Because of the varied amounts of shots in tennis and the different techniques needed to perform them it is advisable that you practice individual shots with your coach.
However there are some drills that you can practice yourself, with a partner or even with your coach, and groundstroke drills are fundamental to your overall tennis game.
The purpose of all drills in any sport is to teach the player to play instinctively and to empty the mind when performing. If you regularly incorporate these drills in your training routine they will improve your fighting spirit. The scoring element in these drills are the key to improve motivation and perseverance.
The Spanish Fighting Drill
This drill is for two players, and the point starts either from a drop feed or by a service. Whilst playing the point the players count how many times the ball goes over the net. When the point ends, the winner of the point get the points accumulated as the ball going over the net. Normally play till one player reaches 100 points.
- Benefits
Each player fights to return the ball to scoop all the points, knowing that every time the ball goes over the net the points tally increases. This gives the player the motivation to fight on and maintain pressure on his opponent.
Threes
This is a drill to teach the importance of momentum and concentration right till the very end. Two players play and the drill starts with a serve. The scoring goes up by 1 and starts at 0. If the server wins the first two points, the score is 2, but if the returner wins the next point the score returns to 1. The first player to reach +3 or -3 wins the game.
- Benefits
This drill teaches the players to fight for every point and not give up, it teaches them to get back into the game quicker. Psychologically the leading player feels as if he is being pegged back and can become impatient, and this often leads to mistakes.
Both players also learn to focus and fight for for the last point, even if they are leading 2-0. If he loses the point then he will need another two to win.
Two In A Row
This drill is similar to the one above but probably even tougher. The difference is every point is played twice. The server serves to the deuce side and they play the point. Then the server serves again to the deuce side and plays another point. If one player wins both points, then it is a real point in the game, for example 15-0 if the server won both. If each player wins a point then the score goes back to 0-0 and the server resumes serving to the deuce side. Play to 3 won games.
- Benefits
Players learn to fight for every point, and that winning just one point is nothing to celebrate, and reversely losing a point is not devastating. This drill teaches effort, patience, concentration and perseverance.
Successive Points Count More
A drill to learn the importance of momentum. Two players play to 21 and score as follows. If player X wins the second point in a row he gets 2 points so his total score is 3. His next successive point is worth 3 so the score is 6-0. If player Y now wins the point he gets 1 as that is his first successive point, then if X wins the next he also only gets 1 point as the succession has been broken.
- Benefits
Players learn that the more successive points they win, the more they are worth. In real tennis the scoring is different but the emotional perception is very similar.
