Top 10 Tennis Drills to Improve Your Game
Whether you're just starting out or a professional player, doing the right drills will help you improve your tennis game significantly. Here are the top ten tennis drills to help you improve every aspect from footwork and stamina to technique and strategy.
Shadow Swings
Purpose: Improve your stroke technique and muscle memory while not using the ball.
How to Do It: Practice your forehand and backhand swings in a mirror or on the court. Look into your grip, swing path, and follow-through.
Ball Toss Drill
Purpose: Perfect your service.
How to Do It: Work on constantly tossing the ball in the same area for your serve. This drill helps you improve the precision and consistency of your serves.
Figure 8 Footwork
Purpose: Improve your agility and court coverage.
How to Do It: Place cones in a figure 8 configuration and move around them using side shuffles, crossovers, and sprints. This workout imitates real-match movement and improves your footwork.
Drop and Hit
Purpose: Improve timing and coordination.
How to Do It: Have someone else drop a ball from different heights and hit it before it bounces twice. This workout helps you respond swiftly and strike balls at various heights.
Crosscourt and Down-the-Line Rally
Purpose: Improve shot placement and consistency.
How to Do It: Rally with a partner, with one hitting crosscourt and the other shooting down the line. This drill allows you to practice directional control and shot accuracy.
Volley and Overhead Drill
Purpose: Improve net play and response time.
How to Do It: Stand at the net and have a teammate feed you balls as you practice volleys and overhead smashes. Concentrate on rapid reflexes and positioning.
Service Box Target Practice
Purpose: Improve serve accuracy and variation.
How to Do It: Set targets in various regions of the service box and aim for them while serving. This workout will help you develop an accurate and varied serve.
Baseline Rally with Movement
Purpose: Improve endurance and groundstroke consistency.
How to Do It: Rally with a partner from the baseline, using lateral movements and sprints to imitate game situations. This workout improves stamina and accuracy in groundstrokes under pressure.
Lob and Smash
Purpose: To practice offensive and defensive play.
How to Do It: Switch between throwing and smashing the ball with your buddy. This practice works on defensive lobs and offensive smashes, preparing you for a variety of match situations.
Return of Serve Drill
Purpose: Improve your return game.
How to Do It: Have a partner serve to you several times, focusing on returning serves to different parts of the court. This drill will improve your ability to handle different kinds of serves and placements.
Including these workouts into your practice plan will greatly improve your overall tennis performance. For the best results, focus on consistency, technique, and fitness. Remember that the key to progress is consistent practice and dedication to your training plan.