These three drills will have you hitting sharp angles, drop shots, and lob volleys in no time.
I’m a USTA national coach who works with junior girls. When I began teaching them I noticed right away that they all could hit the ball better from the back of the court than I ever did. But that’s about all they could do. Compared to the pros of the 1970s, players today are one-dimensional. I grew up in the days of wood racquets, before power took over, so I had to learn to use angles, touch, and control to create openings. Few current pros, except Martina Hingis and Roger Federer, have those skills.
As I travel around the country, I realize that the situation is similar at the club level. Most players just don’t understand how to open up the court using touch and angles, particularly in doubles. They try to muscle their way to victory instead. My goal is to teach my kids how to use ?nesse shots from the front of the court. After all, they already have outstanding games from the baseline, so this is a way for them to add an extra layer, a little polish.
I use three drills that help develop the techniques needed to hit with touch and play from the front of the court. These drills will work for you, too, if you spend 15 minutes using them every time you go out to practice. You’ll start to see the court differently and sense new possibilities for making winning plays.
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Play mini-tennis using soft underspin shots to learn the Continental grip, which is key for developing touch.BEGINNER DRILL**
HOW TO DO IT: Rally back and forth in the service boxes using only underspin. Start with an underhand feed. You must let the ball bounce, and you can’t hit the ball downward or hard. The goal is to move your opponent around and win the point using angles and soft placement. Play one game to 11.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How to be comfortable with the Continental grip (click here for information on grips), which is critical not only on ?nesse shots, but on volleys as well. Many players initially ?nd the grip awkward, and this drill is a great way to practice it and learn its limitations while also developing the rudiments of touch, angles, and placement in the forecourt. By taking power completely out of the equation, this exercise forces you to start looking for other ways to get your opponent out of position.
INTERMEDIATE DRILL
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Hit gently back and forth at net to hone placement and control on your volleys.HOW TO DO IT:** Volley back and forth in one service box. Start with an underhand feed. Don’t let the ball bounce or hit it hard. Points are contested by maneuvering your op-ponent up and back and side to side. You can hit lobs, but your opponent can’t smash them, so don’t forget to use the space above your opponent. Play one game to 11.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: Although we tend to think of winning volleys as being powerful, the reality is that placement and control are more important. This drill encourages you to work on those aspects of net play while making you more comfortable with volleys in general. Just as important, it teaches you to be aware of your positioning at the net. After you’ve done this exercise a few times, especially if your opponent uses all of her options, you’ll ?nd yourself automatically moving to a place in the center of the box where you can cover both short and high balls with ease.
ADVANCED DRILL
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Put your skills to the ultimate test by practicing sharp angles.HOW TO DO IT:** Start by standing diagonally from each other in the doubles alleys about 4 feet from the net. You can go forehand to forehand, backhand to backhand, or mix it up if one of you is left-handed. Begin a rally with an underhand feed. The goal is to hit a sharply angled shot that bounces on the top of the net and goes over on your opponent’s side. This isn’t easy to do, of course, so play games in which the ?rst player to hit three of these shots wins.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: This drill tests the same skills as the others but adds a dif?cult control element that simulates match pressure. You’ll develop the ability to reply effectively to your opponent’s drop shots, and on the backhand side you’ll sharpen your slice, which will improve your approach shots and defensive play. This exercise is also a great way to learn how tightly or loosely you need to grip the racquet in order to be effective in such a mentally challenging situation.
Illustrations by Craig Zuckerman