8. Attack 'n Approach
Explanation
Set Up: Two students are waiting at the starting point in front of two cones, behind the baseline, to each receive the first of three feeds each. Additional students waiting must be in single file lines behind each cone several feet behind the starting point.
Play Description:Â The coach feeds the first ball to the first student and immediately feeds the next ball to the first student in the second line. This alternating feeding pattern continues throughout the drill. The first ball to each student is to be taken from the baseline. The second shot is fed to each student near the service line, and the third ball is fed near the net. After hitting all three shots, students should go to the back of the other line.
​Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​
​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 2
Maximum Number of Players Per Court:Â 8
Minimum Number of Courts:Â 1
​Feed Style: Racket Fed or Hand Fed (for lower level players)Â
Variations
- Focus on different types of shots and skills (various forehands, various backhands, slices, lobs, volleys, etc.)
- Focus on different movement (split step, various stances, footwork, weight transfer, etc.)
- Focus on different court positions (baseline, service line, no man's land, net, etc.)
- Shot patterns (cross court, down the line, down the middle, short angle, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze for balance and proper technique ​after each shotÂ
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth (every ball must clear the service line, or deeper)
- After hitting, student picks up ball(s) before returning to line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
9. Approach Shot Drill
Explanation
Set Up: Two students are waiting at the starting point in front of two cones, behind the baseline, to each receive the first of two feeds. Additional students waiting must be in single file lines behind each cone several feet behind the starting point.
Play Description:Â The coach feeds the first ball to the first student and immediately feeds the next ball to the first student in the second line. This alternating feeding pattern continues throughout the drill. The first ball to each student is a short ball taken in no man's land, as an approach shot. The second shot is fed to each student as a volley near the net. After hitting both shots, students should go to the back of the other line.
​Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​
​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 3
Maximum Number of Players Per Court: 10
Minimum Number of Courts:Â 1
​Feed Style: Racket Fed or Hand Fed (for lower level players)
Variations
- Focus on different types of shots and skills (various forehands, various backhands, slice approach, various volleys, swinging volleys, drop volleys, drop shots, etc.)
- Focus on different movement (split step, various stances, footwork, weight transfer, etc.)
- Focus on different court positions (baseline, service line, no man's land, net, etc.)
- Shot patterns (cross court, down the line, down the middle, short angle, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze for balance and proper technique ​after each shot
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth (every ball must clear the service line, or deeper)
- After hitting, student picks up ball(s) before returning to other line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
10. Six Ball Drill
Explanation
Set Up: One student is at the starting point in front of the cone, behind the baseline, to receive the first of six feeds. Additional students waiting must be in a single file line behind a cone several feet behind the starting point.
Play Description: The coach continually feeds six balls to the same student in. Each ball may be fed anywhere the the coach desires. Traditionally the drill is fed with the first two feeds to the baseline for ground strokes. The third ball is usually a short ball to be hit as an approach shot. The fourth and fifth balls would be volleys with the sixth ball being an overhead. After hitting the six balls, the student gets back in line.​​
Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 2
Maximum Number of Players Per Court:6
Minimum Number of Courts: 1​
Feed Style:Â Racket Fed or Hand Fed (for lower level players)
Variations
- Focus on different types of shots and skills (various forehands, various backhands, on the run, slices, lobs, volleys, defense, drop shots, etc.)
- Focus on different movement (split step, various stances, footwork, weight transfer, etc.)
- Focus on different court positions (baseline, service line, no man's land, net, etc.)
- Shot patterns (cross court, down the line, down the middle, short angle, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze for balance and proper technique ​after each shot
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth (every ball must clear the service line, or deeper)
- Change to four ball drill by eliminating one ground stroke and one volley (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- After hitting, student picks up ball(s) before returning to line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- Short court (at service line)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
11. Return Drill
Explanation
Set Up: Two students are set up to return a serve at the starting point in front of each cone to receive the feed. Additional students waiting must be in single file lines behind a cone several feet behind the starting point.
Play Description:Â The coach feeds one serve to each player, alternating feeds to each line. After that student hits their return, they immediately recover back to the middle cone while shuffling. As soon as the student hits their ball, shuffles to the middle and goes out, the next student immediately comes in to hit their return. After each return, the student changes lines.
​Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 2
Maximum Number of Players Per Court:Â 10
Minimum Number of Courts:Â 1
​Feed Style: Racket Fed
Variations
- Focus on different types of returns and skills (various forehands, various backhands, attacking, slice, chip and charge, defensive block, etc.)
- Focus on different movement (split step, various stances, footwork, weight transfer, etc.)
- Focus on different return positions (short return, baseline return, deep return, etc.)
- Shot patterns (cross court, down the line, down the middle, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze for balance and proper technique ​after each shot
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth (every ball must clear the service line, or deeper)
- After hitting, student picks up ball(s) before returning to line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- Short court (at service line)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
12. Serving Drill
Explanation
Set Up: Four students are set up to serve at the starting point in front of each cone. Additional students waiting must be in a single file line behind a cone several feet behind the starting point.
Play Description:Â The coach monitors the drill at all times. After a student hits two serves in one position, they get back in line. After each student hits their second serve and leaves a spot, the next student in line replaces them.
​Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 2
Maximum Number of Players Per Court:Â 10
Minimum Number of Courts:Â 1
​Feed Style: No feed
Variations
- Focus on different types of serves (flat, slice, kick, etc.)
- Serve patterns (Aim for backhand, into body, out wide, down the T, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze in "bow" position for balance and proper technique ​after each shot
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth (every ball must be deep in the box)
- After serving, student picks up ball(s) before returning to line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- One serve only (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- Short court (at service line)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
13. Serves and Returns
Explanation
Set Up: Two students are set up to serve at the starting point in front of each cone to receive the feed. Two more students are set up to return serves on the opposite end of the court. Additional students waiting must be in a single file line behind a cone several feet behind the starting point on the serving side.
Play Description:Â The coach monitors the drill at all times. After a student hits two serves in one position, they get back in line. After each student hits their second serve and leaves a spot, the next student in line replaces them. The returning students stay in their positions until the coach replaces them with two more students. Every few minutes, the coach chooses two servers to replace two returners until everyone has served and returned.
​
​Please Remember: ​Safety is our first concern. Always have students waiting to play behind a cone or at a safe distance from any danger. The pace of the drill and speed of the rhythm, or time between feeds, will be determined by the level or the number of students. If the level or numbers are high, the speed should increase. If the level or numbers are lower, the overall pace should be slower, allowing the students to keep up and receive more coaching feedback.​​
Levels:Â Beginning through tournament player
Minimum Number of Players Per Court:Â 4
Maximum Number of Players Per Court:Â 10
Minimum Number of Courts:Â 1
​Feed Style: No feed
Variations
- Focus on different types of serves (flat, slice, kick, etc.)
- Focus on different movement on return (split step, various stances, footwork, weight transfer, etc.)
- Focus on different return positions (short return, baseline return, deep return, etc.)
- Serve patterns (Aim for backhand, into body, out wide, down the T, etc.)
- Targeted placement (set up cones to aim for)
- Freeze after serve in "bow" position for balance and proper technique ​after each shot
- Play out cross court point (for higher levels and/or lower student numbers)
- Competition style (keep score by counting shots hit into targeted area)
- Controlled pace (ball is hit at 70%)
- Depth on serve (every ball must be deep in the box)
- Depth on return (every ball must be past the service line or deeper)
- After serving, student picks up ball(s) before returning to line (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- One serve only (to decrease waiting with large student numbers)
- Short court (at service line)
How to Start
Please see below to learn how to set up and start this drill...
