Approach Shots Drill #5 – Looking For Short Balls

Drill #5 is the most advanced one and I would only recommend it to intermediate and advanced players. If you are a beginner, skip this one. This drill is all about looking for opportunities to go to the net. Our opponents hit the ball short more often than we realize and if you are attentive, you can capitalize on those chances. Let me first summarize how the drill works: 1 – On your side of the court, pick an appropriate depth and put two cones that create an imaginary line across them; 2 – During the rally, your friend can hit anywhere he desires. You, on the other hand, are more limited. If your friends shot lands pass the cones, you HAVE to hit crosscourt. But if he hits it short of the cones, you HAVE to hit down the line and move to the net. 3 – Once you hit down the line the point is completely open; anything goes. This drill is very advanced. As you can see in the video, often I had to force moving to the net. That is totally ok, however. The goal of drill #5 is for the person who is doing it to be constantly looking for that short ball. It is imperative that you pay extra attention to the ball coming off your friend’s racket because the earlier you recognize that the ball will land short, the better your chances are of hitting a good approach shot. I am fully aware that this drill can be tricky and that often you don’t feel like it is the right shot to move in. But embrace that, be ok with being uncomfortable on the tennis court because that is the only way you can improve.