Frank Polito’s Groundstroke Drillbook: Three Unconventional Ways to Revitalize Your Forehand and Backhand
For anyone standing across the white lines with a racket in hand—the forehand and backhand are not just two swings in your arsenal. They are your dialogue with the game, the conversation that happens point after point. Sometimes, it’s a brutal, flashing winner down the line; sometimes, it’s the patient echo of a rally that seems to stretch time. But regardless of your age or where your tennis journey has taken you—from local courts speckled with cracked paint to the polished battlegrounds of college matches—the essentials remain unchanged. If you strip away the noise and the distracting crowd, progress always circles back to the most fundamental rallies.
Frank Polito, who spends his daylight hours guiding women’s tennis at Cleveland State University, has picked apart hundreds of forehands and backhands, both the sublime and the shaky. Here, he distills years of coaching into three pointed exercises crafted to instill purpose, muscle memory, and a little bit of competitive fire into your daily training. Let’s break down his blueprint, one drill at a time.
Drill One: The Cross-Court Conversation
Forget the baseline baseline-to-baseline slugfest for a moment. Find a partner who’s willing to put in the work with you. Step onto the court together and fence off a battleground: one service box only, diagonally cross-court. The objective isn’t blinding speed or reckless power. It’s accuracy and quiet rhythm. Trade shots gently at first, pushing the ball so it lands inside your chosen slice of court. Muscle memory warms up in slow motion, so keep it smooth and deliberate at the outset.
What you’re chasing, here, is the sweet spot where consistency and control overlap. Once your comfort grows and your breath settles, let the energy build. Strike harder without sacrificing your aim. Feel the rally sharpen as the spins grow tighter. In these controlled, cross-court exchanges, your forehand and backhand will find their backbone, day after day.
Drill Two: The Thirty-Stroke Gauntlet
Ready to test your nerves? Stand at opposite ends with your partner, as if about to start a set. The challenge: thirty consecutive cross-court balls over the service line. The catch? You have just three minutes, and if even one shot veers wide or drops short—reset, start again. This is no leisurely exchange; it’s a test of concentration, stamina, and strategic risk.
Every stroke counts. That subtle pressure builds focus—forcing you to pay attention to footwork and shot selection, not just muscle. Make it to thirty? Go for forty. Then fifty. Each streak injects a hit of adrenaline, and each reset stirs a bit of frustration—but also, hunger for the next run. That’s how real progress sneaks in.
Drill Three: Depth Dynamics and Sprints
Tennis is a game of layers, of depth and deception. With your partner across the net, it’s time to play with variety. Start with a deep drive that hugs the baseline, then shorten the distance for a three-quarter shot, then transition to a deliberately short ball. That’s three distinct shots, in sequence, without breaking rhythm. Nail all three? Drop your racket and run a circuit of the court—a burst of speed to punctuate the set. Collect yourself, repeat. Five complete rounds, then switch places with your partner.
What’s the underlying lesson? Versatility. Control. The ability to adjust angles and distances on demand. In matches, those nuances make the difference between an opponent who dictates rallies—and one who’s always solving your puzzles.
The Bigger Picture
Coach Polito is relentless: every session is an opportunity. Whether at Cleveland State’s courts, along the blue lines of Xavier University, or at the sunlit Ocean Reef Club, his players build from these basics. Fundamentals aren’t a dull routine; they’re the floor each champion must polish before higher ceilings are reached.
There’s no secret shortcut—just the daily grind, repetition polished into instinct. Come learn from Coach Polito and his sharp-eyed staff, if ever you find yourself chasing that extra edge.
And if thirst for improvement still burns? Don’t stop here. Visit the Coach’s Corner for more inspiration and insight—your next match point could depend on it.
