Around The World

Talk about a nice shot!

Got a large group? Want them to run off a little energy? Around the World is just what the tennis doctor ordered. It's a variation of  Tag Team (or Relay) Tennis. Like Tag Team Tennis, players divide into two groups and take turns playing singles one ball at a time. Hit a ball, run to end of line, next player hits next ball, repeat. In Around the World, fitness is an added component. Player hits a ball, then runs to end of line ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURT. Genius!

This game is easily adapted to any skill level. Young players can toss ball instead of using their racquets - they will love the extra running. It's perfect for older players also. I have seen it used many times in adult clinics as well as Cardio Tennis.

UPDATE: I used this activity recently with a Red Ball class of mixed abilities. It was a forehand day and we used this as a wrap-up activity. We had 5 players on a 36-foot court. I threw down five spots: one at each baseline, one at each net post, and the final spot waiting behind one of the baselines. Players rotate to a new spot after every point. I fed the first ball in to the forehand since we had been working on forehands in that lesson. I also added a point component: one point given for each ball hit into playable area, basically a Rallyball format. Player with most points when ball cart is empty, wins. The kids enjoyed it. They were picking up balls and filling the cart so it wouldn't get empty! Will definitely be using this again.