1. Warm Up Your Body and Your Brain
Warming up on mini-courts (smaller sections of a tennis court) can prepare you for an intense practice or a game. Some people call this mini-tennis. Practicing your moves on a smaller section of the tennis court warms up your wrists and other joints, your muscles and your mind. You must quickly track the ball, coordinate your body, keep your balance and calculate the timing of your shots when you play on these smaller courts.
2. Set Your Serve
Prep your serve on a mini-court. Each player stands behind the line closest to the net. Serve underhand to your opponent. Lightly volley the ball back and forth without hitting it hard. Play to 7, and then let the other person serve. With this exercise, you'll practice your approach at the net, control your play of overheads and volleys and develop a feel for passing shots and lobs.
3. Two Bounces Mandatory
Use the two-bounce warm up to practice your footwork and your top spins. Each player stands behind the line closest to the net. Instead of a typical serve, use your racket to bounce the ball from your side of the net to the other side so that it lands in front of the other player. Your opponent then bounces the ball from his side of the net to yours, and then you hit it back. Remember that you're playing on a smaller court, so you don't hit the ball hard. This warmup is similar to the game of ping pong. Play to 7, and then allow your opponent to serve.
4. Forward and Backward
Master your footwork, ball control and coordination with the diagonal cross and alternate. Each opponent stands behind the line closest to the net, and play begins as usual. However, you both must alternate strokes. Begin with a forehand, continue with a backhand, go back to the forehand and so on. If you play two of the same shot in a row, you lose a point. Play to 7 in one direction, then switch sides and play to 7 again.
5. Nothing but Net
Playing towards the net is key in any tennis game, and you can practice this technique on mini-courts. Stand behind the line closest to the net and let your opponent serve first. She should hit the ball so it bounces on her side, but you must hit the ball before it bounces on your side. Likewise, the ball must first bounce on your side when you return it, and then she must hit the ball before it bounces on her side. Play to 7, switch and let the other person serve. This warmup improves your reaction and anticipation for when you must play up at the net.
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