Tennis: beginner drills

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Three At-Home Drills to practice tennis

You don’t need to go to a tennis court to start teaching your child tennis skills. All you need is somewhere flat, where a ball can bounce normally. Think of a front yard, front room, or a park. If you have access to a space like this, these three drills will help your child develop their tennis skillset.

Drop and Hit

Goal: This drill will help your child practice their swing and make contact with the ball at the right point without having to worry about timing.

How it Works: Ask your child to stand, ready to hit a forehand. Stand next to them on their racquet side. Hold the ball in front of them, and when they are ready, let it drop. They should let the ball bounce once and then swing to hit it. Remind them to swing ‘low to high’ to help lift the ball. It doesn’t matter where it goes at this stage; we are more interested in the act of hitting the ball.

Gamify it: When your child is starting, see how many times they can hit the ball in a row. As they get used to swinging at the ball, ask them to try and hit a target (you can use a tree, a chair, a mark on a wall). Again, see how many times they can do that in a row.

Soft Toss Feed

The Goal: This drill will introduce your child to tracking a slowly moving ball and coordinating their movements so that they hit it.

How it Works: Stand a few feet in front and slightly to the side of your child (this keeps you out of the way of their swing). Gently toss the ball towards their forehand side. Try and make the ball land in the hitting zone – that is, at about waist height after the bounce. Ask your child to try and hit the ball back towards you. When they are comfortable with the forehand, do the same with the backhand.

Gamify it: At first, you should only practice a single stroke: forehand or backhand. See how many times your child can return the ball to you so that you can catch it. Every time they do, you both get a point. How many points can you get in 60 seconds? As they get more confident, practice switching up the toss so it goes to both the forehand and backhand. It’s the same game, but it requires quick thinking.

Tap Ups/Tap Downs

Bouncing a tennis ball on the racquet is easier said than done.

Goal: With this drill, your child is learning about racquet control, hand-eye coordination, and getting a feel for the ball on the strings. Children often find it easier to start with two hands on the racquet when attempting these drills and that is fine.

How it Works: A quick tip for this drill: It’s easiest if your child holds the racquet with a “frying pan” grip (like they are going to cook a pancake), not their usual forehand grip.

🎾 Tap-Ups: Ask your child to gently bounce the tennis ball straight up on the strings of their racquet. See how many times they can do it without the ball hitting the floor.

🎾 Tap-Downs: Ask your child to use their racquet to gently bounce the ball on the floor, like dribbling a basketball. See how many times they can do it in a row.

Gamify it: The goal of the game is simple: how many can you do in a row? Start with tap-ups as these are a little easier, but also ask your child to practice tap-downs. Congratulate your child when they manage five, ten, twenty+ in a row – it’s not easy! When they get really good, see if they can alternate it. Can they try one tap-up, let the ball bounce on the floor, and then tap it up again? Or can they tap the ball on one side of the strings, then flip the racquet over to use the other side?

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