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Bluff Doubles Game

Players are effectively playing a game of touch-doubles, so the ball is fed in and the point played out within the service boxes, with the tramlines being out. Players must use touch and feel as no pace or power can be use to win the point. They can volley and the ball is allowed to bounce as in normal tennis. However, each player only has to look after their own service box quarter. Balls which land in their zone are the only ones they are responsible for retrieving. If they so wish, they can poach and intercept balls in the other players' box, but the player next to them is not going to cover their back and switch sides as in normal doubles.

Doubles Drills

Cone Serving

Players serve at the targets shown, taking two balls at a time and serving 1 first serve, 1 second serve at each target. After a certain amount of time players switch and repeat the same from the other side. The player with the most targets at the end of the practice wins the drill. If groups are large, players can take it in turns to serve one after the other, and/or also from the doubles serving positions.

Serve and Return

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

Non-stop alternate shots

Players are playing the point out from the hand but are taking it in turns to hit alternate shots with their partner. Pairs take it in turns to feed the first ball in but as soon as the point has finished the next ball can be fed in immediately. Players can play first to 11 points before switching partners and after 3 rotations the individual players' totals are added up.

Coordination / Fun Games

Non-stop points out the hand

Players play the point out from the hand with each end of the court taking it in turns to feed the first ball in. If the player wins the point they stay on to play the next one with a maximum of 3 points in a row being played before switching with their partner. As soon as the point is complete the next ball can be fed in without having to wait for the opposing players to be ready. The drill should be non-stop, and the players are playing as a team with their points counting together. Players can play first to 11 points in this way.

Coordination / Fun Games

Over their head - Lob at the net

Player 1 is working in the full court and player 2 in half court, starting with the backhand corner. The coach (or player 3) feeds a very short ball/ dropshot that player 1 must chase down and push back deep into the corner where player 2 is waiting. Player 2 must then attempt to hit a winning topspin lob aggressively over player 1 who has moved to the net after playing the dropshot. Player 1 can try to chase down the lob if it goes over their head or smash/ volley it away into the backhand corner if the lob is not good enough. Players switch ends before repeating the drill to the other corner.

Lob

Serve / Return Point Play

Player 1 is serving and will play a sequence of 4 points against player 2 as follows: Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve wide. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's forehand side. Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve inside. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's backhand side. Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve inside to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's forehand corner. Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve wide to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's backhand side.

Serve and Return

Sharpening up!

Players 1 and 2 are at the net, player 3 is working from the baseline. The point is live as soon as the first ball is fed in from the volleyers with tramlines being out for both ends. However, the volleying players cannot hit a clean winner to win the point, they must force player 3 into making an error to score. Player 3 can do whatever they wish with the ball to win the point, they also win the point if they can make the ball bounce before the volleyers can get to it.

Volley Drills

Using the middle to neutralise

Player 1 is working in a full court and player 2 is 'feeding' from the centre of the court along the baseline. The players rally co-operatively for 3 minutes but with player 2 working the ball around the full-court making player 1 move a reasonable amount without a pattern. Player 1 is aiming for the rectangle at the back of the court marked by targets and player 2 should count how many balls player 1 makes into the rectangle within the 3 minutes. When the time is up the players switch roles. This drill can be repeated 3 times for each player and then the totals added up to see who was the most accurate!

Rally Drills

Zig Zag Volleys After Approach

Players approach on Forehand, switches to backhand for first volley, then changes to forehand volley.

Forehand & Backhand Drill

Hit The Zone & Switch Agility ...

Coach and player rally together. Coach stands behind the baseline on the deuce sidePlayer stands at the net. Player hits all the balls to the deuce zone. When player hits the zone, coach changes the direction of own shots

General

Rally cross-court and surprise...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A picks the right moment to surprise the opponent and hits the drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1 minute and switch4 players can work on forehands and backhands at the same time so 1 minute periods for switching are appropriate. Waiting players can perform some footwork exercises on the ladder to keep the feet active or they can imitate drop shot to get more comfortable with disguising the shot and changing the grip right before the point of contact.

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

1 Offense 1 Defense Forehand D...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A hits all the balls aggressively. Player B hits all the balls defensively. After the point both players switch roles and play another rally.Drill specifications:5-10 min per sideWith more players on the court coach can use this drill strictly for the learning process or to make it really competitive. For learning purposes, players switch after few points to have a time to work on their shots as also to spend some time on different skills. For competitiveness, coach should put players into teams and play cross court points with clear defensive/offensive goals.

General

Attack + play points inside th...

2 players play points against each other. Player B feeds an easy ball. Player A attacks it and the point begins. Player A has to play the point all the time inside the baseline. Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchPoints are short so players can play few rallies in a row before they switch. Playing inside the baseline requires great footwork skills and many shots played in low position so lunges can be performed by waiting players to improve legs’ strength and become more natural while playing shots in really low position.

General

Finish in 3 shots Forehand & B...

2 players play points against each other. Player A has to finish the point in 3 shots to win.Drill specifications:2-3 points and switchPoints are short so players can play few rallies in a row before they switch. With more players on the court waiting players should perform physical activities to improve footwork or they can observe other players to learn different tactical approaches.

General

Tennis: Kick wide + Forehand i...

Player A executes wide kick serve from the ad side. Player B hits backhand return cross court. Player A runs around and hits offensive forehand inside in.Drill specifications:1 repetition per setTo make this drill really dynamic players should switch after one point at the serving side. Returning players can switch after few points to guarantee good consistency and more opportunities for the servers to work on the pattern. Waiting players should perform specific footwork drills focused on the running around the backhand to improve this aspect while hitting after the serve.

General

Serve body + volley Serve and ...

Player A executes serve into the body. Player B hits the return. Player A finishes the point with a volley.Drill specifications:1 repetition per setTo make this drill really dynamic players should switch after one point at the serving side. Returning players can switch after few points to guarantee good consistency and more opportunities for the servers to work on the pattern. Waiting players should perform sprints next to the court to improve the speed that is really helpful while running to the net after the serve.

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

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

Slice and cut it down the line...

Player A executes wide slice serve from the deuce side. Player B hits forehand cross court return. Player A moves diagonally forward and finishes with offensive down the line shot.Drill specifications:1 repetition per setTo make this drill really dynamic players should switch after one point at the serving side. Returning players can switch after few points to guarantee good consistency and more opportunities for the servers to work on the pattern. Waiting players should perform some footwork activities including quick diagonal movement to gain bigger improvements while moving to the ball after the serve.

General

Pick the Corner Smash Drills -...

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

General

Offensive-minded response Fore...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds high topspin ball into one of the corners. Player tries to hit the ball on the rise without moving back.Drill specifications:4 reps per setIf coach has more players during the session he can set up 2 lines of players and work on forehand and backhand at the same time. With less players coach can focus just on one groundstroke for few minutes and then switch to the next one. Incorporating specific fitness exercises focused on shoulder strength is a good way to prevent possible injuries because of the higher point of contact.

General

Deuce mini killer Forehand Dri...

The coach stands at the net on the deuce side and the player starts from the service line. The coach moves the player around with volleys, and the player hits only slices back to the coach.

General

Stop-volley control Forehand &...

Player stands close to the net.Coach feeds random balls in different directions.Player reacts and hits only stop-volleys down the line.

General

Cone Serving Serve and Return ...

Players serve at the targets shown, taking two balls at a time and serving 1 first serve, 1 second serve at each target.After a certain amount of time players switch and repeat the same from the other side.The player with the most targets at the end of the practice wins the drill.If groups are large, players can take it in turns to serve one after the other, and/or also from the doubles serving positions.</div>

General

Zig Zag Volleys After Approach...

Players approach on Forehand, switches to backhand for first volley, then changes to forehand volley.

General

Surprise after the angle Foreh...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A picks the right moment to hit angle shot and opens the court up. After successful angle shot player finishes the next ball with drop shot down the line.Drill specifications:1 point and switchWhile 2 players are hitting on the court others can work on different skills. Physical activites are always good to incorporate but because of the drop shot included in this pattern, waiting players can cooperate and sharp this skill (player A is throwing the ball and player B is softly hitting drop shots back to the feeder).

General

Over their head - Lob at the n...

Player 1 is working in the full court and player 2 in half court, starting with the backhand corner.The coach (or player 3) feeds a very short ball/ dropshot that player 1 must chase down and push back deep into the corner where player 2 is waiting.Player 2 must then attempt to hit a winning topspin lob aggressively over player 1 who has moved to the net after playing the dropshot.Player 1 can try to chase down the lob if it goes over their head or smash/ volley it away into the backhand corner if the lob is not good enough.Players switch ends before repeating the drill to the other corner.

General

Serve / Return Point Play Serv...

Player 1 is serving and will play a sequence of 4 points against player 2 as follows:Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve wide. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's forehand side.<br /><br />Serving from the deuce court player 1 must serve inside. Player 2 must return the shot to player 1's backhand side.<br /><br />Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve inside to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's forehand corner.<br /><br />Serving from the advantage court player 1 must serve wide to player 2 who must return the ball to player 1's backhand side.</div>

General

Height's decision Forehand Dri...

2 players rally in cross court direction. Players make proper tactical decisions according to the height of the ball they receive. If the ball is really low player hits neutral shot. If the ball is at knee-to-hip level player hits neutral/offensive shot. If the ball is over the hips player tries to be aggressive.Drill specifications:Switch after 1 min or specific number of shots4 players are hitting with each other while others cooperate with partners. Waiting players should focus on perception of the incoming ball so easy exercise where player 1 throws the ball at random height and player B has to say “high”, “medium” or “low” and hit it softly back to the player should be incorporated to accelerate the learning process. Fitness drills are also preferred with the main focus on legs and shoulders (necessary for successful attempts with high and low balls)

General

Surprising inside out opener F...

2 players use backhands to rally together in cross court direction . Player A picks the right moment to surprise the opponent and hits forehand angle inside out. After putting the opponent outside of the alley player A takes the next ball and finishes with backhand down the line.Drill specifications:1-2 minutes and switch2 players can work on forehands and backhands at the same time so 1-2 minutes periods for switching are appropriate. Waiting players can perform some footwork exercises with the emphasis on running around footwork patterns based on crossover steps to improve the effectiveness of the angle shot while hitting.

General

Underspin doesn't mean underpe...

2 players rally together in cross court direction. Player A hits all the balls offensively. Player B hits consistent slice shots to keep the ball low after the bounce.Drill specifications:5-10 min per sideWith more players on the court coach can use different approaches according to the goals he wants to achieve. If players need repetitions coach can switch both hitting players after particular number of shots (3 each) to make this drill more dynamic. If players lack of physical preparation better solution is to make 2 players work for a 1 minute while others can perform specific fitness drills. At one time 4 players can work on this aspect (2 playing forehands and 2 playing backhands)

General

Follow the angle Forehand Dril...

Coach feeds the ball to the player. Player hits an angle shot and runs to the net. Coach hits the ball back. Player finishes with the shot in the air.Drill specifications:1 repetition per set2 players can work on this pattern at the same time so players should switch after one repetition. Because moving to the net requires quick movement players should perform some sprinting exercises to work on speed and anaerobic endurance.

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

Bounce and Hit Forehand & Back...

Players rally together. Player has to say &quot;bounce&quot; when the ball bounces on their side and say &quot;hit&quot; when they make contact with the ball.

General

Taste your own shot Smash Dril...

Player stands on the baseline. Coach feeds high topspin ball into one of the corners. Player moves back, hits high topspin ball to the backhand corner and moves forward to the net. Coach hits the ball back and players finishes with a volley or smash.Drill specifications: 1 repetition per setThis drill should be performed dynamically to keep all players in a game as often as possible. To make it real coach can put one player to feed and hit off the other player’s moonball. Players switch as feeder after few minutes to make sure that all participants work on different skills in the same drill.

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

switch SESSIONS
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Get Out Of The Backhand

Improve your player's technical patterns so they play less consecutive backhands

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.
switch 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

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 do I coach 14 girls (varying abilities) on just 2 courts?

How do I coach 14 girls, all of varying levels from beginner to advanced on just two courts?

Archived User Coach

How much does full Sportplan membership cost?

Archived User Coach

The monthly charge for Sportplan?

After the free joining fee, how much is the monthly fee for sportplan?RegardsJM

JM Coach, England

Can I transfer my membership from rugby to football?

School rugby season has finished. Can I switch my membership to football for this term (then cricket for the summer)? Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

D Whipp Coach, England

Sport selection query

If I look to purchase one individual sport, can I then swap it for another sport as many times as i want?

Ryan Gould Coach, England

Sports

how do I change to a different sport which I added to my profile?

Crystal Coach, South Africa

I'm coaching middle school ten...

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

Rhonda R Lang Coach, United States of America

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