Tennis feeding drills are designed to improve a player's forehand and backhand as well as his ability to return balls from different angles on the court. While feeding drills can be executed with the help of a tennis ball machine, personally feeding the ball to players will help them get a better sense of timing and rhythm.
Forehand
Forehand feeding drills are designed to improve a player's forehand stroke and consistency. Have a player line up on the other side of the net in a basic stance. Start the drill by feeding 10 balls to his forehand side, trying to hit them in a consistent place. Once he begins to get a feel for hitting his forehand from this angle, hit the ball to different parts of the court, keeping all the feeds to the forehand side of the player. Continue this feeding drill until the hitter is fatigued.
Backhand
Backhand feeding drills are designed to improve a player's one-handed and two-handed backhand stroke. Instruct your student to get into an offensive stance at one end of the court. Feed him a variety of serves and volleys, aimed directly at his backhand side. As he improves with his returns, hit the balls at higher velocities, making the shots more difficult to return. Backhand drills can be performed at all different points on the court, including the net and baseline.
Smash
Feeding smash drills can help a player's overhead smash. Feeding smash drills range from jump smash to basic overhand smash drills. Smash drills can be executed by hitting a series of balls to a player using an underhand motion. The motion will put an arc on the ball, forcing the player to aim and hit the ball from overhead. As students improve, feed them smash balls at more severe angles and with greater velocity.
Topspin
Drills that emphasize topspin are designed to improve a player's forehand motion and wrist action. Start by feeding a player a series of forehand volleys at a basic speed. Instruct her to snap her wrist halfway through her forehand, bringing the racket slightly over the top half of the tennis ball. This motion will create a forward rotation on the ball, giving the forehand the topspin it needs. As a player improves, hit the ball to various points on the court to increase the difficulty of the drill.
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