Tennis, like most sports, requires practice drills. in addition to matches, to improve or get the most out of your skills. Many of the better drills require a hitting partner. The most efficient drills allow one player to practice a skill while the other player practices a different skill.
Offense Versus Defense
One partner plays offense, the other plays defense. The player on offense only has to cover one half of the court, but can hit the ball to the full court. The player on defense has to cover the full court, but can only hit to the half of the court the offensive player is in. Take turns starting the point by hitting the ball to the other person with a ground stroke. Count each stroke. If the eighth shot lands in the court without the offense winning the point, the defense wins the point. Play to 7 points, then switch offense and defense. Continue until both players have played offense on both halves of the court.
Point Construction and Shot Selection
The offense-versus-defense drill above lets you work on many of the skills you need in a full tennis match. The player on offense tries to control the point by taking advantage of the extra court the defense has to cover. However, going for an outright winner early in the point can often lead to an error. Attempting to move the defensive player around to create an opening or force a short ball is the best strategy. For the defensive player, the drill emphasizes the importance of movement and keeping the ball deep in the opponent's court, making it difficult for the offensive player to hit a winner.
Cross-Court 10 Ball Rally
Both players stand at their respective baselines, cross-court from one another. Each player can only hit into the half of the court diagonally cross-court from his half. Rally cross-court until the rally reaches 10 shots in a row. If the rally stops before 10 shots, replay the point. Count the point only if the first 10 shots are in. After the two players have hit a total of 10 in a row, the entire singles court is in play. At this juncture, hit any shot to any part of the court until one player wins the point. First player to 5 points wins.
Consistency
For both players, the goal of the 10 ball rally drill is consistency. Most shots in a tennis match are hit cross-court from the baseline, which is the focus of this drill. Without the ability to consistently stay in a rally of 10 shots, a tennis player has little chance of winning a match.
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