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Tennis: positioning

positioning DRILLS
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Doubles returning

-Players are positioned in a doubles formation as seen in the picture. -The server will serve first and second serves as in a game situation.-The receiver will hit any of the returns as shown in the picture.-The players can play out the points after the return.-After approximately 6-10 serves the players swop round so that each player gets to serve and return and from both sides.

Doubles 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

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

Inside out forehand and winner

Players start in the centre and hits the first shot back to the coach with an inside out forehand. The player then moves on to a short ball to hit a winner, either a cross-court forehand or a down the line stroke.

Forehand Drills

Over your shoulder inside out forehand

To work on their footwork players face away from the court and throw the ball over their shoulder into the advantage court. Once the ball has been thrown players should pivot and get around the ball to play an inside out forehand into the target area,

Forehand Drills

Recovery Habits - Backhand

This drill teaches how to achieve good positioning on the court. Coach tosses balls to the one side, and the player hits the ball and recovers to the proper spot. If the shot is cross court (yellow cone), player recovers to the closer (yellow) cone. If the shot is down the line to the red cone, player has to go to the further (red) cone.

Backhand Drills

Recovery Habits - Forehand

This drill teaches how to achieve good positioning on the court. Coach tosses balls to the one side, and the player hits the ball and recovers to the proper spot. If the shot is cross court (yellow cone), player recovers to the closer (yellow) cone. If the shot is down the line to the red cone, player has to go to the further (red) cone.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Short Move

The player starts by standing close to the net. The coach feeds balls to the backhand side, with the player hitting backhand volleys in return, emphasis on using short movement of the racquet. The net prevents the player from taking any follow through, so they learn to use a short movement.

Backhand Drills

Touch at the net

-One player is positioned on the service line, the other closer to the net.-Player 1 lobs every second shot and player 2 hits alternately volleys and smashes.-This is a warm up drill and players focus on keeping the ball in play.-The drill can be done with or without rackets.-Players swop round after approximately 3 minutes.

Volley Drills

Good court positioning Rally D...

<BR>-Learning correct positions enhances court coverage and enables the player to respond to the most likely shot placements by the opponent.<BR>-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.

General

Proper positioning Forehand Dr...

Red cones are set on deuce side; yellow cones are set on the ad side. The coach throws balls to the ad side, and the player runs around and hits forehand inside out (yellow cone) or inside in (red cone). After the shot, the player recovers to the proper cone according to the shot's direction.

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

Recovery Volleys (Second Posit...

Players are positioned just inside centre service line. Player then moves forward for forehand volley then recovers around cone for backhand volley

General

Recovery Volleys (Second Posit...

Players are positioned just inside centre service line. Player then moves forward for forehand volley then recovers around cone for backhand volley

General

Catch and hit Smash Drills - T...

The player stand at the net, with cones set up in the deuce corner. The coach feeds a lob - the player moves to the ball, catches the ball in the hand, throws the ball up and hits overhead deep to the deuce corner.

General

Doubles movement Doubles Drill...

<BR>-Player 2 starts with a second serve to advantage court.<BR>-Returner hits a lob return over player 1s head and follows it into the net.<Br>-Player 2 chases the lob and returns it down the line.<BR>-Player 1 moves to hot seat in the middle.<br>-Returner hits cross court volley to player 1.<BR>-Player 2 comes to net and the point is played out.<BR>-The same drill can be repeated on the deuce side of the court.

General

Attack it or drop it Forehand ...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds an easy ball and stays on the baseline or moves far behind it. Player has to make proper decision according to the coach’s position. If the coach is on the baseline player should attack the easy ball with a powerful groundstroke. If the coach moves far behind the baseline player should hit a drop shot.Drill specifications:4 repetitions per setSmall number of repetitions is required to achieve quality work. Peripheral vision is one of the skills that is necessary to effectively execute offensive strokes. Waiting players should work on making quick decisions after the visual sign so coach should prepare physical drills based on quick reaction.

General

Keep it low Volley Drills - Te...

The player wears resistance band attached to the waist and ankles. The coach feeds the balls to the forehand side, and the player hits only forehand volleys in a low dynamic position.

General

Recovery Habits - Backhand For...

This drill teaches how to achieve good positioning on the court. Coach tosses balls to the one side, and the player hits the ball and recovers to the proper spot. If the shot is cross court (yellow cone), player recovers to the closer (yellow) cone. If the shot is down the line to the red cone, player has to go to the further (red) cone.

General

Close it on the line Backhand ...

In this drill, the player works on close stance while hitting backhand and standing behind the double alley. The coach throws the ball in front of the player, the player has to step on the line with right foot (sideways position) and hit backhand.

General

Pop rally (forehand) Volley Dr...

Players rally together with volleys. Each player has to pop the ball up before he/she hits it over the net.

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

Ground stroke consistency Rall...

<BR>-Players hit ground strokes in pairs until one of them makes a mistake. The waiting player(s) come in if mistake is made.<BR>-After 5 minutes the winners are the players with the longest rally.<BR>-More advanced players can be given target areas to hit to.

General

Recovery Volleys 2 Forehand & ...

Players are positioned just inside the centre service line. The player then moves forward for backhand volley then recovers around cone for forehand volley.

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

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

Control the air Forehand Drill...

Player stands behind the service line.Coach hits all the balls high to the forehand side.Player using forehand drive hits 2 shots to the deuce and 2 shots to the ad side.

General

Forehand/Backhand Rally Rally ...

4 players. 2 on each side of the net. Player 1 hits a deep forehand,and a rally starts with each player hitting a deep forehand shot. When it is player 1's turn again they hit a deep backhand shot, and the rally continues. Rally alternates between forehand and backhand shots. Repeat the drill. The drill is continuous. 

General

Angle it aggressively Forehand...

Coach feeds an easy ball to attack. Player runs and hits aggressive angle shot.Drill specifications:1-5 repetitions per set This drill suits individual lessons as also can be successfully used with more players on the court. When coach is working only with 1-2 students more repetitions can be used to allow players correct own mistakes by looking at the previous shots. Group lessons will be more effective with players switching after one shot because it guarantees good pace of the drill as also all the players will be learning from others all the time.

General

Rally With Two Racquets Train ...

Each player has 2 racquets and the players rally together. Each player has to catch the ball between the racquets before the ball is hit back.

General

Tennis: Know Your Place - Fore...

Coach feeds balls to the forehand side. Player hits forehand volley cross court and recovers to the cone. Proper spot after cross court forehand is on the ad side. Coach should explain to players that they have to be on the same side where they hit the ball. This rule is crucial at the net because player has to cover first down the line passing shot (down the line crosses the net faster than cross court).

General

Groundstrokes, Inside-out fore...

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

General

Move forward and recover Smash...

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

Returning a drop shot down the...

Coach stands close to the net and feeds balls close to the net on the player's side of the court to mimic a drop shot. Starting at the baseline the player has to run and hit a return drop shot down the line. Cones should be set out to give the player a target to aim for.

General

Ground-strokes rolling the bal...

Cones are set on both sides of each player, Player 1 rolls all balls cross court. Player B rolls all balls down the line, with both players rallying together for as long as possible.Ability to control the ball in the easiest activities is important to further develop tennis-specific skills. Cooperation is of utmost importance for young players so this skill should be emphasized in each rally exercise.

General

positioning SESSIONS
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Hit the Perfect Forehand!

Don't get your player's feet in a muddle! Work on their footwork to hit the perfect forehand

Smash means the End!

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

Better footwork, better tennis

Improve your player's footwork with this week's session. Better footwork = better tennis!

Controlling points with backhand

Develop your players movement into their backhand to create combinations to transition from defence into attack.

Serving With Confidence

Power up your player's serve and improve their confidence and movement after the serve to help win more points when they have the ball in hand!

Tactical basics for effective match play

Understand tactical plays to create an advantage on the court by playing shots with a good depth to allow the player to approach the net and finish the point.

The Importance Of Footwork

Teach your players the importance of correct footwork and how it can win them more games!

Forehand Ready For The Match

Understand how movement, body and racket technique have to work together to achieve good quality shot

Forehand slice to dictate points and force errors

Recognise the value of the forehand slice to start dictating the speed of the point and the position of the opponent to set up winning opportunities or to force errors.

The Serve for Juniors

Develop your juniors serve by starting with the fundamentals. As such a vital part of the game, making training effective yet enjoyable is a must, so use this session to get the best from your players.

Mastering the Volley: Success at the Net

Volleying is all about positioning and touch. Get your player in the in the right position to make the shot and finish the point and when perfected, it will be a lethal weapon in a players game.

Winning Without A Bounce

To work on technical and tactical nuances related to an effective net game and highlight the importance of control.

Good Performance Close to the Net

To work on different aspects of volleying and positioning at the net to develop an effective net game.

Make your opponent move

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

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!
positioning ANSWERS
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Backhand grip

In Nick Saviano's book, Maximum Tennis, Andre Agassi is said to have a very 'soft' left hand on his backhand, and yet often I hear and read many tips suggesting a very dominant, or active, supporting hand for the two handed backhand. Especially now, with the more semi-open stanced players, what should I suggest when teaching the backhand to developing players?

Archived User Coach

Position of the coach when feeding

hi. My name is Letty . Im a young coach trying to get level1 (ITF). Kindly help me with the position of the coach when trying to get a player u12 to practice passing.is it wrong for the coach to be in the service box or not?

Letlhogonolo M Matenge Coach, Botswana

Positioning on the court

Positioning on the court can give us an advantage or put into really difficult situation. Players have to remember that right spot on the court is on the opposite side where they perviously hit the ball. can somebody please share some examples?

Nick Madahar Coach, Azerbaijan

Positioning on the court | Spo...

Positioning on the court can give us an advantage or put into really difficult situation. Players have to remember that right spot on the court is on the opposite side where they perviously hit the ball. can somebody please share some examples?

Nick Madahar Coach, Azerbaijan

Position of the coach when fee...

hi. My name is Letty . Im a young coach trying to get level1 (ITF). Kindly help me with the position of the coach when trying to get a player u12 to practice passing.is it wrong for the coach to be in the service box or not?

Letlhogonolo M Matenge Coach, Botswana

Tips on serve and volley. | Sp...

How to stay balanced for first volley

Dilip Coach, India

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