Contact Help center
Tennis Tennis
HOME Tennis Coaching Trends SEARCH

Tennis: placement

placement DRILLS
View All

Serve Placement Serve and Retu...

Divide the box into 3 areas using TDL (Throw down lines)First person to hit each area 3 times on both the deuce and advantage boxes is the winnerProgression - The server has to say which area they are going to serve into if the serve lands in that area and they win the point they get a bonus point

General

CC Rally on Service Line Volle...

Players stay on the service lines and rally together in a cross-court direction. Players have to hit all the balls in the air.

General

Angle rally (forehand) Volley ...

Player A stands close to the net, whilst Player B stands closer to the side line. Player A works on angle volleys while rallying with the partner and Player B hits only drives after the bounce.

General

Smart Courts and Wearable Tech...

General

Send and adjust Forehand Drill...

<br>2 players rally in cross court direction. Players adjust their court position according to the placement of own shots. If the ball is hit really deep players move closer to the baseline. If the ball is hit with medium depth players maintain the position around 2 meters behind the baseline. If the ball is hit short players quickly move back to prepare for defense.<br>Drill specifications: 1 min and switch 4 players work with each other at the same time so the coach can walk around and provide constant feedback about the footwork and positioning. Main goal is to focus on these two aspects so any faults related to stroke’s technique shouldn’t be pointed out at this time. Waiting players should do fitness drill to work on their footwork skills and legs endurance. Ladder, jump rope or plyometrics are great examples to implement while waiting for own turn.

General

4 zone progression Volley Dril...

Coach feeds balls to the player at different areas of the court. Player has to hit 4 balls in a row to the specific zones: (1.deep deuce, 2.deep ad, 3.short deuce, 4.short ad).

General

Drop The Volley Rally Drills -...

Set up as shown with three cones close to the net, with these cones being the player's target on their second shot. Player and coach stand at the net, and the coach feeds the ball to the forehand side.The Player hits a forehand volley to the coach who then hits it back to the backhand side, where the player must react quickly to backhand drop volley the ball cross-court, aiming to get the ball in between the three cones.

General

Four shots, Four winners! Fore...

Players start in the centre and hit four shots from the coach's feed: The first shot should be a deep forehand. Second shot is a short forehand. Third shot is a short backhand. Finally the fourth shot is a deep backhand.

General

Everything to 1 corner Forehan...

Standing in the deuce corner the coach feeds the ball to the player from the opposite end of the court. The coach should move the player around the court by feeding the ball to different parts of the court, but the player is only allowed to hit forehands to the deuce corner.

General

Net game reaction Volley Drill...

Player stands at the service line. Coach feeds the ball to the player's forehand side. The player returns the ball to the coach using a forehand volley shot. Coach hits the ball short to the backhand side. Player runs and responds with backhand volley drop shot.

General

Rally with 3 zones Forehand Dr...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. 3 zones are set on each player’s side (Red, Yellow, Green). Player has to hit particular shot according to the opponent’s balls placement. If the ball lands in the red zone player hits defensive/neutral shot. If the ball lands in the yellow zone player hits neutral/offensive shot. If the ball lands in the green zone player has to attack it.Drill specifications:30-60 seconds and switch4 players can work on the court at the same time while others can have different duties. Coach can put 2 players next to the net post and let them say “stop” when the ball goes over the net. This is the signal for the player and feedback at the same time of their perception time. If there are more players on the court coach can make them do some fitness drill or put them far behind the hitting players and work on ball perception on their own.

General

Connect the Dots Serve and Ret...

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.

General

Change the pace Forehand & Bac...

Coach feeds the ball to one side. Player alternates aggressive and regular down the line shots.Drill specifications:2-6 repetitions per setThe minimum number of repetitions is 2 but it can go up to 6. It all depends of how many players we have on the court. With less players more repetitions are recommended while with more players less reps will be a better option to keep all students hitting. Coach can set up 2 lines of players to work on forehand and backhand down the line shots at the same time.

General

Tactical game with extra point...

Rings (targets) are set on each player's side. Players play throw and catch game. Each player scores the point if the ball lands inside the ring. Game is played up to 7 points.

General

Deuce Pressure Return Forehand...

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. Modification includes coming to the net after returning and finishing with forehand in the air.

General

Forehand hitting cross court f...

Coach feeds 3 balls to the player's deuce side down the line. Standing on the base line, the player moves to their right to meet the ball on their forehand side. The player then returns the ball hitting forehand cross court to the corner of the deuce side between cones. he/she then moves back to the centre of the base line. The coach then feeds the next ball on the players deuce side service line. The player moves foreward and returns using a forehand cross court short to the corner of the deuce side. Player then returns back to the centre of the baseline. Coach then feeds the third ball a few feet beyond the net. Players moves to meet it and agins, using a forehand cross court shot, returns the ball beteen the cones set up on the cross court shot side.

General

Confidence hitting down the li...

Set up two sets of cones around 1metre inside the service line, either side of the coach who stands in the centre of the court. The coach then feeds balls to the player so he/she has to hit either and backhand or forehand down the line shot. The player must execute all strokes in down the line direction aiming for between the cones.

General

Lob on the move Lob - Tennis D...

The coach feeds the ball to the backhand side and rises the racquet up. The player moves to the ball and hits backhand slice lob cross court. Coach's racquet is used as a point of reference for the player.

General

Tennis: Effective all-court vo...

Cones (stations) are set on the player's side. The player starts from the first cone and the coach feeds the ball. The player then tries to hit the ball into the deuce zone. If he makes it he is allowed to move to the next station. If he doesn't he tries until he makes a successful shot.

General

Hit and hurdle Coordination / ...

The coach feeds the ball to the player, and the player hits a backhand stroke. If the ball is hit inside the court player runs, puts the hurdle and runs over it. The player's goal is to put all the hurdles.

General

Net game to deuce Volley Drill...

Cones are set in the deuce corner, whilst the player stands at the net. The coach feeds random balls, with the player hitting a volley/overhead to the deuce side.

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

Serving A / B Serve and Return...

Player 1 has to tell player 2 whether the are serving into area A or B. Player 1 has two serves, if the serve goes in the correct area and they eventually win the point they get a bonus point. If the serve goes in the unstated area the point is still played out with no bonus points. The first player to 4 points wins.

General

Start the rally with return Se...

The coach serves wide from the deuce side. The player hits forehand down the line return and starts the rally in down the line direction.

General

Serve and Volley Serve and Ret...

<Br>-Player serves diagonally to returner / feeder who hits cross court. <BR>-Server moves forward and volleys back to returner / feeder.<br>-Returner / feeder hits a short low ball to the net players feet.<br>-The returner / feeder then plays out the point.<BR>-Lobs are only allowed after a minimum of two volleys.

General

React After The Serve Forehand...

The player stands on the baseline and serves the ball against the wall. After serving, the player must recover quickly and hit a forehand stroke against the wall.

General

Target Serve Central Line Serv...

4 players,  4 cones or spots, basket of tennis balls. <p class="p1">4 cones set up in a line along the centre of each service box. <p class="p1">Two players take 2 serves each to the relevant service box aiming to hit the cones. <p class="p1">The next 2 players then take 2 serves each. <p class="p1">The drill continues until all balls have been used. 1 point scored for every cone hit.

General

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.

Forehand Drills

Good court positioning

-Learning correct positions enhances court coverage and enables the player to respond to the most likely shot placements by the opponent.-Place 4 markers in a diamond shape around the centre of the baseline. Start by the coach telling the player to move to a correct marker after each shot.(Using forward, back, left, right commands.

Rally Drills

Groundstrokes, Inside-out forehands

-Players work on ground strokes and depth, aiming to hit beyond the service line.Possibly put targets down.-After rotations, swap to backhand. - Players no.1 and no.6 can hit inside-out forehands depending on ability.

Rally Drills

Pick the Corner

Coach feeds high balls. Player picks the corner and hits all overheads to the same side.

Forehand Drills

Split the Box

Service box is divided into 2 halves. Player's goal is to make 2 consecutive balls into the each half.

Serve and Return

Total tennis through throwing

-The players only use the service box and play without rackets.-Start with an over-arm throw from behind the service line (as if serving) and play out a rally with normal tennis rules.-When the player catches the ball they can only hold it for 1 second. When the player has the ball they cannot move there feet!-If the ball bounces they must use under-arm throws. If they catch it before bouncing, they can throw over-arm (as if volleying before bounce!)-First player to 7 points wins, as in the tie-break.

Coordination / Fun Games

Unfortunately there were no results for your search! Please try again
placement SESSIONS
View All

Learning to volley with accura...

Put some punch in your players' volleys and get your players to close down the angle and go on the attack!

Smash means the End!

Time the overhead perfectly and smash to victory with this session!

Conscious Play at the Net

Have a clear idea of where to hit your volleys. Don't snatch at the volley, control the depth and the speed to be able to gain better court position or win the point.

Punchy Volleying With Accuracy and Intent

Put some punch in your players' volleys and have them closing down the angle to put pressure on their opposition as they go on the attack!

Work with the Depth

Produce a player that recognises the value of varying the depth to dictate where the opponent plays from on the court. This session is great to learn the game as well as refine the skills to develop your player tactically and technically.

Forehand-based Session for Kids: Ball Perception

It?s the stroke everybody enjoys playing the most, and can be the most dangerous stroke to play, so let?s enjoy learning it! See the kids hit forehands with smiles on their faces!

Forgotten Variety - Playing Backspin

To implement backspin as a variety that puts more pressure on the rival and understand tactical opportunities of playing slice in different situations.

Make your opponent move

Learn the combinations you need to have you opponent on a piece of string and control every point!

Mini Volley: Control and Placement of Volleys

Keep calm and volley! Improve your player’s control and placement in their volley and set them on their way to victory

Attacking forehand tactics and technique plan

The shot is a forehand that goes down the line on what would be the backhand side of the person hitting the ball.

Achieving Backhand Stroke Consistency

Help your players achieve backhand stroke consistency in this great session packed with live ball drills!

Coaching Groups Successfully

Coaching groups doesn’t have to be hard! Ensure your players keep busy with fun drills that will improve skills!
placement ANSWERS
View All

How do you beat someone who is...

How do you beat someone who is clearly inferior but just keeps the ball in play?

Archived User Coach

What practice drill could i use to improve attacking play in tennis?

What practice drill could i use to improve attacking play in tennis for youth players?

Archived User Coach

What is the most effective serve in racquetball?

What is the most effective serve in racquetball?

Archived User Coach

what

What drill do u recommend for large group of new players

Mona R Forster Coach, United Arab Emirates

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1200+ tennis drills
  • create your own professional coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested plans
LATEST COACHING TRENDS
Smart Courts and Wearable Tech: How Technology Is Transforming Tennis Training

Smart Courts and Wearable Tech: How Technology Is Transforming Tennis Training

From sensor-equipped rackets to AI-powered coaching, technology is making tennis training more precise than ever. Here's what actually works.

March 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
On-Court Coaching: Making the Most of Your 90 Seconds

On-Court Coaching: Making the Most of Your 90 Seconds

On-court coaching is now fully legal. Here's how to deliver advice that actually helps during those crucial 90-second changeovers.

February 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
6 Things Changing Tennis in 2026

6 Things Changing Tennis in 2026

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.

January 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS
Tennis POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
doubles drillsfootworkdoublesforehand drillskidsbeginnerservingvolleylesson plansconsistencyservegamesbackhanddrop shotforehandslicemini tenniswarm upbackhand drills

What our users have been saying...

Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.

Sportplan has been very helpful in guiding me through my first year as a High School Coach.

Bill O'Neill Newly qualified coach, America

Your tennis drills are extremely useful coaching tools.

Nail Tennis coach, Bangalore

Thanks for everything! Sportplan has helped me to improve my tennis lessons, making them more interesting and fun.

Andrea Tennis coach, England

Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....

Monique New Zealand

I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.

Debbie Cross Australia

What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.

Wes Campbell Rugby Coach Canada

I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.

Cornel Basketball Coach, South Africa

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

  • search our library of 1200+ tennis drills
  • create professional tennis coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested tennis plans

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

SPORTPLAN USES COOKIES

Sportspeople like cookies too! By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More info

Privacy Policy
We are committed to privacy and support current industry initiatives to preserve individual privacy rights on the Internet. Protecting your privacy on-line is an evolving area and this website will constantly evolve to meet these demands.


Cookies
Some of our web pages utilise "cookies". A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used, forexample, to collect information about web site activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recallPersonal Information previously indicated by a web user. Most browsers allow you to control cookies, includingwhether or not to accept them and how to remove them.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of our website, if you choose to block them some aspects of the site may not work for you. Non necessary cookies are only set when you have given your explicit consent to their use. Such cookies included those set by our statistics package Google Analytics.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.

More info
Tennis POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
approach backhand backhand drills badminton beginner donkey doubles doubles drills drills drop shot football footwork forehand forehand drills games kids lesson plans lob mini mini tennis search serve serving short slice smash tennis volley volley drills warm up
YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of tennis coaches plus 1200+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.
LET'S DO IT