Cross Court Challenge

Thanks Hans Römer for sharing this drill on video. Looks like it was at a USPTA NorCal event. The instructions aren't clear from the video, but I think I get what they are trying to do. After watching the video, if you think I've missed something, please let me know.

This is a drill to work on sending and receiving cross court shots from both the net and the baseline. Perfect for large groups. Player should be able to rally.

Coach feeds balls from net post. Players are divided into two groups, one on each end of court. One group plays from baseline. The other group plays at the net. Both groups are lined up on the ad side of the court.

Coach feeds ball to baseline player. Player hits ball cross court to ad side net player. Point is played out cross court. Alleys are IN. One point is awarded for each correct shot. When point ends, both players move to deuce side and repeat. First end to 7 points wins.

Variation: Switch it up so that the points are awarded to individual players rather than groups/ends. Scoring could get complicated, so each player should keep track of their own score in this case. Have them announce their score before coach feeds ball. If you do it this way, you could also add a twist of sending each player to the opposite end of court once they have played the ad and deuce sides. If this is too complicated, keep the game as-is and play team vs. team, best two out of three and switch ends after the first round so that all players get a turn at both baseline and net.

Volley On The Move

Many of my students come to me as beginners - 'never-evers'. As such, they all love volleys because the volley is one shot in tennis that has the potential for immediate success. If I do my job and toss the ball to just the right spot, I can get a five-year-old hitting winning volleys during their first lesson. And therein lies the problem: it's too easy!

Volley on the Move is a drill by teaching pro Joey Rive, featured in a recent issue of Tennis magazine. Joey addresses the 'too easy' problem with many standard volley drills. I love that his drill is a live ball drill and thus gets players out of their comfort zones. You will need at least two players who can hit cross court and rally.

Both players start at deuce side baseline. They begin a cross court rally. One player remains at the baseline. The other player, who is working on their volleys, takes a few steps toward the net after every ball. Note we are not demanding this player hit every shot as a volley; only that they move in after every shot. As this player moves closer to the net, decisions become more challenging: to volley or not to volley? Half volleys and swinging volleys are okay. The point is to handle themselves well while on the move toward the net.

Two and One

Another great drill from the folks at Tweener, this one taking it up a notch to combine consistency AND directional skills. Love it!

Coach feeds first ball to player cross court. Player must return two balls cross court, then one ball down the line. Coach then sends this DTL ball cross court, and player repeats sequence, now from other side of court.

Some options on adapting this drill for a group clinic of young beginners:

Place a colored spot or cone on each half of court on coach's side, say, red on deuce and green on ad. As they are hitting back to you, call out the color they are supposed to be targeting. Perhaps include side of court ( Red - Deuce! Green - Ad!) so they begin to understand where they are hitting to without the cone markers. Player stays in until they miss. Player hitting most balls in a row within a given time period, wins.

Relay style: Players hit one ball and move to end of line (hit-n-git!). Group is working together to see how many balls in a row they can hit to the correct spot.

Progression: Start this activity hitting from service line, then move back to baseline as students master it.

Touch Meister

This drill is a modified ball machine drill, originally named 'Mr. & Mrs. Touch', from Inaki Balzola in the Sept/Oct 2014 issue of TennisPro Magazine. I took liberties with the name to avoid giggle fits with my junior players. As you might suspect, the goal is to improve touch shots at the net. Good for all levels, minimum 4 players. You will need some spots or other court markers.

Two players are at the net. Remaining players are at the opposite baseline divided equally among ad and deuce sides. Coach is behind net players feeding from the T. Mark off two target areas in the outer net quarter of each service box. In other words, the quarter of the box closest to net and alley.

Alternate feeds to baseline players ad/deuce. Baseline players must hit cross court. Net players attempt soft volleys to targeted areas.

Each baseline player gets three feeds. Points awarded to baseline player when net player misses. Points awarded to net player when baseline player misses, or when net player's volley hits inside target.

You can run this for a specified time period, or until one player reaches X points, then rotate until all players have had a chance at both net positions.

Four Square Jr.

Four Square is a ball machine drill by Inaki Balzola in a recent issue of Tennis Pro magazine. If you

don't have access to a ball machine, YOU are the ball machine :)

Balls are fed from the T. Feeds alternate between ad and deuce baseline. Players are on opposite baseline in two lines (deuce and ad). Place a cone or spot at the hash mark between them.

Opposite end of court is divided into four spaces. Ad service box is #1. Deuce service box is #2. Ad back court is #3. Deuce back court is #4.

Each player in line hits four balls, recovering to touch cone target after every hit. Player cannot hit into the same numbered square twice in a row. Player gets one point for every square hit, unless they hit the same square twice in a row, in which case they get ZERO points for that turn.

Play for a set time period or until machine/hopper is empty. Player with most points wins.

Variations

• Subtract a point for hitting into the net.
• Points earned equal square hit into. 1 point for square 1, 2 points for square 2, etc.
• Extra points, or instant winner, for hitting all four squares in order 1-2-3-4.
• All shots must be forehands, backhands, slice, topspin, whatever you want to work on that day.

DTL Champs

DTL (Down The Line) Champs is from Inaki Balzola, in the May/June 2014 issue of TennisPro Magazine. It is presented as a ball machine drill.

Machine/pro feeds from service line. Players are arranged on ad and deuce baseline across net. Players hit one approach, then two volley shots. They are trying to hit targets straight ahead/down the line at the opposite baseline. One point for balls hit just behind the service line out wide; two points for balls hit at baseline near the hash mark, and three points for any hit in the deepest wide corner where singles line and baseline intersect. See chart below for a way better explanation of the points targets.

Players rotate into opposite lines to get experience hitting from both sides of court. Player with most points at end of round wins.

Forbidden Zone

This doubles drill is from OnCourtOffCourt. It can easily be adapted to work on a variety of shots and singles as well.

Mark off the middle third of the court from net to baseline. This is the Forbidden Zone. Play doubles. Any shots landing in the middle third mean a point for the opponent. This version will help players work on hitting angled shots.

Now change the rules so that the middle zone is the preferred zone and the outside thirds are forbidden. Keeping the ball in the middle of the court can be a sound strategy in both singles and doubles.

Overall, it is important that players are able to control direction, the third layer of our tennis skills pyramid.

Return of Doom

Here's a lesson plan to focus on the 2nd most important shot of the game: the return of serve.

I used my Ropezone to divide the court diagonally from ad net to deuce baseline. All players are on opposite baseline. I fed a simulated serve into the deuce service box. We then played 21: players are trying to be the first to get at least 21 points. They get 2 points for returns hit cross court and 1 point for hitting down the line. If they are hitting a lot of net balls, I may choose to deduct one point for any net balls. Anyone landing on 13 points had to go back to zero. First player to 21 wins. Then move Ropezone to opposite corners, move players to ad side and repeat.

Now that the players have warmed up their returns, let them warm up their serves. Commence time round round robin, singles or doubles. Score game as usual EXCEPT any missed return of serve is GAME OVER. Keep track of games won per player. Player with most wins at end of round robin wins. You could also keep track of how many players lost a game by missing their return. Player with fewest misses wins.

Battle Spots

Battle Spots is a target activity similar to Battle Cones posted here previously. My students and I have a few modifications that we believe improves the game. I saw the original while I was taking the CoachYouthTennis online training sessions.

In both games, the object is to hit your opponents' spots/cones with your ball. I like the Spots version of this game because they are lower profile and less of a trip hazard for younger players. But they are also harder to hit. When we played straight-up Battle Spots with no modifications, it was almost impossible to eliminate all spots. As Ken DeHart has suggested, better to try to be the first player to hit ANY spot, and win. Another problem I had with this game is that players tended to park in front of or on top of their spots to protect them, and would not move to go after balls and play out the point because there was no benefit to winning the point - the motivation was stronger to protect the spots. However, with one simple modification suggested by one of my green ball students, a version of Battle Spots can be played where the first player/team to lose all spots, loses, and everyone is motivated to both play out the point as well as protect their spots.

Here's a recent lesson progression that worked great in orange, green and yellow ball classes recently.

I used a mini-tennis version of Battle Spots for our ball warm-up as follows.

• An equal number of spots are put down on each side of the net. I put them about in the middle of the forecourt. 
• Divide players into two teams. 
• Teams take turn bounce-feeding and playing out the point.
• Object is to be the first team eliminate all of your opponent's spots.
• Spots may be eliminated either by being hit by opponent's ball, OR - here's the modification - whenever a team earns three points. Note: if one team gets three points, other team removes a spot. Team earning three points is reset to zero points. Team removing spots DOES NOT reset to zero and retains however many points they had when opponent got their three. This creates a fun, equalizing see-saw effect.

For added fun and a fitness component, I had both teams playing this game in relay style: player 'hits and gits' - hit one ball, go to end of team line, next player plays next ball. This avoids the dreaded waiting in line syndrome and keeps everyone moving.

After the mini tennis version was completed, we took a water break. I moved the spots back to the T area and we played it again from the baseline.

We played this as relay singles, but it could easily be played as doubles.

Kittens and Mittens

Another mash-up today. Title contributed from one of my students - thanks, Zeb! Super flexible, fun for any age and ability. You will need some extra equipment: cones, spots, and some random way of generating low numbers such as dice or playing cards.

Players will hit from yellow cones.
Coach will feed from near/target side.

Set up two cones anywhere you want the players to hit from (yellow cones in photo). At net for working on volleys, at service line for approach shots, baseline for groundies, etc. Cones should be 4-6 feet apart forming a 'goal'.

Four Square Junior

I have written about a tennis version of the children's playground game Foursquare in the past. This

one is from Joey Rive in the Jan/Feb 2014 issue of Tennis Magazine.

You will need at least four players playing doubles. Divide court into eight boxes, four on each side. You don't need any extra equipment for this. Just use the the service boxes as two of the boxes. Extend the line dividing ad from deuce all the way to the baseline, cutting the back court in half as well.

Feed first ball and rally. Scoring as usual, plus no team may hit to same box twice in a row. For example, if team a hits to opponent's deuce service box, they must hit to one of the other three boxes on the next shot. Hitting to same box consecutively counts as an error; point goes to opponent.

Criss-Cross

Criss-Cross is a variation of one of my favorite live ball drills, 3 Monkeys. Like 3 Monkeys, it requires certain criteria be met before the point can be played out. With 3 Monkeys it is usually a set number of shots cross-court, increasing in number required as players improve. Criss-Cross requires certain types of shot be achieved before playing out the point.

Two players play singles.

• One serves out wide. 
• Returning player must return down the line. 
• Server must return this ball cross court. 

Only now can the point be played out. I like this drill because it works on serving to a specific spot as well as what is like to happen when you serve out wide. I would also set this up as a doubles drill to train the net player to guard that alley when their partner's serve lands in the out-wide third of the service box.

Adapted from "Live Ball: Let Them Play" by Oliver Stephens, TennisPro Magazine Sept/Oct 2013.

Ringmaster

Here's a great warm-up activity perfect for large groups of any ability.

Have the players form a large circle. One player is designated Ringmaster and stands in the middle of the circle. The Ringmaster chooses a second player to stand in the middle with him/her.

Circled players take turns tossing a ball underhand, trying to tag the Ringmaster. Take care to aim chest level or lower. Ringmaster's second player's job is to keep the ball from hitting the Ringmaster. First player tagging Ringmaster is the new Ringmaster and selects a new guard to work with.

Variations
Require two or more tags before switching Ringmasters.
Allow two or more guards for the Ringmaster.

Adapted from ThePhysicalEducator.com

Sorry, Charlie!

Sorry, Charlie! is a result of instant inspiration on court recently when something wasn't working and I

Your young students will have no idea who
this is. I always felt badly for Charlie and
all those years of rejection. Very fishy!

had to think fast and switch gears. I like the result and I hope you do, too!

I was using this for young red ball players at the beginner level. Two players face off across the net from each other. On one side, player or coach has created a large target. I put my target smack-dab in the middle of the 36-foot court, more or less a circle about 4 feet in diameter. Remember these were beginners and I wanted to make this doable for them. Make the target out of flat spots or stripes as one player will be playing on this side.

Player on side WITHOUT target hits self-fed or coach fed ball across net, trying to make it bounce somewhere inside the target. If successful, other player returns ball and continues rally.

If the ball does NOT land in the target, player on side of net with target does not have to hit the ball and replies, "Sorry, Charlie!" to let the other player know their ball did not hit the target.

So we have one player working on feeding/targeting skills, and the other working on tracking, calling lines, and returning skills.

One point for every fed ball that lands in the target. Halfway through an average size hopper, switch roles and give the returning player a chance to self-feed.  Player with most points when hopper is empty is the winner.

If you have a large group and half a hopper is too long of a rotation, give each player a fixed number of chances such as 10 balls per player.

To make it more difficult, have the first ball fed to backhand, or shrink/move target.

Duck Pond

From Doug Eng, May/June 2013 issue of TennisPro magazine:

Scatter targets ('ducks') around court. Ducks are assigned point values. One duck is designated Instant Winner. Players pair up as tossers/hitters. If any ducks are hit, those points are awarded to the player who hit them. First player to 7 wins. If the Instant Winner duck is hit, game is over.

Open Season

Thanks Doug Eng for the next couple of drill ideas, featured in his article in the May/June 2013 issue of TennisPro magazine.

Open Season introduces the concept of hitting to the open court. Coach feeds ball. Coach stands in one half of the court, so player must hit to the other half.

Variation: when I tried this with a red ball class recently, I combined it with a bounce feed/serve challenge, so I was not feeding the balls - the students were bounce feeding to the open court.

Progression
Harder: Coach may change position/move to other half of court after tossing the feed.
Hardest: Players pair up as tossers/hitters.

1-2 Hustle

This game was also at optimumtennis.net but was a little hard to decode so I hope I am explaining it
right. If not, at least I understand my own explanation. :) They did not give it a name so I took the liberty. I like it for its flexibility and requirement for players to hustle. You will need 2 or more players for this to be any fun.

Coach is on one end of court; all other players on the other. First player serves, then hustles up net diagonally from wherever they served. Meanwhile second player hops in to first player's spot at baseline. This must occur quickly because Coach will be returning the serve cross court to the second player. Player 2 returns Coach's shot. Coach then hits to net player. Coach continues alternating shots until point ends. Player 2 then serves and runs up to net diagonally that Player 1 has just vacated, and Player 3 steps into Player 2's spot.

This game should move quickly. If you want to add a scoring aspect, give all players a set number of points and subtract one for every error. Last player standing, wins.

UPDATE: Sorry to report this was an epic fail when I tried it with my intermediate green ball class. They could not get in a rhythm. Serving player on way to net kept wanting to hit the ball I was returning deep to second player. Oh, well. Maybe try again in future.

Easy as 1-2-3-4

In a 2011 article for TennisPro magazine, USPTA and PTR Master Professional Ken DeHart breaks down the basics of returning serve. He divides the receiving court into four blocks. Deuce service box is 1; area behind deuce service box is 2; area behind ad service court is 3; and ad service box is 4. He suggests discussing receiving/returning strategy with your doubles partner ahead of time so the net player has some idea of where the returner's ball is going and therefore how to defend subsequent balls.

Pre-planning and defensive doubles strategy may seem a little too advanced for young players, but it is never too early to ask them to be able to direct the ball to specific parts of the court. So I have devised a simple activity based on Ken's receiving principles. He mentions boxes 2 and 3 should be your fallback position if you are struggling on the return, so we will place a higher value on hitting the return into the deepest part of the court.

For the activity, you will need an assortment of cards numbered 1-4. If you are only using 4 cards, recycle them so that they may be drawn multiple times. Ideally you will have at least two players; one serving and one returning. Returning/receiving player draws a card before each return and must hit their return to that box. Player receives two points for each successful return to boxes 2 or 3; one point for each successful return to 1 or 4. Serving player receives one point for every miss. First player to 11 wins; then switch roles.

Pick Your Spot

I totally pick these spots

I found this drill at a PE teachers website and modified it for use with youngest beginners. As usual I have some suggested progressions at the end of the post.

Coach is at service line feeding balls to player across net at baseline. Coach feeds 10 balls per player. Player sees how many he/she can hit cross court and in play. Player getting best percentage of 10 wins.

Variation
Repeat going down the line
Repeat from the backhand side.

Progression
Have two players involved, one taking the place of the coach and bounce feeding to baseline player. This way coach can stay on baseline side to assist with stroke analysis.

Minefield

You will need some throw down spots or lines for this activity. Works for any level of player. It is a simple concept with unlimited variations. Especially good for improving targeting/direction.

Place three small targets on each side of the net. Players play singles with regular scoring. If either player hits any target during the point, that player wins the point.

Variations
Experiment with the size/shape of the court - play only the service boxes, or only deuce side, or only back court.
Modify the scoring to speed things up - first to X number of points wins, rather than traditional 15-30-40 scoring. Or, how about combining Minefield with Black Jack??
Move targets to service boxes only and make freebie points only available on serve.

Adapted from The Tennis Drill Book by Tina Hoskins