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Tóm tắt nội dung (trích từ tài liệu gốc): Groundstroke Tennis Drills This Tennis eBook contains ground stroke drills for you to use in your lessons or practice sessions. Live ball and feeding drill sections are contained with all drills accompanied by detailed diagrams and instructions. General Information Title: Groundstroke Tennis Drills eBook Author: David Horne and Rufus Keown at GlobalTennisCoaching.com First Published: 2004 Revised and Updated Digital Edition (eBook): 2011 Composed and published with assistance of: www.eBookAuthorAcademy.com which is a division of "eBooks International" Copyright 2011 GlobalTennisCoaching.com. A

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             Groundstroke

               Tennis Drills



This Tennis eBook contains ground stroke drills for you to use in your lessons or practice

sessions. Live ball and feeding drill sections are contained with all drills accompanied by

detailed diagrams and instructions.

General Information



Title: Groundstroke Tennis Drills eBook

Author: David Horne and Rufus Keown at GlobalTennisCoaching.com

First Published: 2004

Revised and Updated Digital Edition (eBook): 2011

Composed and published with assistance of: www.eBookAuthorAcademy.com which is a division of

"eBooks International"



 Copyright 2011 GlobalTennisCoaching.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

      reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the

      publisher.



                                                                   Licence Notes



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may not be re-sold or given away to other people. This eBook was written and published through the eBook

Community at www.eBookAuthorAcademy.com. Thank you for respecting the rights and hard work of this author.



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                                         Tennis Drills



Why are good drills so important? To quote from ancient Chinese philosophy...

"If (players) are unaccustomed to rigorous drilling, they will be worried and hesitant in battle

(matches)." (Sun Tzu, The Art of War). Practise how you want to play in a match!



Selecting and using the right drills in practice are the best way for a coach to get their

students ready for match play. The phrase "practise makes perfect" is particularly appropriate

for tennis players. Professional tennis players practise their strokes, patterns and strategies

until they can play a match on "auto pilot", making the correct decisions and playing the right

shots at the right time.



Of course in a competitive match situation, the increased pressure and nerves will often affect

most players. By practicing the right moves, using challenging drills we can strive to train our

players to perform the same in matches and on the practice court.



This eBook does not seek to tell coaches how they should coach. There are different coaches

with different personalities and methods that all succeed in developing players and help

people enjoy tennis.



We have seen top state coaches on court "with out a racket"; many experienced coaches like

a basket of balls loaded with a hundred or more balls and then there are other top coaches

who will only take a dozen balls on court and demand their students rally consistently with

each ball. Some professional players have been known to conduct their sessions with one

ball only. I often watched Mats Wilander and Nystrom (two Swedish players) practise with

only one ball. All these methods have been successful and all are very different.

                     Types of Tennis Drills in This eBook



Live Ball Drills

Live Ball Drills can simply be described as drills "where the point is played out."

A coach or player starts the drill by hitting a ball into the court and that ball is rallied between

all the players. The situation is a very "open" coaching environment, as the players will be

faced with unpredictable situations and will have to adapt appropriately. In this environment

players will face both tactical and technical issues and, although the coach may modify the

drill to work at a specific skill, it imitates match play. It is this realistic match environment that

makes "Live Ball Drills" effective.



Feeding Drills

Feeding Drills describe a drill where the coach feeds in a ball which is hit but no rally takes

place. This is a "closed" coaching environment where players may be working on a specific

stroke or pattern of strokes.



Feeding drills are usually very technical situations and the coach and player can specifically

work at correcting a stroke weakness or developing a new stroke or grip. Feeding drills may

be most effective in helping a player master a difficult skill, such as hitting a kick serve, a slice

backhand or a skill that they are experiencing trouble grasping.



Live Ball vs. Feeding Drills

It is important that a coach recognise the various benefits of both methods of drilling. Live ball

drills fit neatly in with the game based approach philosophy of teaching students technical and

tactical skills simultaneously. Players of all ages and abilities enjoy this "game" situation and

live ball drills can be adapted to work in any given situation.



There will be times when coaches may want to "close" the environment to work on a specific

stroke or skill and feeding drills may be more appropriate. In our experience feeding drills

may be used to give a player confidence and muscle memory when learning difficult concepts

such as:



 Learning a slice backhand

 Learning to hit a single handed backhand after learning with a two handed backhand

 Learning to hit return of serves



A good coach will learn what type of drills will suit their students. It should be noted that once

a player has mastered a stroke during feeding drills the progression should be made to a live

ball drill to practise the skill under match conditions.

Scoring

Tennis is a scoring game. As players develop, their ability to handle the "score board

pressure" can be as important as technique and tactics. Consequently the drills you use in

training should keep score so players can practise playing under match type pressure.



There are various types of scoring systems that can be used to improve the structure of the

drill.



Examples of Scoring Systems You Can Use in Your Lessons:



1. Love � 15 � 30 � 40 � Deuce � Advantage - Game

Beginner players may benefit from simply learning the basic scoring system of the game of

tennis.



2. Play Sets Where the 1st to Score 7 / 11/ 21 Points Wins

Playing tie breaker rules or "fast tennis" rules can be effective when there is limited time to

play a full set. These modified scoring games also create pressure scoring situations more

often and train players to deal with "scoreboard pressure."



3. Loaded Scoring

If a coach is working on a specific skill during a drill, then loading the points is an effective

way to train students to play the way you want them to.



Examples of Loading Points Include:

 Encouraging students to go for their serves by awarding double points for an ace or



     unreturnable serve.

 If a coach wishes to emphasize consistency and patience in a drill, a net error can be



     penalised by forfeiting the set.

 Double points can be awarded for volley and overhead winners in a drill thus encouraging



     players to attack the net.



There are countless ways to load the scoring system of your drill and make it a more

challenging exercise.

4. Handicap Scoring

In private lessons or group lessons where players of different standards are competing,

coaches should create a handicap scoring scenario to ensure a competitive environment.



Some Methods of Handicap Scoring Include:

 While playing a set of tennis, the player that wins the first game begins the next game at



     0-15. If they win again then they will start the next game at 0-30.



 A score, for example of 4 � 1, would result in the winning player starting at 0-40 in the

     next game. If the scores are level 2 � 2 then the game would start at 0-0.



 While playing tie breakers or points, the player that wins the first tie breaker starts the

     next tie breaker handicapped by the amount they won by.



   For example by winning the tie breaker 7 � 4 the next set begins at 0 � 3.

   This method will help all players practise under "score board pressure".



                                                Class Size



Drills in this book can be modified to suit class sizes of between 1 � 6, with some team games

allowing more than 12 players. Class size can often be a case of scarcity � everybody would

like private lessons with the coach, however there is not enough money, tennis courts or

tennis coaches to support this. With organisation, good drills and well trained students, a

group session can be as challenging as an individual lesson.



A Note on Private Lessons

Is there great benefit in a 7 year old receiving private lessons??? Is there benefit if the coach

is rallying to the student "perfect" returns � with out spin, straight to the students, bouncing

around waist height??? A better scenario might be for the coach to match two students (or

more) of similar age and ability (a crucial coaching skill) together and then create drills or

activities to challenge them. This would create a far more realistic and "match like" training

situation.



Group Lessons

Group or squad training requires the coach to be a good manager. Students do not want

"dead spots" or long periods of inactivity in their work outs. This may be experienced when a

coach feeds to students one at a time, while others in the group wait for their turn. The coach

should plan the drills for their lesson based on the size of their class.

Ideas for Coaching Different Class Sizes Include (players: coach)



2 players: 1 coach Two evenly matched players on court with a coach is an ideal scenario

for practicing singles drills. The coach may choose to feed in to start the point or have the

players start the point. The coach can then walk around the court motivating, instructing and

encouraging the players where needed.



3: 1 At this ratio, drills can work on both singles and doubles with the coach filling in to make

the fourth doubles player. 2 on 1 drills with the coach feeding can work fitness and technique

training. Practise 1 on 1 drills by rotating players every 1 or 2 points.



Keep the rotations quick, even after each stroke, to keep the players energized. In a high

intensity workout this will give the third player some rest and recovery time.



4: 1 Doubles drills and fast moving singles drills are ideal for this ratio of players.



5: 1 Practise doubles drills. Give the fifth player who is waiting their turn a meaningful task to

do while rotating off during the drill. In a beginners class this may be teaching them to score

or call lines. You may consider a fitness exercise such as skipping or sit ups. The fifth

person may pick up balls while waiting, to make the drills run with out disruption. Make

rotations regularly to maintain the concentration and enthusiasm of the fifth player.



6: 1 Incorporate doubles drills at this ratio to ensure four players are on the court drilling at all

times. The two waiting players will rotate into the drill every few points. Pair up players so

rotations occur two at a time to ensure that all players are continuously participating in the

drill.



6+: 1 Once classes reach this size you will need to refer to the Team Games and Squad

Games section of this book. More than one tennis court may be required and perhaps an

assistant to the head coach will be required. A fast paced and well organised program will

need to be planned.



Coaches should involve as many players on court as possible in their drills. To achieve

maximum participation a class size of 2 � 4 would be ideal.



A Good Coach Can Still Create a Great Training Session With Over Four Players By:

 Making quick and regular rotations

 Utilising meaningful off - court activities

 Asking the players who are off the court some tactical questions about the on-court play.

                  Key to Diagrams



Forehand



Backhand

Serve



Volley



Smash / Overhead

Running Shot



Ready Position / Waiting Player

Player's Shot

Coach's Feed

Player Movement

Markers / Cones

Lob / High Net Clearance

                             Groundstroke Tennis Drills



Groundstrokes describe the forehands and backhands played from the back of the court

where the ball has bounced.



In the modern game back-court play is the most predominant style of tennis so the

development of sound groundstrokes is very important.



Contributing to the Popularity of Baseline Tennis Has Been:

 Improved racket technology.

 More tournaments held on clay or hard court surfaces.

 Less tournaments held on grass.

 Improvements in technique, specifically grips and biomechanical advancements allowing



     players greater power and control from the baseline.



An example of this is the progression of Australia's top tennis players through different eras

moving from the serve and volley game to the back court game.



Serve & volley players such as John Newcombe, Pat Cash and Pat Rafter were Australia's

number one players through the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's. Australia's current number one

Lleyton Hewitt plays almost exclusively from the back court with consistent ground strokes,

fierce passing shots, aggressive lobs and tenacious movement.



The Drills Described in This Section Provide Some Key Themes:



Consistency:     Hitting with good net clearance

Aggression:      Hitting with topspin

Shot Selection:  Hitting cross-court

Movement:

                 Taking the ball early

                 Developing a "Big" forehand

                 Driving the ball deep



                 Playing the right shot at the right time

                 Balance between consistency and aggression



                 Being able to play shots on the run or off balance

                 Correct footwork patterns to ensure correct body positioning

Groundstroke Drill 1:



+ 1 � 1 (plus 1 point � minus 1 point)



                                        Player Level:

                                        Intermediate � Advanced Players



                                        Objective:

                                        At any level, good players should be trained to

                                        avoid net errors, hitting for length into the back

                                        court. This drill is designed to emphasise

                                        consistency through net clearance.



                                        Instruction:

                                        Player A challenges Player B in a baseline rally

                                        situation. The ball is underhand fed in by either the

                                        coach or players.



                                        Scoring:

                                         1st team to +5 wins the set.

                                         2 sets win the match.

                                         +1 point is scored from opposition errors &



                                             winners.

                                         Any errors into the net result in a penalty

                                         �1 point scored for the offending team.



                                        Details:

                                        2 � 4 players

                                        This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                        rotating the players after each point or even after

                                        each shot to ensure maximum participation.

Groundstroke Drill #2



Clear the Net



                                           Player Level:

                                           Intermediate � Advanced players.



                                           Objective:

                                           Two of the core elements of consistent, percentage

                                           tennis are net clearance and topspin. This drill

                                           works at these essentials by forcing players to

                                           exaggerate their net clearance and control their

                                           depth using topspin.



                                           Instruction:

                                            Set the court up using net extenders to double



                                                the height of the net.

                                            Players are to rally out with any stroke played



                                                under the net extenders called an error.

                                            Encourage high, topspin strokes.



                                           Scoring:

                                           Play sets of 1st to 7 points



Clearing the net � Besides your opponent,  Details:

the biggest obstacle you will face on the  2 � 4 players

court is the net!

                                           This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                           rotating the players after each point or even after

                                           each shot to ensure maximum participation.



                                           Net Extenders - Use a length of rope and tie each

                                           end to the fence of the court. Pull tight to a height

                                           around twice the height of the net or net posts.

Groundstroke Drill #3



Forehand Cross Court Consistency



                                  Player Level:

                                  Intermediate � Advanced Players



                                  Objective:

                                  This baseline drill develops stroke consistency and

                                  builds defensive & offensive cross court patterns.



                                  Instruction:

                                   Place markers down to cut down court area.



                                       Players A & B play cross court.



                                   Hit forehands only.



                                   The manipulation of spin, speed, depth & angle

                                       are crucial to winning points in this limited court

                                       area.



                                   The point starts with an underhand feed.



                                  Scoring:

                                  1st to 7 points wins the set

                                  3 sets win the match.



                                  Progression:

                                  Manipulate scoring to suit lesson plan. i.e.

                                  Net error = immediate loss of set; or error in first 5

                                  shots = immediate loss of set.



                                  .



                                  Details:

                                  2 � 4 players.



                                  This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                  rotating the players after each point or even after

                                  each shot to ensure maximum participation.



                                  Set marker cones 1.5 metres (approximately 2

                                  racket lengths) from the side line.

Groundstroke Drill #4



Backhand Cross Court Consistency



                                  Player Level:

                                  Intermediate � Advanced Players



                                  Objective:

                                  This baseline drill develops stroke consistency and

                                  builds defensive & offensive cross court patterns.



                                  Instruction:

                                   Place markers as illustrated to cut down court



                                       area. Players A & B play cross court.

                                   Hit backhands only.

                                   The manipulation of spin, speed, depth and



                                       angle are crucial to winning points in this

                                       limited court area.

                                   The point starts with an underhand feed.



                                  Scoring:

                                  1st to 7 points wins the set

                                  3 sets win the match.



                                  Progression:

                                  Manipulate scoring to suit lesson plan. i.e.

                                  Net error = immediate loss of set; or

                                  Error in first 5 shots = immediate loss of set.



                                  Details:

                                  2 � 4 players.

                                  This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                  rotating the players after each point or even after

                                  each shot to ensure maximum participation.

                                  Set marker cones 1.5 metres (approximately 2

                                  racket lengths) from the side line.

Groundstroke Drill #5



"Inside � Out" Forehand Patterns



                                  Player Level:

                                  Intermediate � Advanced Players



                                  Objective:

                                  This baseline drill is designed to develop stroke

                                  consistency and build defensive & offensive cross

                                  court patterns.



                                  Instruction:

                                   Place markers as illustrated to cut down court



                                       area. Players A & B play cross court.

                                   "Inside-out" forehands only.

                                   The manipulation of spin, speed, depth and



                                       angle are crucial to winning points in this

                                       limited court area.

                                   The point starts with an underhand feed.



                                  Scoring:

                                  1st to 7 points wins the set

                                  3 sets win the match.



                                  Details:

                                  2 � 4 players

                                  This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                  rotating the players after each point or even after

                                  each shot to ensure maximum participation.

                                  Set marker cones 1.5 metres (approximately 2

                                  racket lengths) from the side line.

Groundstroke Drill #6



          Scoring:

"Big-Sh1ostt"toG7rowuinnsdtshteroskeet, P3astettesrwnsin the match



                                                                               Player Level:

                                                                               Intermediate � Advanced Players



                                                                               Objective:

                                                                               To develop a "BIG SHOT" during an open- rally

                                                                               situation. This leads to the player developing an

                                                                               aggressive baseline game style.



                                             A



                                                                               Instruction:

                                                                                Place markers down parallel to the singles line



                                                                                    to act as the target zone.

                                                                                Player A feeds in underhand and the point is



                                                                                    played out in full court.

                                                                                Player A scores double points for a winning



                                                                                    backhand down the line into the target area.

                                                                                Player B scores double points for a winning



                                                                                    forehand down the line into the target area.

                                                                                Change feeders and sides at the end of a set,



                                                                                    so that both players practise both winning

                                                                                    shots.



                                                                               Scoring:

                                                                               1st to 7 points wins the set

                        B

                                                                               3 sets win the match



                                                                               Progression:

                                                                               Only winning shots in the target area and unforced

                                                                               errors can score. Otherwise point is replayed.



                                                                               Details:

                                                                               2 � 4 players

                                                                               Set marker cones 1.5 metres from the side line

                                                                               (approximately 2 racket lengths).

Groundstroke Drill #7                           Player Level:

                                                Intermediate � Advanced Players

Angle Groundstroke Patterns

                                                Objective:

                                             A  To develop and create angles to move your

                                                opponent out of court. Thus opening the court up

                        B                       for the "BIG SHOT" practised in the previous

                                                exercise.



                                                Instruction:

                                                 Place markers down parallel to the singles line



                                                     to act as the target zone.



                                                 Player A feeds in underhand and the point is

                                                     played out in full court.



                                                 Player A scores a bonus point every time they

                                                     create an angle and gets the ball into the target

                                                     zone from the backhand side.



                                                 The same rule applies for player B who can

                                                     score bonus points from the forehand side.



                                                 Change feeders and sides at the end of a set,

                                                     so that players practise both shots and both

                                                     sides.



                                                Scoring:

                                                1st to 11 points wins (2 or 3 bonus points may be

                                                scored every point)



                                                3 sets win the match.



                                                Progression:

                                                Double points awarded for winning shots.



                                                Details:

                                                2 � 4 players

                                                Marker cones required.

                                                Set marker cones 1.5 metres from the side line

                                                (approximately 2 racket lengths).

Groundstroke Drill #8                                          Player Level:

                                                               Intermediate � Advanced Players

Half Court vs. Full Court

                                                               Objective:

                                        B                      In the modern game, players regularly use the "off

                                                               forehand" to control the point.

                                                Out of bounds

                                                    area for   This drill emphasises the off forehand, and helps

                                                    player B   players practise the correct footwork and stroke

                                                               patterns necessary.

          A

                                                               Instruction:

                                                                Set up the court using markers as illustrated to



                                                                    divide the court into two equal halves down one

                                                                    end.



                                                                Instruct player A to use the "off" or "inside-out"

                                                                    forehand to control the point.



                                                                Player A varies depth, angle, spin and speed to

                                                                    move player B all over the court and set up a

                                                                    winning shot.



                                                                Player B must concentrate on movement to the

                                                                    ball and recovery to correct position after each

                                                                    shot.



                                                                Player B must hit all shots to one half of the

                                                                    court.



                                                               Scoring:

                                                               7 � 11 points



                                                               Player B aims to get to 7

                                                               Player A aims for 11 points.

                                                               After 1 set rotate sides to give both players an

                                                               opportunity to develop their "inside-out" forehand.



                                                               Details:

                                                               2 � 4 players



                                                               This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                                               rotating the players after each point or even after

                                                               each shot to ensure maximum participation.

Groundstroke Drill #9  Player Level:

                       Intermediate players

Consistency Game

                       Objective:

   Waiting             To encourage a "get the ball back at all costs"

    Player             mentality to your students.

                       This great drill rewards the player who returns

                       every ball.



                       Instruction:

                        Players set up on court with at least one player



                            on sidelines.



                        The coach or player starts the rally with an

                            underhand feed and players rally out.



                        The waiting player replaces the player who

                            makes an error, or, a winner is hit on their side

                            of the court.



                        This drill can be played in either a singles or

                            doubles format.



                       Scoring:

                       Players score a point each time they are on the

                       court.



                       First to score 15 or 21 points wins.

                       Players score a set if they are on court for 5 rallies

                       in a row � 1st to 3 sets.



                       Progression:



                        Use net extenders. Players must hit over net

                            extenders.



                        Only strokes landing beyond the service line

                            are in.



                        Play in a figure 8 pattern.



                       Details:

                       3 � 6 players.

Groundstroke Drill #10                              Player Level:

                                                    Intermediate � Advanced Players

Depth Control

                                                    Objective:

                                        Depth Zone  Maintaining good depth in a pressure rally situation

                                                    is crucial. Improve depth of stroke in a variable

                   Depth Zone                       rally situation.



                                                    Instruction:

                                                     Set up the court with a "depth zone" as



                                                         illustrated.

                                                     The rally is started with an underhand feed



                                                         (which does not score) and players aim to hit

                                                         their strokes into the "depth zone".

                                                     The player who makes the error must feed in to

                                                         start the next point.



                                                    Scoring:

                                                     1 point is scored for every ball that lands in the



                                                         depth zone.

                                                     Players are penalised 3 points for a net error.



                                                         Wide and long errors do not receive a point

                                                         penalty; however, the player who makes the

                                                         error must feed in the next rally.

                                                     1st to 20 wins.



                                                    Details:

                                                    2 � 4 players

                                                    This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                                    rotating the players after each point or even after

                                                    each shot to ensure maximum participation.

Groundstroke Drill #11                     Player Level:

                                           Intermediate � Advanced Players

Drill: In to "Attack" � Back to "Defend"

                                           Objective:

                        Move in to Attack  Teach players to aggressively use their feet to

                                           either get into a strong attacking position inside the

                     Move Back to Defend   baseline; or defend behind the baseline.



                                           Instruction:



                                            Place markers between the baseline and

                                                service line as reference points for the players.



                                            Start the point with an underhand feed with

                                                players setting up on the baseline.



                                            If the ball bounces inside the markers players

                                                are to move in and "attack"- improving the

                                                players court position, opening up available

                                                angles by contacting the ball closer to the net

                                                and shortening the time the opponent has to

                                                react.



                                            If the ball bounces behind the markers players

                                                move back and "defend"- giving them more

                                                time to set up and play a difficult deep ball.



                                            Emphasise a short back swing and "timing" the

                                                ball when moving forwards; and a long swing

                                                and "looping" stroke when moving back.



                                            Players should recover to the centre mark after

                                                each stroke.



                                            To emphasise the movement and decision

                                                making, players may call out "attack" or

                                                "defend" depending on where the ball bounces

                                                for each stroke.



                                           Details:

                                           2 � 4 players



                                           This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                           rotating the players after each point or even after

                                           each shot to ensure maximum participation.

Groundstroke Drill #12



Take the Ball Early and on the Rise



                                     Player Level:

                                     Advanced Players



                                     Objective:

                                     Teach players how to play aggressively from the

                                     baseline by taking the ball early and therefore:



                                     - Improving the players court position

                                     - Opening up available angles by contacting the



                                          ball closer to the net, and



                                     - Shortening the time the opponent has to react.



                                     Instruction:

                                      Start the point with an underhand feed.



                                          Instruct the players that they must stay inside

                                          the baseline to hit all their strokes, always

                                          moving forwards to "take the ball early and on

                                          the rise".



                                      Emphasise short back swing and "timing" the

                                          ball.



                                      This may be a difficult skill at first, but through

                                          practise, players will gain a very valuable

                                          weapon.



                                     Scoring:

                                      The rally is played out with points being



                                          awarded for errors and winners.



                                      Players also lose the point if their feet

                                          "transgress" behind the baseline.



                                     Details:

                                     2 � 4 players



                                     This drill can be suited to a group lesson by

                                     rotating the players after each point or even after

                                     each shot to ensure maximum participation.

Groundstroke Drill #13



         4 � 6 players.

Drill: 2 on 2 Training � Baseline Battle



                                          Player Level:

                                          Beginners � Advanced players



                                          Objective:

                                          Create a controlled rally situation where players

                                          learn to understand the ideal "rally speed" that they

                                          can maintain.



                                          Instruction:

                                           The coach or player begins the point with an



                                               underhand feed. The goal of the drill is to

                                               maintain a rally at the highest ball speed

                                               possible.



                                           The coach should be constantly monitoring and

                                               correcting the tempo of the rally.



                                           If there are too many errors then "slow down".

                                               If the drill is not challenging enough for the

                                               players then pick-up the intensity.



                                           This drill is effectively a "sparring" drill with the

                                               aim being not to win the point, but to create an

                                               intense rally situation.



                                           The coach should keep the players bouncing

                                               on the balls of their feet in between strokes.



                                          Scoring:

                                          Count the length of rallies.



                                          Progression:

                                          Progress to "directional control"



                                          Details:

                                          4 � 6 players.

Groundstroke Drill #14



2 on 2 Training � Direction Control



                                     Player Level:

                                     Intermediate - Advanced Players



                                     Objective:

                                     Create a controlled rally situation where players

                                     learn to understand the ideal "rally speed" that they

                                     can maintain.



                                     Instruction:



                                      4 players control a pattern of:

                                     down the line - cross court � down the line �

                                     cross court...a figure 8 pattern.



                                      This drill is effectively a "sparring" drill with the

                                          aim not to win the point but to create an intense

                                          rally situation.



                                      The coach should keep the players bouncing

                                          on the balls of their feet in between strokes.



                                     Scoring:

                                     Count length of rallies



                                     Details:

                                     4 players

Groundstroke Drill #15



1 on 1 Training � Direction Control



                                     Player Level:

                                     Advanced Players



                                     Objective:

                                     Create a controlled rally situation where players

                                     learn to understand the ideal "rally speed" that they

                                     can maintain.



                                     Instruction:



                                      2 players control a pattern of: down the line -

                                          cross court � down the line � cross court...a

                                          figure 8 pattern.



                                      This drill is effectively a "sparring" drill with the

                                          aim not to win the point but create an intense

                                          rally situation.



                                      Players will have to work extremely hard at

                                          recovering after each stroke to ensure that they

                                          get to the next ball with balance and ready to

                                          place their next shot.



Hit Down the Line                    Scoring:

 Hit Cross Court                     Count length of rallies

Player Movement

                                     Details:

                                     2 � 4 players.

Groundstroke Drill #16



2 on 1 Training � Down the Line to Cross Court



                                                                               Player Level:

                                                                               Advanced Players



                                                    Objective:



                                                    2 on 1 is a great way to overload the training



                                                    program and to get players working really hard on



                                                    physical fitness, while at the same time maintaining



A  B                                                stroke technique.



                                                    Instruction:

                                                     The coach or player will begin the rally with an



                                                         underhand feed.



                                                     Players A & B hit cross-court shots while player

                                                         C hits down the line as illustrated.



                                                     This is great physical training for player C who

                                                         must run the baseline to reach every shot.



                                                     Players A & B continue to control their strokes.



                                                     Ensure the rally is played at a high tempo and

                                                         rotate once player C loses technique through

                                                         exhaustion.



   C



                                            Scoring:

                                            Count the longest rally.



When an opponent has a weaker side, often the       Details:

backhand, then you should exploit this deficiency.  3 � 4 players.



Open up the court first and then attack their weak

side.

Groundstroke Drill #17



2 on 1 Training � Baseline Battle



                                   Player Level:

                                   Intermediate - Advanced Players



                                   Objective:

                                   2 on 1 is a great way to overload the training

                                   program and to get players working really hard on

                                   physical fitness, while at the same time maintaining

                                   stroke technique.



                                   Instruction:

                                    The player or coach starts a rally with an



                                        underhand feed.

                                    Play at a tempo that allows for long challenging



                                        rallies.

                                    The doubles team should aim to vary their



                                        strokes.

                                    The coach may like to set up the rally by giving



                                        the singles player a challenging feed for the

                                        first shot.



                                   Scoring:

                                   Rotate positions after the doubles team has won 3

                                   points in a row (indicating fatigue by the singles

                                   player).

                                   Make it a competition by timing how long the

                                   singles player can last by themselves.



                                   Details:

                                   3 � 4 players.

Groundstroke Drill #18



2 on 1 Training � Cross Court Challenge



                                         Player Level:

                                         Intermediate - Advanced Players



                                         Objective:



                                         2 on 1 is a great way to overload the training



                                         program and to get players working really hard on



   C  B                                  physical fitness, while at the same time maintaining



                                         stroke technique.



                                         Instruction:

                                          The player or coach starts a rally with an



                                              underhand feed.



                                          Player A must hit every ball cross court



                                          Players B & C should aim to vary their strokes

                                              and can hit either down the line or cross court

                                              to upset player A's rhythm.



                                         Scoring:



                                          If player A does not successfully hit their shot

                                              cross court they lose 1 point.



A                                         Lose 5 points and rotate positions.



                                          Make it a competition by timing how long the

                                              singles player can last by themselves.



                                         Details:

                                         3 � 4 players.

Groundstroke Drill #19



2 on 1 Training � Baseline to Net Battle



                                          Player Level:

                                          Intermediate - Advanced Players



                                          Objective:

                                          2 on 1 is a great way to overload the training

                                          programme and to get players working really hard

                                          on physical fitness, while at the same time

                                          maintaining stroke technique.



                                          Instruction:

                                           Two players set up at the net challenging one



                                               player at the baseline as illustrated.



                                           The player or coach starts a rally with an

                                               underhand feed.



                                           Instruct the net team to hit deep volleys but not

                                               to hit angled winners.



                                           Play at a tempo that allows for long challenging

                                               rallies.



                                           The baseline player will have to develop quick

                                               footwork and racket work as their reaction time

                                               is cut down by the volleying team.



                                           Rotate once the singles player loses technique

                                               through exhaustion.



                                          Scoring:

                                          Count the longest rally.



                                          Details:

                                          3 � 4 players.

Groundstroke Drill #20



Home Base Drill



                        Player Level:

                        Beginners � Advanced players



                        Objective:

                        Improve playing shots on the move and emphasise

                        the importance of recovering back to the centre of

                        the court after every shot in a singles match.



                        Instruction:

                         Players start a cross court forehand rally. After



                             each shot players must recover back to the

                             centre mark.

                         This drill is terrific for developing recovery and

                             simulates singles match play where recovery to

                             cover the open court is a crucial skill.

                         Hitting good cross court shots on the run is

                             also a critical skill for consistent baseline play

                             and is favoured by most professionals in the

                             modern game.



                        Scoring:

                        Count the longest rally.



                        Progression:

                        Conduct drill to the backhand side



                        Details:

                        2 � 4 players