Because of the varied amounts of shots in tennis and the different techniques needed to perform them it is advisable that you practice individual shots with your coach.
However there are some drills that you can practice yourself or even with your coach, and serving drills is one such shot you should pay a great deal of attention to.
The purpose of all drills in any sport is to teach the player to play instinctively and to empty the mind when performing.
Serving In A Row
Divide the court into half, the player has to serve one ball into each half starting from right to left. Serving twice in a row into each side of the court, then thrice and then four times.
Benefits
This drill differs from other in that the player is under pressure to ensure his serve is good, otherwise the amount of serves increases. The drill practices precision and teaches focus.
Psycho Serve
This exercise is the same as above with the added difficulty of a partner. 2 players serve one against each other across the court. Player X serves first, then player Y. If X hits the court and Y misses, X wins the point. If both players hit the court neither get a point. The game is played to first to 3 points, then the players switch serving order.
Benefits
This is a great warm up exercise, and the players serve in a focused manner. Often players warm up without concentrating and practice serving without pressure. That rarely happens in reality.
Serving Under Pressure
Players play a set where the server always starts at 30:40.
Benefits
Players often win some of the games when they are 30:40 down and this drill is designed to build their confidence. When they experience the same situation in a real match they will know that they can win from this position. They will not panic or give up the game before the point even starts. The returner also learns that it is not in their best interest to play passively, he will realise that this approach does not lead anywhere.
Finish The Set
Players start at 4:4 all and play the best of five sets. You can also play this drill in a tie-break situation.
Benefits
Players don’t waste time in practicing their technique in the early points. The pressure is instantly on them to perform at their best. Most players do not seem to understand the importance of winning early match points and play them too carelessly.
Platers can also learn how to approach these situations since they play them more often. They can learn from their mistakes and try a different approach to finishing the set maybe 10 minutes after the first type of play did not work.
These serving drills will dramatically improve your precision under a match-like pressure situation. It will familiarise you with the situation of serving from behind and give you confidence that you can win from this situation.
