I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.

[FiddlerDog]

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Do ANYTHING except mindlessly rally

Do serve and service return practice.
Do drop feeds at the service line and near the net (least practiced shot in tennis)
Feed each other volleys and overheads.
Do volley to volley from service line.
Feed short ball approaches.
etc

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Let's see if even one person here can do this.

 

[Curious]

It takes two motivated players enthusiastic about improvement. To do it is easy.

 

[onehandbh]

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Do ANYTHING except mindlessly rally

Do serve and service return practice.
Do drop feeds at the service line and near the net (least practiced shot in tennis)
Feed each other volleys and overheads.
Do volley to volley from service line.
Feed short ball approaches.
etc

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Let's see if even one person here can do this.

Sounds like a good challenge to get people to practice some shots they usually neglect practicing.

Can you post a video of yourself doing one of these types of practices? What kind of drills have you tried that you like?

 

[MyFearHand]

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Do ANYTHING except mindlessly rally

Do serve and service return practice.
Do drop feeds at the service line and near the net (least practiced shot in tennis)
Feed each other volleys and overheads.
Do volley to volley from service line.
Feed short ball approaches.
etc

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Let's see if even one person here can do this.

 

[georgeyew]

I've just did a practice session with my practicing my serves and my partner working on the return. So it is possible. But you both have to agree on it beforehand.

 

[Steady Eddy]

I'm up for it! But it takes two to tango. The others hit about 12 shots and then say, "Okay, let's start a set."

 

[Fintft]

That presumes that one can his rally ball pretty easy/has it pat down.

Besides what's wrong with changing directions, going for winners, etc?

 

[StringSnapper]

Sounds like you'd get good at serve +1, but if your opponent has an amazing return so what. Now your rally ball has suffered because you've only practiced offence or one neutral shot lol, what about a longer rally with weird spins etc

Also the old balls vs new balls is a different story

Better to mimmick conditions in the league you play to improve the fastest: same surface, new balls, similar level opponents. If you have a weakness then work on that sure

 

[FiddlerDog]

What kind of drills have you tried that you like?

Yesterday, we did
3 ball hand feed (baseline, service line, and net)
3 ball hand feeds with high bounce on the rise (baseline, service line, and net)
2 ball feed approach shot / split step / volley
Volleys feeds

 

[MyFearHand]

Sounds like you'd get good at serve +1, but if your opponent has an amazing return so what. Now your rally ball has suffered because you've only practiced offence or one neutral shot lol, what about a longer rally with weird spins etc

Also the old balls vs new balls is a different story

Better to mimmick conditions in the league you play to improve the fastest: same surface, new balls, similar level opponents. If you have a weakness then work on that sure

You obviously can’t do this all the time, but it’s a relative weakness for pretty much everyone. You get way more reps than you get during match play.

 

[Shroud]

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Do ANYTHING except mindlessly rally

Do serve and service return practice.
Do drop feeds at the service line and near the net (least practiced shot in tennis)
Feed each other volleys and overheads.
Do volley to volley from service line.
Feed short ball approaches.
etc

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Let's see if even one person here can do this.

easy:

 

[PRS]

A practice without "mindless" rallying is great... but a practice without rallying at all is how you turn into a player who can hit great shots in practice but suffers in matches. It's good to take time to do those feeding drills, but if you don't also practice those same shots in rally/live-ball drills, it's not going to do you much good.

 

[MyFearHand]

A practice without "mindless" rallying is great... but a practice without rallying at all is how you turn into a player who can hit great shots in practice but suffers in matches. It's good to take time to do those feeding drills, but if you don't also practice those same shots in rally/live-ball drills, it's not going to do you much good.

That's true but hopefully live ball rallies have more purpose than just hitting up the middle.

 

[Steady Eddy]

That presumes that one can his rally ball pretty easy/has it pat down.

Besides what's wrong with changing directions, going for winners, etc?

Because then you spend more time picking up balls than hitting balls. If I could afford to hire a ballgirl or a ballboy, then I suppose it'd be okay.

 

[Fintft]

Because then you spend more time picking up balls than hitting balls. If I could afford to hire a ballgirl or a ballboy, then I suppose it'd be okay.

Not really.
Going for a winner on the 4th ball or so, it is good practice.

 

[Steady Eddy]

Not really.
Going for a winner on the 4th ball or so, it is good practice.

That's a deal. A winner, I pick up. A loser, you pick up.

 

[Deleted member 775108]

Yesterday, we did
3 ball hand feed (baseline, service line, and net)
3 ball hand feeds with high bounce on the rise (baseline, service line, and net)
2 ball feed approach shot / split step / volley
Volleys feeds

Damn. For a second there I thought you linked video of your actual practice session.

 

[StringSnapper]

You obviously can’t do this all the time, but it’s a relative weakness for pretty much everyone. You get way more reps than you get during match play.

I've just incorporated this into match play. It's more just the difference between knowing what ball to unload on (a short weaker reply) - sometimes from a first serve, sometimes just from an opponents mishit

Drills like these I find boring, imo best to just incorporate things into what you already to to maximise efficiency. But I only hit twice a week, if I hit more maybe this would be worth it

 

[AnyPUG]

Because then you spend more time picking up balls than hitting balls. If I could afford to hire a ballgirl or a ballboy, then I suppose it'd be okay.

How about a few cans of balls to delay the pick up...and a small pick up hopper.

 

[MyFearHand]

I've just incorporated this into match play. It's more just the difference between knowing what ball to unload on (a short weaker reply) - sometimes from a first serve, sometimes just from an opponents mishit

Drills like these I find boring, imo best to just incorporate things into what you already to to maximise efficiency. But I only hit twice a week, if I hit more maybe this would be worth it

It is kind of boring. You should be focused on it during match play as well, but you get to hit way more balls when you do it like this. There is so much down time during matches where we walk to pick up balls, someone misses a first serve and the ball rolls from the net etc. Or an opponent misses a return.

But yeah if you only hit rarely you're not gonna want to spend your time on court doing this.

 

[jindra]

When I'm doing "mindless rallying" it's not mindless to me. I'm always working on something, most times I'm working on not making mistakes.

I assume my hitting partner is doing the same, but if he's not that's not really a problem for me.

 

[AnyPUG]

When I'm doing "mindless rallying" it's not mindless to me. I'm always working on something, most times I'm working on not making mistakes.

I assume my hitting partner is doing the same, but if he's not that's not really a problem for me.

And do you feel tired when you wake up in the morning? I have heard it makes some people feel tired when they engage in activities in thier dream.

 

[jindra]

And do you feel tired when you wake up in the morning? I have heard it makes some people feel tired when they engage in activities in thier dream.

Drunk posting again? Not a good look.

 

[slipgrip93]

Because then you spend more time picking up balls than hitting balls. If I could afford to hire a ballgirl or a ballboy, then I suppose it'd be okay.

This issue makes me wonder about those various ball sweeper brooms or pickup machines. Like if one or a teaming up group chips in and invests in one of those ball picker machines. (an expensive example: (https://www.vermontsports.com/tennis-ball-collector-mower)).

Then taking turns where one guy maybe practices serves, stretches or relaxes, while the other guy sweeps up the balls, maybe within minutes with a good sweeper, then continuing on with the practice session, and taking turns on sweeping/mowing. Probably other far cheaper sweepers/mowers/brooms out there, than the >$500 one.

 

[vex]

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Do ANYTHING except mindlessly rally

Do serve and service return practice.
Do drop feeds at the service line and near the net (least practiced shot in tennis)
Feed each other volleys and overheads.
Do volley to volley from service line.
Feed short ball approaches.
etc

I challenge you to do just one tennis session with zero rallying.
Let's see if even one person here can do this.

Anyone decent at tennis has done this tons of times