Work done on the training ground and together with your tennis coach is invaluable, it helps technique and fitness to develop and grow.
During your practice games you can implement new skills whilst having fun with your friends or fellow club members. Here we lay down a few suggestions that can be utilized in your practice games that may help you along the way.
Match Variations
- Two First Serves – To help with serving techniques, try playing a game where each player has two or three first serves. This will help you to improve your first serve.
- Ace wins game – Another way to encourage you to take more risks on your first serve. Whenever anyone hits an ace they win the game immediately.
- One Serve Only – If you are having trouble with your second serve, in particular when you are under pressure, try playing some sets when each player has only one serve. This allows you to practice under pressure.
- Net error loses the game – The net is always the biggest enemy on the court, and a point lost into the net is criminal. One way of trying to avoid the net is by playing games when any loose shot goes into the net it forfeits the game. So if you hit a slack return of service into the net, you lose the game.
- Net point won counts double – To develop your net game, play that every point that you win at the net counts double.
- Winner counts double – Any ace or straight winner, counts as two points. This will develop aggression into your game.
- 3 in a row wins game – here the set can only be won by the consecutive winning points, this is to encourage more ambition in your game.
Tennis Practice Games
- Two on One Point Games – One player plays solo, and two as a doubles team. The doubles team can start either at the baseline or the net. This game makes it very difficult for the solo player to hit a winner or just to win. This improves the overall game and teaches taking chances for winners.
- King of the court – The king is one side and the challengers on the other, challengers need to win three points in a row to replace the king. You need to be king to win the game.
- Tag team singles – A minimum of two players are lined up behind each other on the baseline on each side. The players on each side form a team and take alternate shots, points are played out until there is a winner. This is a fun game to play and players learn movement and fast thinking.
- Live ball – This game needs four players that are hitting crosscourt, two have forehand cross court rallies and two backhand. They rally until a mistake is made or a winner hit. The first person to notice that the rally is over shouts “Live Ball” and the other ball is played out as a normal doubles game. This helps develop both forehand and backhand cross court expertise.
These fun games and variations on regular drills brings a little thought into your game and why you are doing what you are doing.
