Court Calculus: Hide a Weakness, Build a Weapon

This is a drill in which both players start at the baseline (the diagram assumes that both players are right-handed).

Player A feeds the ball between the court’s midpoint and the right singles sideline, about half way between the service line and the baseline. (1)

Player B runs around his or her backhand and hits an inside-out forehand. (2) Then player A runs around his or her backhand and hits an inside-out forehand. (3) From there, play out the point on the whole court. Whoever wins seven points first wins a set. You can play best-of-five sets.

Joey Rive is a former ATP professional and instructor at T Bar M Racquet Club in Dallas. He is the co-author of Tennis Skills & Drills, published by Human Kinetics.

More Court Calculus: Doubles, "Beat 'Em With Butterflies"