Practice Drills For Stunning Groundstrokes

Step 1: Thrown ball drill

This drill develops control and accuracy. It requires two players - one to feed the tennis ball, and one to hit it.

You begin by adopting the ready position at the baseline. Ask your feeder to stand near the net in the same half of the court as you. They should throw you a ball underarm so that it bounces just in front of you.

You play a controlled forehand back for them to catch.

Then you simply repeat this, they throw you another ball and you hit it back for them to catch. After ten controlled forehands, your feeder should throw the tennis ball to your backhand.

Now just hit ten controlled backhands for them to catch.

Step 2: Progressive thrown ball drill

For this more difficult drill, begin with the simple ball drill we've just seen, and then ask the feeder to move to the other side of the net.

Now the feeder uses a racket and hits the ball to you. Ten to the forehand and ten to the backhand. If you hit a ball into the net or out, you have to start again! To take the game up notch you can use a target that you have to hit.

After ten forehands and ten backhands, the feeder moves back.

Finally you play the last drill from baseline to baseline. Can you hit ten forehands and ten backhands without a single mistake? Keep practicing until you can!

Step 3: Side to side drill

This drill requires quick reactions and speed to keep the ball in play. Ask your drill partner to feed the ball underarm down the sideline, to your forehand.

You return it, cross-court. Your drill partner runs across and plays the ball down the line to your backhand.

You return the tennis ball, cross-court, to where the drill began.

Repeat from the beginning. One of you plays cross-court groundstrokes, and the other plays down the line.

After five minutes, swap roles with your drill partner.

This drill allows you to practice winning groundstrokes, both cross-court and down the line.