Advance and Retreat

Closely related to the inside-out concept, is the advance retreat movement. This is where the player must back up for a deep (maybe high ball) and then move in for a short ball (preferably slightly insideout-ish thereby forcing the player to "circle" slightly around the ball and in). The basic premise is that the player must learn to "move in position". That is, for a forehand, the player should learn to move backwards (and forwards) by keeping the left foot and shoulder in front. This is not a shuffle-back drill, stop, turn, rotate and swing. The coach should emphasize movement while the player is in the position to strike. Similarly, when moving forward, the player should not sprint in, stop, turn, take the racket back and swing. All these components take too much time to execute (time that the player does not have). Instead, the player should master moving in position so that, no matter where in the court she finds herself, she is ready to strike. Lastly, this is a great drill for teaching player not to get stuck playing "from the vineyard" (i.e. 12 ft behind the baseline). Sometimes, it's OK for the player to back up when being pushed by the opponent. However, the player should not remain behind the court. Instead, the player should always look to recover. 

This drill also works for developing the player's approach shots by teaching proper movement and timing. To take the drill to the next level, the player can - instead of an approach shot - hit a swinging volley. This can be practiced either through feeding or with a live-ball rally. To spice things up, add a regular volley after the swinging volley or approach shot. This 3-shot drill starts by having the player RETREAT for a high, heavy topspin, ADVANCE for the shorter ball, and step in for the volley (repeat 3-4 time and seek to cycle through the movement faster and faster). It's important for a player to be fast, but it's more important to be quick. This, after all, is not a 100yard sprint; it's tennis. Therefore, the player should visualize a fencer advancing in for the kill and then retreating when the opponent advances (the epee, shoulder and leading foot is always in front). 

Inside-Outs

There's a misconception that the best way to practice for tennis is to perform solely "standard" side-to-side drills. This is certainly a good drill for learning proper movement to the ball. However, as very few points are in fact played in a "coast-to-coast" fashion (i.e., sideline to sideline), every practice should seek to incorporate an inside-out drill as well (that is, forehand from the backhand side, backhand from the forehand side). Inside outs assist the player in squaring the leading shoulder to the ball (a particular problem with players with extreme open stances) and staying on their toes. It is important to note that in tennis, running TO the ball is as important as running AWAY from the ball. Inside-out teach the player how to properly set up for every shot in order to maximize power, accuracy and positioning. 

Initially, the coach should feed "regular" side to side sets followed by inside out (e.g. sets of ten each). The player's goal should be to maximize power and placement in order to generate the best angle that she can under the circumstances. After the player becomes proficient at the fed drills, the practice can incorporate the "corners" drill where the coach stays in one corner and moves the player around side to side (the player hitting one "regular" shot followed by an inside out shot). For tougher practices, the player can hit ALL inside outs, although this would depend on the coach's fitness and expertise. A great drill is the typical figure 8 drill but where one player has to hit inside outs (cross-court). Similarly, a more basic drill is the "lazy 8s". This is where the players play cross court and HAVE to alternate shots regardless of the bounce (i.e., if the player hits a forehand off the feed, the next one MUST be a backhand). As the name implies, this is a variation of the standard figure 8 drill although the court is smaller and footwork is more focused. This is a also a great warm-up drill as it keeps the feet moving. 

Learn to master the inside-outs (strokes and movement) and your angles will be deadly. 

Practice Approaches From Deep In The Court

The game of tennis has changed a lot during the past 20 years. With advances in technology and a physical development, the same concepts that worked 20-30 years ago are not as applicable today (the emphasis being, of course, on "as" since some older concepts have limited application today). 

One such concept is that the player should look to come in on a short ball. Sometimes, this is correct as a short ball allows the approaching player to hit more angles and generate more pace due to her forward-motion. Nevertheless, too many times the short ball come in fast, with a lot of spin or a lot of angle thereby making it unsuitable to approach. I believe that there should be a shift in emphasis from location of the bounce to either (a) timing; or (b) opponent's positioning (vis-a-vis his baseline "T"). As a form of playing and practicing, the rule of thumb should be: (I) when you have an extra half-second to set up and crank it, come in; (II) when the opponent is 10 feet (or other arbitrary location) behind the baseline or outside of the side-lines - come in! Forget about where the ball bounces on your side and focus more on punishing your opponent for either (a) bad positioning on her part or (b) poor shot selection on her part (despite having hit the ball deep). 

Initially, practice this by having balls fed very high and deep into your own court forcing you to move back. The player should back up, "load and explode" after that ball and immediately "bolt" inside of the baseline. Rinse and repeat a set of ten. Follow up by doing this drill where the player has to rush in after the "deep approach" and take the next ball out of the air. In live-ball training, the coach should place certain "markers" (e.g., strips of athletic tape) about 10-12 ft behind the baseline and 1-2 feet outside of the service line. When the player sees the rally-opponent (coach or another player) fall outside of these zones, the player should come in - regardless of where the ball is on the opponent's side. The goal should be for the player to incorporate an additional dimension for "the right time to approach". Come in (or seek to come in) when you have time to set up and belt your shot; come in (or seek to come in) when the opponent's out of position. 

Situational Awareness Practice

There is a distinction between cockiness and true confidence and it rests on the latter's knowledge the she has done everything possible to improve herself as a tennis player. A cocky player is often full of bravado that masks phobias and lack of confidence. A confident player does not need to shift attention away from her insecurities because she knows that she has practice for every situation imaginable. By having practiced under every condition, she can often identify the key points and adjust her game accordingly. In this regard, I would suggest playing practice games as follows:

a. Set where the server starts down 0-30 in every game. This is a normal set, but when you think how easy it is to get down 0-30 (e.g., a double fault and a good/lucky shot by the opponent), it is surprising that more players do not practice being in these situations and learning to win. Another variation would be for the server to start at 15-40. For advanced players, I recommend that the returner runs a sprint before his return game (e.g., a ten-ball). This will teach the player how to regulate his adrenaline and channel the energy towards winning the next critical points. 

b. Set where the server gets one serve. This is a variation on the 30-point game. To spice things up, I suggest adding a component where the returner has to do kangaroo jumps (or other form of physical exercise) for (i) every return missed or (ii), for advanced players, every return that lands inside the service line. 

c. Set where the server has to serve-and-volley on the first serve and the returner has to come in (chip/topspin-and-charge) on the second.

d. Set where the server has to win 6 points (rather than 2) in order to improve stamina. 

e. Set where the players start off at 30-30 every game. This is a great game for emphasizing the first 2 points of every game (since, in this instance, if you lose the first 2 points, you lose the game). 

f. Set where, except for the return, the players MUST use their slice backhand when the ball comes to their backhand. 

By placing yourself in these situations over and over again, you will be in a better position to (i) identify the situation when it surfaces during the match, (ii) identify the critical obstacles, (iii) determine what you have to do in order to pull yourself out of the situation, and (iv) figure out how to win the point. Lastly, these points are a great way to shift the focus away from winning or losing (particularly if you have only 1-2 practice partners) to actually improving as a player. 

Tailor Practices/Strokes/Strategy to the Player

It is important for player and coach to come to an understanding regarding not only their respective goals but also their desires and motivations. Just like a square peg cannot be made to fit in a round hole, a player with certain physical and mental characteristics cannot be made to play in a way that does not fit his idiosyncrasies. For example, a tall and lanky player will have a difficult time moving side to side. Therefore, a more suitable game would be to have the player develop a game that is more aggressive in nature. Why should the player be made to spend hours and hours developing his baseline game just to be average?! Similarly, a player who lacks height may have a difficult time covering the net. As a result, this player may benefit more from baseline training than inordinate amount of volleys. Now, it's important for the player to know how to do everything well. As such, by no means should a player be relegated to a limited game style. However, its important - due to limited time and resources - for the player to maximize the practices for efficiency and effectiveness. 

With this in mind, the coach and player should discuss and come to an agreement as to who the player is - physically and mentally. Is the player fast? Is she strong? Is she quick changing direction? Does the player have an aggressive mind frame? Is the player defensive in nature? Is the player a fan of clever plays? In other words, the parties would figure out how the player likes to win points and work their practices backwards from that point. Take for example a player with a monster inside out forehand; a lot of this player's should be based on drawing that mid-court sitter from the opponent in order to capitalize with the player's weapon. As another example, a player who is mostly defensive in nature should focus more on developing a somewhat different set of skills. This player should have deadly returns, great angles and movement as well as the ability to absorb the opponent's power and redirect it to the open court. This player wants longer points whereas a more aggressive player's principal purpose should be to bully the opponent with power and timing. One size does not fit all when it comes to developing one's game and neither the player nor the coach should feel resentful from the experience.