Smashmouth

This is such a fun game from PTR Master Professional Daniel Breag. Simple and action-packed. Plus, I like the name.

Four players at service lines. One starts the point with a bounce feed. Point is played out. Ball must stay within service boxes. Each player serves 4 times. Team with most points after 16 serves is the winner.

Full disclosure: Daniel said a couple different times that this was a 32 point game, so either my math skills are lacking (likely) or I misunderstood his instructions (also likely). In any case, this activity is great for a warm-up, great for quick hands, great for working on volleys and using the continental grip.

If you have more than 4 players but only one court, divide them into teams and have them rotate after every 4 points/feeds.

Variations

• Make it harder by restricting strokes - all volleys, all backhands, etc.
• Start play with a 'drop' ball - feeder places ball on racquet, then gently rolls it onto other side of net to begin point.

Spiders and Snakes

So apparently the 1973 Skylab
mission has a tennis connection

This is what I deserve for Googling 'snake tennis drill'. . . but this one is a cute idea from . Good for groups of 4-6 or more. Players should be able to rally.
www.ncacoach.org

Two players are designated 'spiders' and are stationed at the net. All others ('snakes') are lined up at the opposite baseline. Snakes play against the two Spiders one vs. two. Coach feeds first ball to Snake #1. Snake #1 cannot lob the first ball. Players play out the point. If Snake wins, Snake moves up to T and gets second ball fed. If Snake wins second point, he/she takes place of one of the Spiders, who now is one of the Snakes. When game is over, Snakes pick up all balls.

Original instructions did not specify which Spider is replaced by Snake who won 2 points in a row. Suggest the Spider who made the error is the one who is now a Snake.

The Snake

This was the only snake pic I could bear
to include. Available here.

The 11-17 PTR certification workshop I attended recently was lead by PTR Master Professional Daniel Breag of St. Marys, GA. He had some great ideas for on court activities, so you will be seeing many of them here in the next few blog posts.

I really hate snakes, but this name makes sense so I will leave it as-is. The concept is simple and can be used for all kinds of shot production. We used it to work on split steps and volleys.

Coach is feeding from service line. Players are lined up across net. One at a time they move up to starting spot (about halfway between service line and net) and split step. Coach feeds out wide to their forehand, where they move to hit a volley, then immediately run to back of line.

If this is working properly, the players are snaking through at a pretty good clip, so it is not as heinous as some of the other dreaded line drills.

50 Ball Rally

I attended a PTR 11-17 certification this workshop and came away with some great drill ideas. This one is from Ashlee Creen, girls tennis coach at Brookland Cayce High School. Great for large groups, but you can make it work with as few as 4 players. Players should be able to volley and rally. No special equipment needed.

Divide players into two teams. Each team selects one player as their King or Queen. King/Queen takes up position at net. All other players on their team are at the opposite baseline. One at a time, they rally straight ahead relay fashion (baseline player hits one ball, then goes to end of line so next player can hit next ball). First team to 50 rallies, wins.

Variations

• If they miss, they don't necessarily have to start over at zero - that is completely up to you. 
• Switching out King/Queen - you can do this after each round of 50, or devise some method of having them switch during play. For example, if net player mis-plays a ball, they have to switch with whomever they were playing against. 
• Limit to specific shots, such as players must hit only backhands, or net player must hit volleys. 

This game generated a high level of enthusiasm, camaraderie and competition. I will def be trying it soon with my own students.

Hit Or Miss

After months of stealing other pros' drills, today I have one that I made up spur-of-the-moment yesterday. Great warm-up for any size group, any ability. No special equipment needed. Yes, there is the dreaded 'line' of players waiting to hit, but this goes quickly.

Players line up at service line or baseline, however you prefer to warm up. Coach feeds balls to players from net post area.  If player hits safely, he/she goes to end of line. However if he/she hits out or into net, ALL players run to opposite end of court, re-form line, and continue activity. Repeat for every miss. Yes this means Coach needs to switch sides also so be prepared. Coach may feed wherever they want to adjust the challenge accordingly. Go for as long as you want or until players are sufficiently warmed up.

The Greatest Doubles Drill Ever Created

Dontcha love the name of this drill? I found it in an article by Greg Moran in TennisPro Magazine. If

Is this drill the GOAT??

you have been reading this blog any time at all, you know I sometimes tinker with the original names of the drills I find. But this one is so confident, how dare I?

You will need at least four players. Two are in traditional doubles receiving position (one at service line, one at baseline). The other two are at the net. Coach is off to the side and begins point by feeding a ball to one of the non-net players. First ball should be hit cooperatively to one of the net players. They are then asked to hit back to the baseline player.

To recap: the first three shots (feed, return of feed, return of return) should be cooperative.

Once the third ball has found its way back to the baseline player, anything goes and things get interesting.

Baseline player should be working on avoiding hitting anything to the net players that may end the point in their favor. Lobs and topspin forehands come in handy here.

Net players are working on moving together as well as anticipating baseline player's shots. Most shots should go back to the baseline player unless they have an opportunity to end the point.

Service line player is in the 'hot seat'. Net players may be targeting them so they need to be alert and focused across the net. Look for an opportunity to poach.

Play to a set number of points and rotate so that all players have a chance to work on all positions. Coach feeds a variety of balls including lobs to start the point to better simulate live doubles play. If you want to include serve practice, have the player at the baseline position serve, and returner must follow ball in to restore the preferred starting setup of having two players at the net on their side.

Net Rush

Net Rush is a direct rip-off of another Jorge Capestany drill. He calls it Triples. I have taken the liberty of renaming it,and Jorge I hope you don't mind. The game I know as Triples is nothing like this. It features three players per side and is already posted here.

Net Rush is a drill designed to improve a doubles player's ability to play the first ball coming back to them after their own serve. It is a hybrid of Rush and Crush and All Position Doubles. Great for four or more players.

Four players take up regular doubles positions on court. One of the baseline players bounce feeds the first ball and point is played out. Feeding player MUST follow the ball in to the net.

After each point, players rotate positions with net players advancing to opposite baseline.

It's virtually impossible to use an individual scoring method with this game (believe me, I've tried). So probably best to just run this on a timed interval with plenty of coaching in between points.