Passport

Tennis.com recently offered the Passport drill video on their website. I like it and plan to modify it for Red and Orange ball players to get them comfortable with coming to the net.

It is a simple activity, as you will discover if you watch the video. Coach is at baseline. Player is across the net at service line. Coach feeds a ball that bounces in front of player. Player hits it after it bounces, comes in, taps net with racquet, and returns to service line. This reinforces the idea of following a short ball in.

Variation
Player takes ball out of air (volley) rather than letting it bounce before they hit it.

Two Bounce

I found this activity in a
 PTR Kids Tennis manual

Timing is so critical in most sports. In tennis we should be teaching awareness of bounce as soon as possible. Timing the stroke off the bounce is a very handy skill to have!

With very young players this can be done with visual and verbal cues (see Bounce Catch activity). Two Bounce can be considered a progression from that one. Once players are able to rally, challenge them to allow two bounces. Keep this a mini-tennis activity if possible - soft hands, close to the net, within the service boxes.

Variations

• Once this skill is mastered, allow one player two bounces but their opponent may only have one.
• Coach or designated player determines how many bounces by calling out '1' or '2' as ball is hit.