In The Middle Solves The Riddle

Look at all of that beautiful middle
space just waiting for you to hit into it

"In the middle solves the riddle" is one of those old tennis saws that may be annoying after you have heard it for the umpteenth time, but it really is true. Keeping the ball in the middle of the court is a smart strategy for both singles and doubles. Lots more real estate there, lower margin of error, less chance of donating a great opportunity to your opponent(s). This game should get your players in the Middle Mindset. You will need at least 4 players (although you could squeak by with three).

Two players begin at the net. Two more face them at the opposite baseline. Coach at net post feeds ball to baseline team. When ball is fed, net players must move laterally to their respective alley sidelines, then get back into position. This movement will create a nice big empty hole in the middle of the court for the baseline team to hit to. As with Two On One, this is a tiring drill, so keep the rotation intervals brief. Play to 3-5 points or feed 3-5 balls to each baseline team before rotating.

You could play this as a variation of Two On One if you are short a player.