Rally consistency and direction
Ready when: Mini court game and serve (b4) done.
What you are learning
Controlling where the ball goes: high over the net or low, cross-court or down the line, and deep past the service line. Deep balls keep the other player back; steady ones win rallies.
Words on this card Red, Mini court, Baseline, Backswing, Rally, Cross-court, Deep, Set
- Red
- The stages of tennis balls, from the slowest and softest to the normal ball, each with its own court size.
- Mini court
- A small court for young children, about 11 m by 5.5 m.
- Baseline
- The back line of the court, the line that ends the service boxes, and the box the serve must land in.
- Backswing
- Taking the racket back before the hit, in a loop like the letter C, then swinging up through the ball.
- Rally
- Hitting the ball back and forth.
- Cross-court
- Hitting diagonally across the court, or straight along the side.
- Deep
- A ball that lands near the baseline, or one that lands near the net.
- Set
- A group of games; a format where everyone plays everyone.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Rally high over a rope tied above the net, then low under it.
- One player hits cross-court, diagonally; the other hits down the line, straight.
- Aim two balls deep past the service line, then a short one.
Your part while they practise
Count; set targets.
Step by step
- Rally high over the rope, then low under it.
- One plays cross-court, the other down the line.
- Two deep balls, then a short one.
- Swing low to high.
How much: 5 rallies of each 15 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Deep zone
In a rally, a point for each ball that lands past the service line.
Who plays: 2 players, cooperating; you count.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Rally cooperatively from the baseline
- Each ball landing past the service line scores 1 point for the pair
- A miss ends the rally. 5 rallies
- Fair play
- A grown-up must land every ball deep or it does not count.
- Points
- 1 point for each deep ball; add the best 3 rallies.
- Fouls
- The rally ends
- A ball into the net
- A ball out
- A ball hit hard to win instead of to keep the rally
- Winning
- Beat the pair's best.
- 6 points for 1 star
- 12 points for 2 stars
- 20 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Cooperative.
Add a target and a count.
What you will see, and what to say
- the ball lands short
Aim higher over the net
Up and deep. - the racket stops at contact
Finish above the shoulder
Swing through.
Self-check
A cooperative rally of 10 and 6 of 10 balls past the service line.
Stop and get a coach when
Elbow or shoulder pain.
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 consistency, depth.
awiseathlete.com/sports/tennis/tennis-i1