice return from serve to 13y.o juniors who are playing against big servers Cheers

Ciaran Cahill Coach, Ireland

Tips on serve and volley.

How to stay balanced for first volley

Dilip Coach, India

Cancel subscription

HI Can you please cancel my subscription moving forward for Karen Ellismany thanks

Karen Ellis Coach, New Zealand

Psychology in tennis HELP! My ...

Psychology in tennis HELP!!! I have a daughter who is an excellent player who only started playing tennis seriously last yr at the age of 13. She is a much better player than all the people she has completed against in matches but always loses due to over hitting and getting upset if the wrong call is made (which happens frequently due to how fast she hits and serves) do we need some sort of psychological help for this. what is the best way to get this... books, councilling ??? any help would be most appreciated thanks

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