Inside-Outs

There's a misconception that the best way to practice for tennis is to perform solely "standard" side-to-side drills. This is certainly a good drill for learning proper movement to the ball. However, as very few points are in fact played in a "coast-to-coast" fashion (i.e., sideline to sideline), every practice should seek to incorporate an inside-out drill as well (that is, forehand from the backhand side, backhand from the forehand side). Inside outs assist the player in squaring the leading shoulder to the ball (a particular problem with players with extreme open stances) and staying on their toes. It is important to note that in tennis, running TO the ball is as important as running AWAY from the ball. Inside-out teach the player how to properly set up for every shot in order to maximize power, accuracy and positioning. 

Initially, the coach should feed "regular" side to side sets followed by inside out (e.g. sets of ten each). The player's goal should be to maximize power and placement in order to generate the best angle that she can under the circumstances. After the player becomes proficient at the fed drills, the practice can incorporate the "corners" drill where the coach stays in one corner and moves the player around side to side (the player hitting one "regular" shot followed by an inside out shot). For tougher practices, the player can hit ALL inside outs, although this would depend on the coach's fitness and expertise. A great drill is the typical figure 8 drill but where one player has to hit inside outs (cross-court). Similarly, a more basic drill is the "lazy 8s". This is where the players play cross court and HAVE to alternate shots regardless of the bounce (i.e., if the player hits a forehand off the feed, the next one MUST be a backhand). As the name implies, this is a variation of the standard figure 8 drill although the court is smaller and footwork is more focused. This is a also a great warm-up drill as it keeps the feet moving. 

Learn to master the inside-outs (strokes and movement) and your angles will be deadly. 

Practice Approaches From Deep In The Court

The game of tennis has changed a lot during the past 20 years. With advances in technology and a physical development, the same concepts that worked 20-30 years ago are not as applicable today (the emphasis being, of course, on "as" since some older concepts have limited application today). 

One such concept is that the player should look to come in on a short ball. Sometimes, this is correct as a short ball allows the approaching player to hit more angles and generate more pace due to her forward-motion. Nevertheless, too many times the short ball come in fast, with a lot of spin or a lot of angle thereby making it unsuitable to approach. I believe that there should be a shift in emphasis from location of the bounce to either (a) timing; or (b) opponent's positioning (vis-a-vis his baseline "T"). As a form of playing and practicing, the rule of thumb should be: (I) when you have an extra half-second to set up and crank it, come in; (II) when the opponent is 10 feet (or other arbitrary location) behind the baseline or outside of the side-lines - come in! Forget about where the ball bounces on your side and focus more on punishing your opponent for either (a) bad positioning on her part or (b) poor shot selection on her part (despite having hit the ball deep). 

Initially, practice this by having balls fed very high and deep into your own court forcing you to move back. The player should back up, "load and explode" after that ball and immediately "bolt" inside of the baseline. Rinse and repeat a set of ten. Follow up by doing this drill where the player has to rush in after the "deep approach" and take the next ball out of the air. In live-ball training, the coach should place certain "markers" (e.g., strips of athletic tape) about 10-12 ft behind the baseline and 1-2 feet outside of the service line. When the player sees the rally-opponent (coach or another player) fall outside of these zones, the player should come in - regardless of where the ball is on the opponent's side. The goal should be for the player to incorporate an additional dimension for "the right time to approach". Come in (or seek to come in) when you have time to set up and belt your shot; come in (or seek to come in) when the opponent's out of position. 

Keys to Good Returns

Returns are the most difficult shots to execute. The primary reason for this is because at the higher levels of the game, the players have usually mastered the service motion and turned this stroke into a weapon. Also, this is the only shot in tennis where you, as a player, have ZERO say in how the server is going to execute his stroke. In other words, the returner does not (i) toss the ball to the opponent, (ii) make the opponent move to the ball, or (iii) influence the server's heart rate. As a result, all the factors are really in the server's favor. Nevertheless, too often the returners attempt to do more with the return than is necessary. Now, going for a flat out winner ONCE IN A WHILE is different than attempting the same low percentage shot over and over again. Everyone remembers Djokovic's return down match point against Federer at the 2011 US Open. What they don't recall so easily is the number of steady, mediocre returns that Djokovic hit throughout that match (or the following match against Nadal). 

In my opinion, the primary goal of the returner should be to neutralize the server's advantage. In order to understand this, the returner should know the server's primary motivation: opening up the court and creating some sort of imbalance in the returner's positioning. As a result, the returner's duty is to not allow this to happen. The returner should do this by pounding the middle of the court (preferably 4-5ft inside the baseline). This way, the returner (i) hits over the lowest part of the court; (ii) hits to the relatively "long" part of the court; (iii) does not change the trajectory of the ball at all (i.e., returner acts, simply, like a wall); (iv) forces the server to react immediately (perhaps being jammed); (v) creates no angle for the server to capitalize on the next shot; (vi) does not fall off balance; and (vii) remain in the point if the ball if 10ft away from intended target (not the case if you're aiming for the sidelines). There's nothing more disconcerting for a server (especially a "good" server) than having to grind and fight for every point. Conversely, there's nothing more that a server enjoys than getting free points (even if the returner gets lucky once in a while, the percentages are in the server's favor). 

 Here are some tips to improving the returns:

 1. Cut back on the stroke. Pretend that they are volleys and don't swing at the ball. Generate power with simple shoulder rotation. If possible, try "hand-cuffing" yourself with a belt or a rope in order to keep your hands in front of you. Even on a kick-serve, the power generated by the server is sufficient for the returner to utilize the same. Punch; don't swing. 

 2. Light feet. The returner should be light on her feet and ready to react for all potential serves. Light on your feet means weight is on the balls of your feet and you are softly bouncing up and down. Practice timing the landing of your feet with the bounce of your serve so that you are ready to split step in all directions. One way of doing this is by practicing returns while you're barefoot. This teaches you to stay light and stay in motion on your toes.

3. Practice pounding the basket. The server/coach should serve from half-way between the service line and the baseline and the goal of the returner should actually be to hit the basket with every return. For live-ball exercises, mark an alley by placing strips of athletic tape or plastic lines within 5ft on both sides of the center line. The players should play points where the server gets one serve (or 2 serves, but in a designated area) and the returner has to return every ball in that zone (otherwise it's out). 

4. Practice returning from different places in the court. You never know, you may actually have a better reaction time from 2ft inside of the baseline that 6 ft behind the baseline. Experiment with return positions and figure out what works best for you. Adapt and Survive? 

5. Another great drill is for the returner to have her back turned to the coach when practicing serves. The coach should toss the ball for a serve and concurrently yell "Now". At this point, the returner turns around and tries to pick up the serve. This is a great drill for working the hand-eye-foot coordination by training the eye to immediately pick up the pace, spin, trajectory and angle of the ball. If the player's getting better at this drills, have him start either 6 ft behind the baseline or to the side of his return position. When the coach says "now", have the player back-pedal, turn and return. What we're doing is trying to train the eyes to pick up a moving object while the player is slightly disoriented (maybe even dizzy). 

6. Lastly, another favorite drill is the machine-gun drill. This is where the coach starts at the baseline with 5-6 tennis balls in his hand. With each serve, he move closer and closer in, delivering the ball in rapid succession (coach gets paid extra for this drill - j/k). Again, the purpose of this drill is to work on reaction and adjusting to different pace, angle, spin and trajectory. 

Practicing For Mental Toughness

Mental toughness and physical toughness go hand-in-hand. One simply cannot be mentally tough without first developing his physical characteristics. All the best players out there have a "gotta want it" attitude. Whoever "WANTS IT" the most, usually wins. This person never gives up in the face of adversity. 

There is no easy and straightforward way to develop mental toughness although one drill that has worked for me (along with other players) is to place a physical exercise component prior to playing 2-3 sets. For example, players can do a timed 2-3 or 5 mile run (depending on level of fitness and age) PRIOR to playing a 2-3 set match. The player who wants it the most will usually win. With two players of equal will-power, both players will improve dramatically since they are forced to dig deep and develop a "never say die" attitude. If a long running course is not available, player can run on-court sprints for 30 minutes (or jump rope) and then play.

The key to this type practice is for the player to figure out ways for winning points most efficiently and to focus and fight for every point. Physical fitness begets mental toughness. This is also a useful drill given that tournaments often have back-to-back matches with 30 minute break in between. You can pull through a tough 3 set match against a seed in the first round and than have to grind out a match against a lesser player in the afternoon. A player needs to be tough enough to believe that he has done everything possible in order to defeat both opponents back-to-back.  

Other practices can involve playing sets without "proper" warm-ups. That is, the players just show up and start playing points. Often times, particularly at junior events, the players will not have a proper warm-up anyway due to lack of hitting partners or tennis courts (or traffic that precludes the player from showing up on time). So it's important for the player's to be ready from the word "GO".

In addition, players can play sets but switch rackets with their practice partner. Often times, the player will break all of his/her strings during the match and be forced to finish with a replacement racket. Similarly, vary the location of the practices - sometimes at the country club, other times at the local park, maybe someone's back-yard, indoors, clay, grass, carpet, etc. MANY junior tournaments (and even open or future events) are played at facilities that are comparable to public parks. Many are in fact played AT public parks. There will be people playing soccer on the adjoining field; families barbecuing; cars backfiring; and dogs barking/fighting. These are conditions to which the player must become accustomed. Until you reach the manicured lawns of Wimbledon, it's mental and physical "sink or swim."

A coach should not always tell the player in advance where you're meeting her. The purpose of these practices is to develop confidence that the player can win under any conditions on every court. Champions are made on the back-courts not stadium court so no need to practice there. Regardless of what the opponent or fate throws your way, you can figure out a way to pull through. 

Situational Awareness Practice

There is a distinction between cockiness and true confidence and it rests on the latter's knowledge the she has done everything possible to improve herself as a tennis player. A cocky player is often full of bravado that masks phobias and lack of confidence. A confident player does not need to shift attention away from her insecurities because she knows that she has practice for every situation imaginable. By having practiced under every condition, she can often identify the key points and adjust her game accordingly. In this regard, I would suggest playing practice games as follows:

a. Set where the server starts down 0-30 in every game. This is a normal set, but when you think how easy it is to get down 0-30 (e.g., a double fault and a good/lucky shot by the opponent), it is surprising that more players do not practice being in these situations and learning to win. Another variation would be for the server to start at 15-40. For advanced players, I recommend that the returner runs a sprint before his return game (e.g., a ten-ball). This will teach the player how to regulate his adrenaline and channel the energy towards winning the next critical points. 

b. Set where the server gets one serve. This is a variation on the 30-point game. To spice things up, I suggest adding a component where the returner has to do kangaroo jumps (or other form of physical exercise) for (i) every return missed or (ii), for advanced players, every return that lands inside the service line. 

c. Set where the server has to serve-and-volley on the first serve and the returner has to come in (chip/topspin-and-charge) on the second.

d. Set where the server has to win 6 points (rather than 2) in order to improve stamina. 

e. Set where the players start off at 30-30 every game. This is a great game for emphasizing the first 2 points of every game (since, in this instance, if you lose the first 2 points, you lose the game). 

f. Set where, except for the return, the players MUST use their slice backhand when the ball comes to their backhand. 

By placing yourself in these situations over and over again, you will be in a better position to (i) identify the situation when it surfaces during the match, (ii) identify the critical obstacles, (iii) determine what you have to do in order to pull yourself out of the situation, and (iv) figure out how to win the point. Lastly, these points are a great way to shift the focus away from winning or losing (particularly if you have only 1-2 practice partners) to actually improving as a player.