A Few Tennis Drills for High School Tennis Coaches




by Bill Sutton


High school tennis coaches sometimes struggle to find new tennis drills to do with their team. Players can get bored of doing the same drills over and over again. Boredom results in less intensity which leads to poor performance. For this reason, high school tennis coaches need to seek out new tennis drills to make practice more interesting and fun.

The following tennis drills are very popular among both high school coaches and players. They allow players to practice both their net game and their ground strokes. These tennis drills can be modified to suit the needs of individual teams. Tennis coaches can come up with their own set of rules to adjust the drills to the skill level of their players. Each tennis drill starts with the set up phase and then the detailed explanation of rules.

The first game is called "College Drill". Players split into teams of 2. A random team starts on side A at the net (the coach can ask a trivia question to decide first team). The other teams line up behind each other on the baseline on side B. The coach hits the ball to the first baseline team, who attempts to beat the net team three times in a row. In case the baseline team loses the rally, they go back to the end of the line. Once a baseline team wins 3 points consecutively, they get to be the new net team on side A. Teams can only gain points on side A. Teams preserve their points even if they lose their spot at the net. First team to fifteen points will be the champion. This is a really popular tennis drill.

The second game is known as "One Point Tournament". Players divide into 2 equal groups to side A and B. Each team forms only one line behind their baseline. The pro feeds the ball in, and the first players in each line play out the rally against each other. The losing player is out of the game (he can get started picking up balls), and the next player in line from his team substitutes him. The winning player goes to the end of his line, and the subsequent player from his team can come in to play the upcoming point. The team which has players (or player) remaining is the winner. This tennis drill shows players to deal with pressure situations.

The third game is known as "Rush and Crush". Players split into teams of 2. A random team starts on side A at the baseline (the coach may ask a trivia question to determine first team). The remaining teams get in line behind each other at the baseline on side B. The coach feeds a short ball to the first baseline team, who attacks the net. After they win the rally, they're fed a volley. If they win this second rally as well, they're fed an smash. If they win all 3 rallies, they become the new defenders on side A. When the current baseline team loses the point, they proceed to the end of the line. Teams can only earn points on side A. Teams keep their points even when they lose their position at the net. First team to 15 points will be the champion. This is a very effective doubles tennis drill.

High school tennis coaches should continuously try to study new tennis drills. They must retain the concentration and also the attention of their trainees constantly. Rotating practical and useful tennis drills is key to a prosperous high school team.




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