Wall tennis and aiming
Ready when: Hand-to-hand and hit-over games (b2) started.
What you are learning
Aiming a stroke: a short backswing, a swing from low to high and a follow-through toward a target on the wall. The wall always sends the ball back, so a child can practise alone.
Words on this card Forehand, Backswing, Follow-through, Rally, Deep
- Forehand
- Hitting on your racket-hand side; on the other side; with both hands on the racket.
- Backswing
- Taking the racket back before the hit, in a loop like the letter C, then swinging up through the ball.
- Follow-through
- Letting the racket keep going after the hit, toward the target.
- Rally
- Hitting the ball back and forth.
- Deep
- A ball that lands near the baseline, or one that lands near the net.
Set up
A soft ball; a target square or a line on the wall.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Drop the ball, let it bounce and hit it gently to the wall; catch it after one bounce.
- Take the racket back a little, swing up through the ball and finish pointing at the target square.
- Keep hitting, one bounce each time, taking turns with a partner.
Your part while they practise
Retrieve and count.
Step by step
- Drop the ball and hit it to the wall; catch after one bounce.
- Then hit at a taped target square.
- Then rally against the wall, taking turns with a partner.
- Short backswing, swing low to high, follow through to the target.
How much: 30 hits 12 min a session 4 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Wall rally
Take turns hitting the wall; count the hits in a row; beat your last count.
Who plays: 1 against their own best, or 2 taking turns.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Hit the ball to the wall
- Let it bounce once and hit again (or let your partner hit next)
- Count until a miss
- 5 rallies
- Fair play
- A grown-up hits backhands only.
- Points
- 1 point for each hit in your best rally; 2 points for each hit inside the target square.
- Fouls
- The count stops
- Two bounces before the hit
- The ball hits the wall below the line
- Hitting out of turn with a partner
- Winning
- Beat your last count.
- 8 points for 1 star
- 15 points for 2 stars
- 25 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Catch after every hit.
Hit without catching.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child swings only with the arm
Turn your shoulders
Shoulders turn first. - the ball rushes past
Move your feet to the ball
Go to it.
Self-check
8 hits in a row against the wall within a 1 m target; later 10 forehands then 10 backhands in a row, one bounce each.
Stop and get a coach when
Pain in the elbow or shoulder.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains direction, consistency, footwork.
awiseathlete.com/sports/tennis/tennis-b3