Tennis drills should be a major part of any player's training routine. Drills allow you to focus on specific aspects of your game by repeating certain actions in quick succession. The repetitiveness and attention to detail of drills help you to better understand specific match situations and will hopefully enable to properly react during a match. Some drills require a coach or training partner who can help you execute the drill.
Forehand Drill
This drill is designed to help you produce topspin on your forehand shots. Your positioning in this drill is key, as it forces you to hit a topspin shot that clears the net and bounces inside of the baseline. Stand on one side of the court and have your coach stand across from you on the other side of the court. Position yourself near the service line in the middle of your half of the court with your racket in hand. Your coach should either toss or softly hit balls that bounce below net height to your forehand side. Play the ball with a firm forehand shot that rolls over the ball to give it topspin. The ball should dip once it clears the net and bounce low inside the baseline.
Backhand Slice
The aim of this drill is to promote the use of only one hand to accomplish a slicing backhand shot. Position yourself at the baseline on one side of the court and have your coach hit slow to medium speed shots to your backhand side. You'll help yourself set up for the shot by using small stutter steps to angle your body properly to address the ball. Your feet should be lined up perpendicular to the baseline during your approach and through the shot. Hold the racket with both hands but simply guide it with your supporting hand. The supporting hand releases upon impact. Swing the racket with a downward angle to put backspin on the ball, and keep the racket face angled upward to encourage the ball over the net.
Lunge Drill
Low volleys near the net are arguably some of the more difficult types of shots to handle in tennis. The lunge drill helps you become used to the motion of getting down low and how to properly address the ball in this type of situation. Doing lunges is also an effective strength training exercises to help develop your quadriceps and hamstrings. Begin at one doubles sideline with racket in hand and take one large step forward. Lower your back knee until it almost touches the court. Don't extend your forward knee past your toes, which helps reduce the amount of strain you put on your knee and ankle joints. Mimic the motion you would typically make with your racket to hit the ball as you lower yourself. Then lunge forward with your other leg and switch your racket to the other hand. Lunge the width of the court in this alternating manner at least two times.
Speed Drill
The lines on a tennis court are ideal for performing speed drills. Developing speed in tennis is vital, as chasing down deep shots into the corner is often necessary. Stand near the net at the doubles line on one side of the court and sprint to the center service line. Reach down and touch the line with your hand before turning and sprinting back to the sideline. Touch the sideline and, without any rest, turn and sprint to the opposite singles sideline. Reach down and touch the line, then sprint back. Touch the starting sideline once again before turning and sprinting to the opposite doubles sideline. Reach down and touch it then sprint back and cross the starting sideline to finish. Repeat two to three times.
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