10 Tennis Drills Every Coach Who Wants Results Should Master
Tennis isn’t just a game of grace and athletic stamina; it’s a craft honed by sweat, sharp focus, and the right kind of practice. Coaches walk a delicate path—it’s not enough to toss out a ball and watch. You need to know which drills cut to the bone, which rituals forge skill out of potential. Here are ten exercises, plucked from the real world, to help every coach—not just run-of-the-mill, but hungry for true progress—shape their players into competitors.
Warm-Up: Start with Your Heart Racing
Before a racket is even gripped, get blood moving. No shortcuts. Make your athletes run slow laps along the edges of the court. Don’t rush: two, maybe three circuits—just enough for muscles to shake off sleep, for minds to realize a match is looming. Only then, when breath comes easy, do you reach for a racket or turn to technique.
1. Speak Up, Hit Sharper
This one needs at least a trio, but more’s merrier. Space everyone in a loose circle—distance counts, don’t crowd in. One player hammers the ball across to a random companion. No lazy shots. Only let the ball kiss the surface once before someone else answers. Add a twist for the brain: as they send the ball, have them shout whom they’re targeting. Miss the call or the bounce? Sit out. The last player left standing owns the bragging rights—a simple rule turns friendly volleys into a cocktail of nerves, laughter, and rivalry.
2. Bounce-Dribble Gauntlet
Split your group. Less than ten? Pairs will do. More? Form rival teams. Each unit lines up at the baseline, facing the net down. Mark out a cone up near the net for every team—no confusion. The drill is blunt: dribble the ball, racket to ground, from baseline up to that cone and circle back, never losing control. Pass the baton—tag the next player. This relay hums with urgency—coordination fights nerves. The fastest squad claims glory, but everyone sharpens ball control.
3. Sharpen Crosscourt Precision
Pair up, spread across empty courts. Simple roles: one’s the server, one’s on defense. The server darts balls left and right, pushing at the backhand or forehand edge. Receiving players shoot for a true crosscourt stroke—no half-measures. Each hit is counted; each miss is a lesson. After a round, swap spots. Players try to outdo both their opponent and themselves—a tug-of-war with personal bests.
4. Bring “Simon Says” to Tennis
A touch of childhood mischief wakes up even the most serious group. Players shoulder-to-shoulder along the service line, coach across from them, racket at the ready. The coach feeds balls—but there’s a catch. While the ball’s airborne, a quick shout: “Volley!” or “Groundstroke!” Sudden pivots, split-second mind shifts. Reaction time becomes muscle memory. It’s not just playful; it roots quick decision-making deep in a player’s mind.
5. Hitting Targets: Serving with Intent
Take a handful of balls—preferably a bucket. Sketch circles in each of the four service boxes; make each target a bit different, keep it interesting. It can be solo work or a contest. No more aimless serving—every player aims for the bullseye. Miss, count a fault. With a group, tally up: who can thread the needle under pressure? In matches, this control separates winners from those still throwing darts in the dark.
6. Mini-Tennis for Match Toughness
Shed the perimeter lines; for this, only the service boxes count. Two against two or head-to-head, the rally is tight and controlled. Anything outside the box? Point to the other side. Suddenly, there’s nowhere to hide—players learn soft hands, clever angles, controlled aggression. It’s an honest dress rehearsal for real games, minus the margin for lazy mistakes.
7. Train the Eyes and Hands
A timeless classic. One at the service box, another on the far baseline. Start with underhand tosses, let the ball bounce but once. Catch, return. Then ramp it up—one player hits the ball back as the other tries to snag it mid-air. Swap positions after a while. It looks like child’s play, but every throw and catch forges connectivity from eye to racket.
8. Quick Feet: Chase and Recover
This one’s all about movement. Two players: one in the center, planted on the service line; another with ball in hand, on the other side. The server fires to either wing—mid-court or corner. The central player must burst, return, and immediately spring back to center. Exhaustion nips at their heels. Swap roles after a few rounds. Bolts of agility, habits of resetting after every shot: they’re made here, not born.
9. Serve-Off: Team Duel
Split the crowd. Line them up on either side, each with a handful of balls. First team serves, tracking every success and failure. When their turn ends, swap sides. It becomes a cold math—numbers don’t lie. The glory? To the sharpest servers. The focus? Sharpened by the pressure of not letting teammates down.
10. Serve-and-Volley Renaissance
Even now, when baseline slugfests rule, the old serve-and-volley trick has its day—just ask Federer. Set up two players, one per side. Serve, then bolt toward the net, commit to reaching the next shot on the fly. Whether it’s a punchy forehand or a teasing lob, the goal is to touch the ball before it bounces. Run this drill in ten-shot bursts, then switch. Surface matters—a clay court will draw out rallies, grass and hard will test reactions in real time.
Innovation: Keep Experimenting
Every drill here earns its place, but real coaching never settles. If your squad spirals into double fault misery, hammer serving until wrists ache. Watch, listen, and adapt. Don’t get stale—explore, tweak, steal ideas if you must. The mark of a sharp coach isn’t a menu of memorized drills, but a willingness to hunt for something new, driven by the unique flaws and flashes of every team.
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