Practicing tennis with a partner is much more beneficial than using a ball machine or backboard because machines and walls don't mirror the rhythm of the game. Rallying from the middle of the baseline without targets or point pressure not only doesn't improve your game, but also might imprint bad stroke habits as you hit balls on two bounces, out of the air or with tired muscles. Create tennis drills that keep the ball in play to improve your groundstrokes.
Perfect Practice
Set a warm-up rule that you will only hit balls the way you would in a match. If your partner hits the ball short, don't hit it on two bounces. Catch it and start the point over if it's too short or run to it and play it on one bounce. Don't hit the ball if it's going out. You wouldn't do that in a match, so don't hit balls with that contact point and body balance. Don't hit short balls by stopping early and slapping at the ball with your forearm just so you can retreat back to the baseline. Hit the ball and continue forward. It's better to hit 100 balls correctly than 1,000 balls that don't mimic what you want during matches.
Add Pressure
Do drills that finish with you hitting to specific areas of the court and using a scoring system. During matches, you should be trying to hit to a specific area of the court with consequences if you miss. Add this type of pressure to your practices.
Mini-Tennis
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, mini-tennis will help you improve your footwork, court positioning and ball control. Warm up using the four services boxes' boundaries. Use relaxed, full strokes, hitting the ball early to keep from hitting too hard or long. Play games to five or seven points, using only a moderate or slow pace. Change the rules after each game to limit one or both players to slice or topspin strokes only.
Half-Court Rallies
Play crosscourt, using only the deuce or ad court to play points. Include the doubles alley and play games to seven or more points, switching the serve and side of the court regularly. Depending on your level, add handicaps, such as requiring the server to play serve and volley on first serves, or each player to hit his groundstrokes past the service line.
Baseline to Service Line
Have one player start on the service line in the deuce court and the other player on her deuce court baseline. The baseline player feeds the ball to the service line player, who moves in to play the first ball, closing the net after the shot. Play out the point with the baseline player not allowed to lob. Switch from the deuce to the ad court after 10 points, then switch players from baseline to service line. This drill aims to teach baseline players how to hit in front of net players or players closing the net. Penalize the baseline player an extra point if she hits the ball into the net to force her to learn how use topspin and angles to drop balls short in front of net players.
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