Lawn tennis is the the sport of tennis played on a well manicured grass tennis court. During the playing season, the court's grass is maintained at 19 millimeters. Playing "grass court tennis" creates a unique dynamic for tennis players. Unlike other court surfaces, the footing is different, balls skid more, not bouncing as high, and the general pace is faster. Practicing certain physical activities on a lawn tennis court improves a player's comfort on the court, better preparing him to compete.
Footwork Drills
Grass tennis courts actually use a modified shoe with tread containing small nobs to grab the court. Even with these "baby cleats," players slip and slide around the court, losing footing. Players who understand how to move on the grass increase chances of getting to more tennis balls with better footwork getting behind the balls. Players can improve footwork with simple activities that don't even require holding a tennis racket. With a partner tossing balls to various parts of the court, a player should chase them down, allowing only one bounce. Once the ball is caught, the player should drop it and sprint for the next.
Mini-Tennis
Mini-tennis is a game that shrinks the tennis court to the confines of the four services boxes. Whether singles or doubles, each team must defend the area under modified rules. Serving is underhand with the ball bouncing first. Players are not allowed to volley. Play to 21 points, with the winner having to win by at least two. Mini-tennis forces players to learn how the ball bounces on grass and use small steps to get in position. Since the grass provides untrue bounces, minor adjustments are required for players to perform optimally. Mini-tennis is competitive and fun, while being a useful tool to learn more grass court skills.
Serve and Volley Doubles
Serve and volley tennis is a style of play best suited to grass courts. Serves maintain pace and stay low. Players who get into the net deny opponents time to react and reduce the need to deal with unsavory bounces off the grass. Players not accustomed to serve and volley style tennis can benefit from drills designed specifically for it. For the drill, each player should cover only his half of the court. If serving from the deuce court, both players should remain across from each other, each on their right side of the court. The server serves, coming in. The two play the point out on the right side of the court.
Play Tennis
All the drilling in the world is no substitute for competing on a grass tennis court. In both practice and competitive scenarios, players are forced to work through the problems that matches present. Often, players must figure out opponents and learn to adjust to the court. The more time you spend on the court, the more comfortably you learn to move. Additionally, you develop more strategies that work on grass, such as taking more risks by going for more winners. Long points are not the norm in grass court tennis. Learning to play within your abilities but on the more aggressive end of the spectrum only happens with time on the court playing matches.
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