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Tennis: rallying

rallying DRILLS
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24 minutes - Rallying rotation drill

The ball is fed in by the coach, or a waiting player, and players 1 and 2 rally the ball, moving each other around the full court in a co-operative manner. Players are constructing points but at a slightly lessened tempo and with greater control. Players work like this for 2 minutes, before one player is replaced by player 3, for the next 2 minutes. The idea is that players are working in this manner for 4 minutes at a time and resting then for 2 minutes until the 24 minutes are completed.

Coordination / Fun Games

agility rally volley (live ball)

Both players inside service line near the centre coach feeds the ball wide of the players each time player has to move out volley the ball back to the coach and touch the centre line and move out for the next shot.

Volley Drills

Backhand slice - change of pace

Players start the drill by rallying cross-court from the backhand corners. Player 1 can choose to slice a backhand down the line at any time and the point is then live. Player 1 can choose to hit the slice as an approach, or simply as a change of direction/pace in the rally. Players can play first to 7 points before player 2 has a turn at being the slicing player. If a mistake is made before the slice has been hit, it is not counted and the score remains the same. Players can find the slice down the line a difficult shot to play, particularly if they are used to using 2 hands on their backhand. They should be reminded to turn their shoulders well and follow the line of the ball with their feet and body. Players should make sure that they are in a good position to play the down the line shot, and be aware that in doing so they will be changing the pace, spin, direction, and flight path of the ball. Take care on it!

Backhand Drills

Forehand to forehand team tram line drill

Players get into pairs. Each pair plays against another pair rallying inside the tram line. The two players rotate in each team, taking it in turns to hit the ball using only their forehand. Every time the ball stays inside the tram lines they score a point The first pair to score 10 is the winner.

Rally Drills

Movement to and from an inside out forehand

Players are working in groups of 3, with players 2 and 3 feeding and player 1 'working'. Player 1 is hitting one forehand cross and one forehand inside out to player 3. Player 2 is hitting one forehand down the line aiming for the red cone. Player 3 is hitting one backhand line into the target zone. The drill continues in this way with players rallying co-operatively for a certain length of time, 3 minutes for example, before rotating.

Forehand Drills

Pick It Up

Both players are rallying in the service box, however Red 1 must 1/2 volley every shot back to Blue 1. After ten shots, continue the volley but Blue 1 must then 1/2 volley.

Volley Drills

Table tennis rallying

Players stand opposite one another in the service boxes and play the point out. However, this time, the ball must be hit down into the court so that it bounces on the player's own side before it goes over the net (like in table tennis). The ball cannot therefore bounce before the opposing player makes contact with it themselves. Points can be played up to 21 in this way.

Coordination / Fun Games

The loop and sneak: Cat and mouse!

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.

Lob

Two ball tennis

-Without using a net, both players start with a ball. Starting simultaneously with an under arm throw they aim to keep both balls in play for as long as possible.-With more advanced players they can use the net and even rackets.

Coordination / Fun Games

Volley To Rally

Player position themselves on service line and volley across the court to one another. Two balls are going at the same time so rallying pairs must concentrate hard to keep their ball going.

Volley Drills

Width Rally Drills - Tennis Dr...

Use this drill after "crosscourt theory"Purpose:Understanding the importance of widthCoach feeds the ball to begin.Central third of court is out. Progress to 2 Players rallying full courtFeed underhand for 2 points alternatelyPlay to 11 points

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

Moving opponent Rally Drills -...

<BR>-Place markers in each corner.<BR>-Players aim for either of the two outside markers attempting to make the opponent move.<BR>-Players must recover quickly after each shot.

General

Tennis: Cross-court rally game...

Players get into pairs. Each pair takes on another pair in a cross court competition. Players take it in turns to hit the ball deep into the coned area. Every time a ball is hit short the receiving player can hit a winner down the line to score a point. The players who hit the short ball can try to recover and return the down the line winner. If they manage to return the shot they do not lose a point. Next rally starts again.

General

Forehand to forehand team tram...

Players get into pairs. Each pair plays against another pair rallying inside the tram line. The two players rotate in each team, taking it in turns to hit the ball using only their forehand. Every time the ball stays inside the tram lines they score a point The first pair to score 10 is the winner.

General

From Rally To Winner Rally Dri...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach stands at the net on the ad side.Player and coach rally together. Player uses only forehand stroke and hits all the balls down the line.After receiving short ball player runs to the ball and hits forehand cross-court winner.

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

Fast Rally - Maximum Contacts ...

<div class=&quot;practiceText&quot;>Players rally up and down the middle of the court cooperatively.They must try and hit as many contacts as they can within a timed one minute period, regardless of whether the ball goes out or in the net.This one minute period is repeated 5 times with 1 minute in between each repetition for players to recover and collect balls ready for the next working slot.</div>

General

Waves! Rally Drills - Tennis D...

Players are playing doubles points from the hand in pairs.The pair who wins the point moves to the service line which is their starting position for the next point. Should they win the point from this starting position, players score 1 point and get to stay where there are. Should they lose the point from starting on the service line, they must move back to the baseline.

General

24 minutes - Rallying rotation...

<div class=&quot;practiceText&quot;>The ball is fed in by the coach, or a waiting player, and players 1 and 2 rally the ball, moving each other around the full court in a co-operative manner.Players are constructing points but at a slightly lessened tempo and with greater control. Players work like this for 2 minutes, before one player is replaced by player 3, for the next 2 minutes.The idea is that players are working in this manner for 4 minutes at a time and resting then for 2 minutes until the 24 minutes are completed.</div>

General

Ambidextrous Rally Rally Drill...

Coach and player rally together.Using 2 racquets each, coach and player have to always catch the ball between the racquets and then hit it over the net back to the partner.

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

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

1 Minute Rally and Swap. Rally...

Players work in groups of 3. Players 1 and 2 rally for 1 minute after which player 2 steps aside and allows player 3 to tale their place. Players 1 and 3 rally for 1 minute, during which time player 2 walks to the other side of the net, ready to take over from player 1 after the 1 minute is up. Player 2 and 3 now rally for 1 minute.

General

Consistency and accuracy Rally...

<BR>-Players hit forehands aiming for the line.<BR>-Players maintain high net clearance to achieve consistency.<BR>-Three points are deducted from the final score (i.e. the rally count) for each shot that was hit into the net.<BR>-After 2 minutes see which pair held the longest rally.<BR>-After one or two rounds swap to backhand.

General

All The Way Rally Drills - Ten...

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

Dynamic Consistency Rally Dril...

One player stands in the deuce corner, with their opponent stood in the middle of the baseline at the other end. They are moved around the court by the player in the deuce corner, who can hit the ball anywhere on the court, while the other player can only hit forehands to the deuce side.

General

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

Forehand Change of Direction R...

Player 1 - is working on change of direction on forehand. 2 forehands cross court, 1 forehand down the line Player 2 - feeding - can work on lateral movement and consistency, 2 cross court forehands and 1 back hand line.

General

Height for Depth Rally Drills ...

Players rally up and down the middle of the court, attempting to get the longest rally they can hitting beyond the service box.Racquets are placed in the net to force the players to hit with height, which will help them to get the depth they are looking for.Pairs of players can compete against each other's courts to see which pair gets the longest rally within a certain amount of time.

General

Volley To Rally Volley Drills ...

Player position themselves on service line and volley across the court to one another. Two balls are going at the same time so rallying pairs must concentrate hard to keep their ball going.

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

Continuous 1 vs 1 (3 players) ...

1 vs 1, with a second person at one end who takes over as soon as the point has finished. Therefore 1 person plays continuously, whereas the other 2 switch every point.The player at the 2 person end starts with the ball and the other player starts on the left hand side of court. The ball is played crosscourt to the right corner for the continuous player to run onto. Players then rally until the point is won. Then revese the direction of the run in.Rotate between the 3 players so that each person has a turn at being the continuous player.

General

Drawing the opponent in: Point...

Players feed the ball in from hand and rally up and down the middle of the court.At any time, player 1 can choose to hit a shot that will bring player 2 forward to the net. This shot must be hit inside the service box and can be a short slice or dropshot.The point is then live from the next ball. Players play first to 7 before switching roles.

General

Crosscourt theory Rally Drills...

Purpose:Teaches players when to keep ball in the same direction and when to change and that players need to recover position towards centre of court. Players rally 4 balls crosscourt from either corner. Then the point is &quot;live&quot;. Play to 11 points

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

Live ball drill with player Ra...

In this Drill the players start in the tram line. With the coach feeding the first ball from the basket the first player hits a controlled forehand back to the player at the net who in turn plays the ball in to the open court for the player to run onto the ball and hit a winner down the line. Player then runs around the cone and returns back to the queue.

General

Rally Pattern Forehand Drills ...

In a rally with the coach the player must hit the ball in a given pattern. Moving from one side of the court to the other the player will focus solely on playing 2 forehand cross court shots and 1 forehand inside in.

General

Mixed-spins rally Forehand Dri...

Coach and player rally together in cross-court direction.Coach uses only forehand topspin - player tries to respond using only forehand slice.

General

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rallying SESSIONS
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Patience, concentration and hard-work Session!

Make your players working hard through game, set and match with this mental and physical stamina session.

Learning to take the ball early and inside the court

Get your players to take the ball at the top of the bounce, making the shot easier for themselves while simultaneously giving their opponent less time!

New Approach to Backhand Rally

Approach the backhand by starting with the fundamentals. Get players movement up to scratch to be in the best position to make an effective stroke.

Change the Spin - Backhand Slice

Utilise the backhand slice to control the point by mixing up lengths and pace to dictate where your opponent goes.

Pressure Rallying - Movement and Concentration session

Improve your players' rallying under pressure and use a ticking clock scenario in this high-intensity movement and concentration session

Control The Rally With Backhand Shot

Develop different forms of backhand to maintain effectiveness during a match and understand how tactical decision impact technical preparation to make proper adjustments when needed.

Solid game based on fundamental principles

To work on players baseline game focusing predominantly on reactions but also technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects of building and winning a rally.

Hitting Winners - Assertive Play

Instil the winning instinct in your players and get them to assert themselves on court and spot when the time is right to whack a winner!

Advanced Rallying - Deep and Accurate Play

Blow away the cobwebs and find out just how well your players can volley with this advanced rallying session, designed for groups large and small!

Playing With And Against Different Game Styles

Set your players secret missions, challenging them to adopt new tactics and techniques into their game play!

Hitting and Moving: Playing on the run

High intensity, backline rallying Session - Designed to get your players moving around the court and playing shots at full stretch!

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

The Modern Game: Applying the Backhand Slice

Add variation to your player’s arsenal with the backhand slice, an essential in the modern game!

The backhand Cross-court - a formidable weapon

Fire a Cross-Court Backhand shot across your opponent's bow and open up the court with this offensive stroke!

Depth: hit the ball deep when rallying, attacking and defending

Depth is King! Keep your opponent on the back foot by getting your players to consistently hit their shots with depth!

Recognising where the ball is going to land

Don't react at the last minute. Teach players to read the ball and anticipate where it'll land with this anticipation, depth and shot preparation session

Conditioned Rallying Games | T...

Set up pressure situation in this games based session and see if your players can handle the pressure?
rallying ANSWERS
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How to teach single and double-handed backhands to U10s?

teaching single and doublehanded backhands to under 10s

Archived User Coach

I'm coaching middle school tennis for the first time. Where to begin?

Coaching tennis to middle school athletes for the first time. How do I begin?

Rhonda R Lang Coach, United States of America

How to plan 4 progressive lessons?

Hi, I'm on Level 2 Tennis Assistant Coach course, and have a task to plan 4 progressive lessons, explaining the objectives,overall aims and what the players should be able to do before they move onto the next lesson. I did my Level 1 11 years ago, so I'm a bit out of touch. Can any one help please?

Archived User Coach

Beginner Group Rally Games/Drills

Hello, I have a group of 8 players who are orange ball level 1. I need a game or drill that will help them get introduced/comfortable with rallying. Something where they might all get a chance to rotate in and they do not have to sit around? I only have one court. Thank you.Regards, Coach Cory

cory Coach, United States

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