Reaction time in tennis is an important element because of the speed of play, change of direction and constant back and forth movement. Developing fast reflexes will help you return serves, get to balls you may not have reached and win tough points. Both your footwork and racket reflexes must be fine-tuned to succeed. Perform drills as part of your practice to improve your tennis reflexes so that part of your game can't be exploited by your opponent.
Step 1
Lie face down on the court with a coach or partner standing five to 10 feet away, holding a tennis ball. Have the coach drop the ball from shoulder or head height. Stand up and sprint to the ball as quickly as you can after it's dropped. Try to catch the ball before it bounces a second time.
Step 2
Stand face to face with a partner, with her holding a large, oversized tennis ball in both hands. Place your hand over top of the ball with your palms down, but not touching the ball. Have the partner drop the ball when she likes, and then react quickly and try to catch it before it hits the ground. Do the drill on one leg to work on balance, as well.
Step 3
Stand facing your partner, about 10 feet away from each other. Lift one foot off the ground and take turns tossing the oversized tennis ball to one another. Try to cause your partner to have to touch the ground with the elevated foot, to work balance and reaction time.
Step 4
Place small pylons on each side of the court at the baseline and stand in the center of the baseline, between the pylons. Bounce on the balls of your feet and watch your coach who is standing on the other side of the net, point to one corner or the other. Sprint over to the corner the coach points to, touch the pylon and sprint back to the middle.
Step 5
Stand on the baseline and position a partner on the other side of the net. Have your partner toss the ball into any area of the court. Move quickly to the ball and try to return it over the net before the second bounce.
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