Practice Drills For Footwork And Coordination

Step 1: Footwork square

This drill develops speed and coordination. You can include it in your pre-game warm up.

Stand in the bottom corner of the service box. Run along the centre line to the net. At the net stop and sidestep along it to the sideline, then, run backwards until you reach the service line.

Finally, sidestep back to your starting position. Stay facing the net at all times for this drill.

Do the circuit five times and as fast as possible. You can take a break between each one.

Step 2: Pick up drill

Crouch down behind the doubles sideline, looking across the court with four balls on the ground beside you.

Pick up the first ball and place it on the first singles sideline ahead of you then return, pick up another ball and run to the centre line to place it there.

Return for the third ball and run to place it on the far singles sideline.

Finally collect the fourth ball and place it on the far doubles sideline.

Go back to the starting point and repeat the drill in reverse order.

This drill will not only stretch your muscles and tendons before a game, it'll help your hand to eye coordination.

Step 3: Jog and Slide

A typical footwork drill is a jog around the tennis court. Jog gently around the court once. Then we recommend a slide and touch down move using sidelines. Simply alternate the laps of the court with slide and touch down from 5 to 10 minutes