Best on court training drills for high level players?

[DefensiveTennis]

Looking for best on court training drills for high level players under the following headings:

Hand Feeding Drills- One player feeding with the other player hitting

Racquet Feeding Drills- with one feeding and one player hitting

Co-Operative Drills- Both players hitting together

Thanks!

 

[FogerRederer]

Anyone? I too would like to learn about some beneficial drills.

 

[PittsburghDad]

The x is always good.

 

[ATP100]

Have 1 person serve to the other from the Service Line.

 

[Ash_Smith]

Drills are only good when they are designed to create a situation to improve a specific element. There are no "best" drills and I really dislike it when coaches go on court with their "big book of drills" and pick a drill/s because they look good in the book.

What are the elements of play you are looking for players to improve?

 

[dennis10is]

um... if you are a high level tennis player, wouldn't you know what drills are good for you?

 

[McLovin]

Drills are only good when they are designed to create a situation to improve a specific element. There are no "best" drills and I really dislike it when coaches go on court with their "big book of drills" and pick a drill/s because they look good in the book.

What are the elements of play you are looking for players to improve?

Could not agree more.

The last two years I've coached a girls high school team. Whenever I did drills, there was always an element I was trying to get across to them.

For example, I would serve them weak second serves to the backhand, and have them step around the backhand and hit a forehand, and come in behind it. I would try to retrieve their shot & float it back for them to put the volley away.

Or I'd set up the ball machine to feed balls to the back hand. I'd have them hit two backhands cross court, then step around & hit an inside-out forehand, then step around & hit an inside-in forehand, having them recover to the center (or at least 40% to the center) between shots. My goal was to get them to control the point with the forehand. They weren't going for winners, just taking control after two 'rally' backhands.

Trying to take an actual match situation and drill on it is the best kind of drill IMO.

 

[PittsburghDad]

Drills are only good when they are designed to create a situation to improve a specific element. There are no "best" drills and I really dislike it when coaches go on court with their "big book of drills" and pick a drill/s because they look good in the book.

What are the elements of play you are looking for players to improve?

Thats perfect advice. Always building drills around the specific goals. Seems simple, but what a HUGE difference between effective and ineffective coaching.

 

[DefensiveTennis]

Drills are only good when they are designed to create a situation to improve a specific element. There are no "best" drills and I really dislike it when coaches go on court with their "big book of drills" and pick a drill/s because they look good in the book.

What are the elements of play you are looking for players to improve?

I want to improve everything in my game. I need the drills to be done with 2 players maximum.
1)Volley drills for singles play.
2)Approach shot drills for singles.
3)Serving Drills
4)Baseline Consistency Drills
5) Forehand + serve combination drills
6) Drills to improve defense
7) Drills to improve smashes
8) Drills to improve offence

GO ahead and give me your suggestions for the best drills you can think of to help me with any/all of the above situations then!!

 

[dominikk1985]

use target areas to quantify your precision. many players think they are accurate because they occasionally paint the lines but you want to know how many times out of 10 you can hit an area.

start with big areas (maybe 12*12 for baseline and 4*4 for serves) and test what percentage you can hit them (preferably with you and your partner hitting at match intensity velocty but not more).

 

[cjs]

What's your objective? There's no point in picking or designing drills without identifying a specific aspect of your game that you are trying to improve.

 

[DefensiveTennis]

What's your objective? There's no point in picking or designing drills without identifying a specific aspect of your game that you are trying to improve.

I mentioned them all. Improve my volleys, my approaches, my consistency from back of court, my serve and aggresive forehand for 1-2 combination etc etc..its all there....

 

[Shroud]

I want to improve everything in my game. I need the drills to be done with 2 players maximum.
1)Volley drills for singles play.
2)Approach shot drills for singles.
3)Serving Drills
4)Baseline Consistency Drills
5) Forehand + serve combination drills
6) Drills to improve defense
7) Drills to improve smashes
8) Drills to improve offence

GO ahead and give me your suggestions for the best drills you can think of to help me with any/all of the above situations then!!

HMMM. Arent you like a 5.0 or better, and a coach to boot? I would think that you would know a few drills for all those things by now, and not really need to improve consistency and things like volleys, etc.

Anyhow a couple of drills come to mind.

1. Have your partner feed you a shortball, which you hit an approach on and move to the net. Then they feed you a volley, and then they hit a lob which you hit an overhead on. #1,2,and 7 on your list.

2. Have your partner call out a type of serve while you are tossing the ball on your serve. Hitting that type at the last minute will help with disguise since you will need to be able to hit all kinds of serves off the same toss. #3

3. Have your partner hit you a ball and call out a random number 1-10 which represents a power level you need to hit the ball with. This will improve your variation and consistency. You could tailor it to address offense and slowy ramp up the pace. Maybe #4 on your list.

4. On the wall practice hitting all your shots extreme crosscourt. This will lead to completely defensive shots and run you like crazy, and make you recover quickly. Try to see which side (backhand or forehand) wins. Run until you get tired. #6

5. Play a rally game with the first one to 21 to win by 2 wins. count winners as 2-4 points. #8

6. Visit youtube....

 

[DefensiveTennis]

Cheers, I am aware of all those, any more anybody?

 

[OTMPut]

I have been doing this recently and it has been very useful in match settings. It is very simple an the pattern is easy to recognize and implement in match play.

All hand feeds.

1. Deep ball to backhand. Aim to drive or slice deep cross court.
2. Medium short ball to forehand. Aim to drive down the line.
3. Short ball to backhand. Run over and hit I/o forehand. Cut the speed and aim for angle.
4. Short ball to forehand. Run and flick cross court.

 

[DefensiveTennis]

I have been doing this recently and it has been very useful in match settings. It is very simple an the pattern is easy to recognize and implement in match play.

All hand feeds.

1. Deep ball to backhand. Aim to drive or slice deep cross court.
2. Medium short ball to forehand. Aim to drive down the line.
3. Short ball to backhand. Run over and hit I/o forehand. Cut the speed and aim for angle.
4. Short ball to forehand. Run and flick cross court.

Noted, thanks! Any more people?

 

[arche3]

I will need to charge you my coaching fee to tell you. Im at IMG through the next year. Come by in person and ill tell you some tips for lame coaches.

 

[tonygao]

I have been doing this recently and it has been very useful in match settings. It is very simple an the pattern is easy to recognize and implement in match play.

All hand feeds.

1. Deep ball to backhand. Aim to drive or slice deep cross court.
2. Medium short ball to forehand. Aim to drive down the line.
3. Short ball to backhand. Run over and hit I/o forehand. Cut the speed and aim for angle.
4. Short ball to forehand. Run and flick cross court.

sounds like a great drill. I am wondering if there is video of this drill on youtube. it seems the challenge is on the person who provides the feed....