Drills/Games for "Little Stars" 1. Kick and Shuffle (age 4 - 8) - footwork, coordination, balance 2. High Five (age 4 - 10) - hand-eye coordination, racquet control 3. Dodge Ball (age 3 - 10) - quick footwork, quick reaction, fun game 4. Royal Court (age 5 - 10) - movement to the ball, hand-eye coordination 5. Roll and Catch (age 3 - 80) - quick movement and body control 6. Turn and Catch (age 5 - 80) - quick reaction, ball tracking, speed and balance 7. Bounce and Count (age 3 - 12) - ball tracking, hand-eye coordination 8. Caterpillar (age 3 - 80) - footwork, quickness, fun game 9. Alligator (age 3 - 6) - volley practice, hand-eye coordination, fun game 10. One Up, One Back (age 5 - 10) - volley practice, had-eye coordination 11. Bouncy Balls Race (age 5 - 10) - coordination, racquet and ball control 12. Name your number (age 4 - 80) - rally consistency 13. Anything you can do... (age 3 - 80) - stroke consistency, fun game 14. Aim High (age 3 - 80) - stroke consistency, character building 15. Simon Says (age 4 - 10) - fun tennis game 16. The Island (age 4 - 80) - strokes consistency and accuracy 17. Hula Tennis (age 5 - 80) - rally accuracy 18. Popcorn (age 3 - 10) - warm-up fun game 19. Lines (age 3 - 10) - warm-up fun drill 20. Tight Rope (age 3 - 7) - balance, footwork; warm-up 21. Jail Breaker (age 5 - 10) - fun game; ground-strokes, hand-eye coordination 22. Serve is Fun (age 7 - 12) - serve consistency; competitive play 23. Strike Seven (age 5 - 10) - team work, hand-eye coordination; pressure play 24. Cannon Ball (age 4 - 8) - fun game 25. Bounce it! (age 4 - 12) - racquet and ball control, footwork; warm-up game 26. Hand-Eye (age 6 - 12) - hand-eye coordination, footwork; warm-up drill 27. Cone Swings (age 4 - 12) - work-out drill 28. Clean the Court (age 4 - 12) - conditioning game for little kids 29. Tidy / Messy (age 4 - 12) - conditioning game 30. Cross-Court Throw (age 8 - 12) - throwing drill (for serve) 31. Potato Race (age 5 - 12) - team work; fun game 32. Four Boxes (age 7 - 10) - ball and racquet control 33. Bouncy Numbers (age 5 - 10) - footwork; tracking the ball 34. Juggle Rally (age 6 - 15) - ball and racquet control 35. Spots (age 7 - 12) - ground-strokes consistency; pressure 36. Field Trip (age 5 - 12) - fun game; ground-strokes 37. Jog Ball Toss (age 5 - 12) - warm-up drill 38. Wipe Out (age 7 - 80) - fun game; competitive play 39. Catch Call (age 5 - 7) - quick reaction; hand-eye coordination 40. Frog on Lily Pad (age 4 - 12) - warm-up game 41. Balls Toss and Catch (age 5 - 12) - hand-eye coordination; quick feet 42. Bounce/Hit (age 7 - 12) - ball tracking; rally consistency 43. Call 1 or 2 (age 7 - 12) - ball tracking; footwork 44. Great Footwork (age 5 - 12) - footwork 45. Bounce and Clap (age 5 - 12) - ball tracking 46. Open Stance Footwork (age 5 - 12) - tennis footwork and movement 47. Rally and Move (age 9 - 12) - fun drill; consistency under pressure 48. Target Cones (age 9 - 12) - stroke consistency and placement 49. Figure 8 / Sprint / Catch (age 7 - 12) - footwork; quick reaction
50. Clap Together (age 7 - 12) - coordination; footwork 51. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (age 5 - 12) - coordination, footwork, balance 52. Cone Catch (age 7 - 12) - hand-eye coordination, ball tracking; fun drill 53. Throw and Cone Catch (age 7 - 12) - hand-eye coordination; ground-strokes control 54. Perfect Contact (age 5 - 12) - ball contact; hand-eye coordination 55. Bounce-Count-Catch (age 5 - 12) - fun warm-up drill; hand-eye coordination 56. Serve Toss and Tap (age 7 - 12) - practice the toss and abbreviated serve 57. Bounce, Bounce, Bounce (age 5 - 12) - hand-eye coordination; ball and racquet control 58. Step In / Step Back (age 4 - 12) - preparation, footwork and balance on groundstrokes 59. One for All (age 8 - 12) - fun game; ground-strokes consistency and accuracy 60. Tennis Counting (age 5 - 12) - ground-strokes consistency; pressure 61. Cone Scoop (age 4 - 12) - hand-eye coordination; fun game 62. Back / Forth Serve (age 5 - 12) - serve warm-up drill 63. Towling (age 6 - 12) - ground-strokes accuracy 64. Hand Rally (age 7 - 12) - hand-eye coordination 65. Toss and Scoop (age 5 - 8) - serve toss practice game 66. Earthquake (age 8 - 12) - competitive ground-strokes game NEW Drill: The coach will feed gently (with the racquet) a ball to the first player in line. She will catch it and toss it back to the coach then moves to the end of the line of players. Without catching it, the coach will gently tap the ball back over the net for the next player in line. The second player will also attempt to catch and toss the ball back to the coach; and so on. If any of the players drops or does not catch the ball, the coach will grab another one from the basket and the drill continues without interruption. Notes: - have players move quickly out of the way once they toss the ball to the coach so that they don't bump into the next player; - this drill is great for developing hand-eye coordination and it can be a good work-out if the number of players is less than three.
Kick and Shuffle "Little Star" stands at the baseline, the parent/coach at the service line with a bunch of balls near by. The parent rolls a ball slowly towards LS, she will move to the ball and kick it with her foot back to the parent. The parent will try to kick the ball back and this time LS will shuffle in direction of the ball and spread her feet so that the ball will pass between them. Repeat about 10 - 15 times. Note: Very good drill for body control, coordination, ball tracking, balance for beginning little tennis players.
High Five The "Little Star" stands about three feet from the net, with the racquet up, forehand grip. The parent/coach is going to be on the other side of the net, having a basket of balls nearby. I suggest that you use low pressure balls for more control of the rally.
In the beginning, the parent feeds LS a few balls asking her to give the ball a "high five" (by reaching up and making high contact with the ball). Encourage LS to move her feet according to where the balls go. After a few "high fives�, the parent and LS rally the ball counting how many they can keep the ball in play over the net. Note: Kids love this drill/game. It's a great way to have the first rally with a child that just picks up a racquet. It improves hand-eye coordination, racquet control and it gets little kids to feel comfortable playing at the net. >
Dodge Ball The "Little Star" is positioned in one service box and can only run inside the box and cannot pass the lines. The parent/coach is positioned on the other side of the net and feeds balls gently trying to tap the LS with the ball. The feed should be done so that the balls bounce within three feet of the student. The balls should touch them around the knees and no higher than the waist. Try not to hit too hard! For every time the ball touches LS, at the end of the game, she has to execute a task: push-ups, jumping jacks, jump rope, a lap around the court or any kind of activity that students can benefit from to improve their tennis skills. This is a great, fun drill that kids absolutely love to do! It improves reaction to the ball, footwork and is an overall good workout for the participants. I must stress the fact that you should use low pressure balls which are very light and travel slowly through the air so even though someone might get hit; the balls are too light to hurt them. >
Royal Court The "Little Star" starts at the baseline with the racquet placed on the ground. Parent/coach is positioned on the other side of the net with a basket of balls nearby.The parent/coach feeds a high ball over the net and calls "go!". LS will try to catch the ball before it passes the baseline. Once she catches the ball, she runs back and places it on the racquet. The sequence repeats until she catches five balls and places them all on the racquet. If she misses a ball, she lets it go. After LS gathers five balls, she will try to bring all the balls to the basket by balancing them on the racquet. Note: This game/drill can be used as a warm-up with young children. It is good for learning to track the ball, anticipate how high the ball bounces, and improve footwork and hand-eye coordination. >
Roll and Catch The "Little Star" stands at the baseline facing the net and with her feet apart. The parent/coach stands behind her having 2 tennis balls ready. He rolls them slowly between the LS's feet and towards the net. The LS will have to run and catch both balls, one at a time, before they reach the net. Good drill for speed, quick reaction and balance on the run. Note: for more fun, roll more than two balls for the player to catch. >
Turn and Catch
The "Little Star" stands at the baseline with her back to the net. The parent stands at the service line, calls "go!" and tosses a ball in the air. The LS will have to turn and run to catch the ball before it bounces twice. Note: Fun drill for beginning kids to develop quick reaction, tracking the ball, speed and balance on the run. >
Bounce and Count A parent/coach and a "Little Star" face each other at a distance of about 15 feet apart. The parent will bounce/toss the ball toward the LS saying a number (2, 3, 4 or 5). The number represents how many times the ball should bounce before the LS should try to catch it. Once the LS catches it, she will throw the ball back to her parent calling a number also. This way, the child feels like she is in command too. Note: This drill teaches the little players to keep their eyes on the ball, tracking it while it bounces and also hand-eye coordination. >
Caterpilar The parent/coach has a bunch of balls ready close by and stands at the net on the same side as the "Little Star" who is waiting on the service line facing the parent. The parent will roll balls one by one in the direction of the LS changing the direction of the ball slightly. LS will shuffle her feet to allow the balls to roll between them one at a time . Roll about 10-15 balls this way; take a break of 1 minute before doing it again. This is a fun drill for kids which also teaches them ball tracking and tennis specific movement. >film <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nJies2tLOIM? feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Alligator "Little stars" line up facing the net about 3 feet from it having their racquets up with the tip pointed towards the sky and the face forward. The parent/coach is on the other side of the net, facing the LS, having a basket of balls ready. The parent will gently feed one ball at a time to each player so that they can make contact with it in the air and above head high. Each player will try to give the ball a "high five" (high volley) and send the ball over the net, into the opposite court. If they make it, they are safe and stay put. If they miss: •
first time they lift one foot up (stand on one foot)
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second time they put one knee down
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third time they kneel
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fourth time they sit down
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fifth time they lay on their back
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sixth time they will have to pick up 10 balls and put them in the parent's basket and go back to start
the game from the beginning. Little kids love this game; keep it fun and not competitive. > One Up, One Back
Line up the Little Stars about 3 feet from the net, holding their racquets up. A parent/coach is on the other side of the court about half way between service line and net with a basket of balls ready. The parent will feed balls gently to each player, one ball at a time. If the player taps the ball in the air and hits it over the net, she will make a step back away from the net. If the player misses the ball (swings by it, hits it in the net etc.), she will make a step forward towards the net. The parent will keep feeding balls to each player one at a time until one of them is touching the service line with her feet. So basically, if the LS hits the ball over the net (by taping it in the air) she makes a step back; if the misses she steps forward. Note: good drill for developing hand-eye coordination, volley touch and becoming comfortable playing at the net. >
Bouncy Balls Race Two lines of "Little Stars" behind the baseline; one line on the right, one on the left. One cone is placed about 6 feet from the net in front of each line of players, same side of the court. First players from each line will pick a ball from the basket and they will race to the cone bouncing the ball on the racquet. Once they get to the cone, they will circle it and go back to their respective line keeping the ball bouncing. They will then pass the ball to the next player in line and the race continues until everyone circles the cone twice. If you have an uneven number of players in line, one of the players from the smaller line will have to go an extra round. Note: fun drill for coordination and ball control.
Name your Number The parent/coach stands on one side of the court, "little star" on the other side; both at service line. The parent calls any number from 3 to 20 that represents how many times in a row the LS should hit the
ball over the net in a rally. Note: This drill is for little players who are comfortable rallying over the net. >
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better! A parent/coach is on one side of the net, with a basket of balls ready, facing a line of players on the other side behind the service line. The first player in line is being fed balls from the basket (forehands only, backhands only or alternating one forehand and one backhand) by the parent. The little player counts how many balls he hits in a row. Once he makes a mistake, he will move to the end of the line and the next player in line will come up and try to hit at least as many balls as the previous player. After all the kids have a turn, they will compare the number of balls hit with the each other. The winner will propose a task for the other players to perform (skipping from net to back fence, pick up 10 balls, play a song etc.) >
Aim High A parent/coach stands behind the net with a basket of balls ready. The "little star" on the other side of the net, service line. The parent feeds balls to the LS (forehands, backhands or alternating one forehand and one backhand). How this game works: LS will have to hit in the beginning one ball over the net and inside the court. Next she'll try to hit two balls in a row. Next she'll go for three balls in a row. Then for four balls in a row. And so on... trying to hit one more ball compared to the previous try. She will try to see how high a number of balls in a row she can achieve without missing. Note: good drill for consistency, concentration; builds character also. >
Simon Says... This drill can be done by any number of players. "Little Stars" line up behind the service line with racquets ready and room enough between players. The parent/coach is in front of them on the same side. Parent will call "Simon says... (name a tennis stroke)" and the LS will execute the particular stroke. If at any point during the stroke execution the parent says "Freeze!" the LS will have to stop. In this way the parent can check for grip, balance or body position. >
The Island Place a bunch of cones together in the middle of the court forming a solid circle of about 7 feet in diameter. The center of it should be at the intersection of the service line and the center line. The parent stands on the side with the cones, the "little star" on the other side of the net.
Parent will feed balls to LS from the basket. The LS will try to avoid hitting the cones until a predetermined number of balls is hit over the net. Example: The LS will attempt to hit 7 balls over the net in a row and then the 8th one she will hit it towards the cones to knock them down. To keep it fun, after the LS knocks the cones, count how many are down. Keep the other ones up and the game continues until LS knocks all the cones down. Have fun!
Hula Tennis The parent/coach stands at the service line on one side, the "little star" stands on the service line on the other side. A Hula Hoop is placed inside the service court on the parent's side. The two rally a ball back and forth over the net (the parent will put the ball in play with a "bounce and hit"). Scoring: The parent wins a point for every mistake the LS makes (hits into the net, out of bounds etc.). LS wins a point if the parent happens to make a mistake or she will win 3 points if her ball lands in the Hula Hoop. Play first to 10 points.
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Popcorn This drill is for a group of "little players". They all line up at the service line with their back towards the net. A parent/coach having a bunch of balls ready on the racquet stands close to the net on the same side with the players. He will hold one ball less than the number of players. At some point the parent will call out "POPCORN!" and throw all the balls in the air. The players will run to catch a ball. The one who doesn't get a ball will call "POPCORN" the next round. Note: fun drill for warm-up. >
Lines Have the "little stars" line up at the service line. The parent/coach is on the same side with them. Parent will call a line (service line, baseline, singles side line etc.) and a task; for example: "Hop like a bunny to the baseline" or "Skip to the net" and the LS will race to perform the task right away. To make it fun, the parent could try to "trick" them by calling a task and pointing in a different direction. Example: Call out - "Run to the net!" and point towards the back fence. This can get the kids confused in the beginning and then laugh once they notice the trick. Have fun with this warm-up drill. >
Tight Rope Little players line up along one of the court's lines. The first player in line is the leader. Everyone will follow her. They pretend that the lines are a tight rope that they will try to stay on and not fall off. The kids will follow the leader who will run along the lines, shuffle sideways or move backwards without "falling off the rope". Note: This exercise teaches little kids balance and footwork. It is a good warm-up exercise.
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Jail Breaker Little players line up behind the service line in a single file line. The parent/coach is on the other side of the net having a bucket of balls ready. The parent feeds a ball to the first player in line. This player will attempt to hit the ball (forehand or backhand) over the net and inside the lines. If she succeeds she is "safe" and goes to the end of the line. But if she misses (hits the ball in the net or out) she will put her racquet by the net and run to the other side of the net (behind the parent/coach), in "Jail". The only way for her to get out of Jail is to catch a ball the one of the players from the line hits over the net and in. She will have to catch it either in the air or after one bounce. With younger players, they should attempt to catch the ball before it leaves the singles court. The game continues until there is only one player remaining to be fed a ball and the other players are all in Jail. If the last "safe" player hits the ball over the net and a player from Jail catches it, she is replaced by the player who caught the ball. But if the safe player hits the ball over the net and none of the players in Jail catches it, she wins the game. Note: Good game for kids to work on basic strokes and have fun doing it.
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Serve is Fun Players line up single file line behind the baseline. Each one of them should have a ball and their racquet ready. The first player in line will hit a serve over the net attempting to place it in the appropriate service box (diagonal). If she succeeds, she will go to the end of the line and the next player steps forward to serve. But if a player misses her serve, she will run to the other side of the net and will get ready to return the serve of the next player in line. If the server hits the ball in, the receiver will return it and the two players will play the point out. The winner will take the spot at the end of the line, the one that lost will be out of the game (pick up balls or support a team mate). The game continues until there are two players competing to get the serve in. If one of them misses
first, she will become the returner of the other player's serve. The winner of the rally will win the game. Note: This game improves players' serve consistency; introduces them to competitive play. >
Strike Seven Two teams of little players are positioned on different sides of the court. One team (A) is lined up behind the service line. The other team (B), on the opposite side of the net, with no racquets, are scattered inside the court ready to catch ballsthat team A will hit over the net. A feeder on the same side with team B has a basket of balls ready and close by. The feeder will send a ball gently towards the first player in line for team A. The player will try to hit it over the net and inside the court. The players from team B will try to catch the ball before it crosses the baseline or sidelines. The ball can be caught in the air or after the bounce. If one of the players in team B catches it, the team gets 1 point; if they don't, team A receives a point. Also if the player from team A missed the ball, hit the net or out of bounds, none of the teams receives any points. The game continues with each player in team A hitting a ball and trying to score for their team. Play like this until one of the teams wins 7 points. They then switch sides and roles. Note: this is a fun game for kids and promotes learning how to handle pressure, hand-eye coordination, team work. For safety, use low-compression balls.
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Cannon Ball "Little stars" are lined up at the baseline behind the center mark. The parent/coach has a basket of balls and is positioned on the other side of the net. Drill: The coach calls the name of the first player in line. She will try to jog, along inside the doubles alley only, from baseline to net while the coach feeds balls toward her. She will try to dodge every ball avoiding getting hit while running only inside the doubles alley. The feeds from the coach should be gentle just in case the LS is hit. Once the LS gets to the net, she will run back to the end of the line and then the next player in line will take her turn. Note: Fun drill for kids - they love it.
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Bounce it! This is a great game that kids love. It is a good warm-up to start the class with. The game can be played with two or more players. To keep it simple we'll introduce it as having two players on the court... One player on each side of the net. One of them starts the point with a "drop and hit". Once the ball goes over the net, and bounces in the court, the player has to run to the ball and keep it bouncing with their racquet by either tapping it up, or down (players are not allowed to catch the ball by hand). At any moment they could hit the ball back over the net. Once they hit the ball back, that player must then keep the ball bouncing in the same manner and hit it back as soon as he is ready. The first bounce of the ball, once it goes over the net, has to be inside the lines. Score: The other player receives a point when a player rolls the ball. The goal is to keep the ball bouncing and avoid rolling it on their respective side of the court. Once a point is played (the ball rolled), the player on whose side the ball rolled will start the next point with another "drop and hit". Note: The game promotes good racquet control, footwork, tracking the ball and if played many times eventually the kids will start rallying by hitting the ball over the net after one bounce. >
Hand-Eye Players pair up and position on the court as follows: - one pair at each of the doubles alleys facing each other (one player on the singles line, one on the doubles line, on the same side of the net). If there are more kids, pair them at the net (one player on each side of the net). Every player has one ball in their hands (two balls per pair), no racquets are involved for this drill. Drill: At command, the pairs start to shuffle sideways, in the same direction while tossing the balls back and forth to each other at the same time. If they drop a ball, they pick it up and continue. Once the players get to the end of the line, they reverse direction and shuffle back to where they started, while continuing to toss the balls back and forth.
Repeat three times. Note: Very good drill for developing hand-eye coordination for little players. It can be used as a warmup as well.
Clean the Court The coach holds two racquets with 10 balls on the strings each. "Little Stars" are divided into two teams; they use no racquets for this game. Teams are positioned on opposite sides of the net. The coach will toss the balls off the racquets into the court so that 10 balls land on each team's side. As soon as the balls are tossed on their court, teams will rush to pick the balls and throw them over the net into the other team's court. The players can only pick one ball at a time and throw it over the net into the other team's side. After 1 minute, the coach yells "Stop!"; nobody can pick or throw any more balls after that. They count how many balls are left on each side. The team with the fewest balls left on their side of the court wins the game. Note: This game can be performed at the end of the class also. >
Tidy / Messy The court is covered with 20 cans of balls. Half of them are upside-down, half are positioned the right way. The players are divided into two teams. One team is supposed to turn the cans the right way, one team to turn the cans upside-down. At command, the teams proceed to perform their respective task. After 1 minute, the coach yells "Stop!"; the team with the most cans turned in their favor wins. Note: Good conditioning drill to use at the end of the class. >
Cross-Court Throw Four players behind the service line (two on each side of the net). They work in pairs - cross-court. They throw the ball to each other (overhand). The ball has to bounce inside the service box before it is
caught by the other player. Players continue to practice throwing the ball diagonally back and forth overhand, making the ball bounce inside the opposing service box. If the kids are stronger, they can move further back (e.g. baseline). Note: Kids practice the throwing motion needed for a good serve. The practice can be done with two players, three (2 on 1) or more players lined up on opposite sides of the net. >
Potato Race Have the kids line up in two single file lines behind the baseline: one on the right, one on the left. In front of each line, at the base of the net, there is a pile of balls. Each pile has an equal number of balls in it. At command, the first player from each line will run to their respective pile of balls, pick up one ball then run back towards the service line. Once they get there, they will stop, execute a serve (or ground-stroke - previously determined by the coach). If they manage to hit the ball over the net, they will then run back to their respective line and tag the next player in line who will then run to repeat the action. If the player, however hits the ball in the net, he will pick-up the respective ball and try again. So he will run back to his line only after he gets the ball over the net. The kids will take turns one by one until one team has hit all their balls over the net and the last player gets behind the baseline first. That team wins.
Four Boxes This game is played only in the service courts. There is one player in each of the service boxes (4 players total). Any player can start the rally. The balls are hit slowly, no winners are allowed. Each player protects his square (service box) - if the ball gets into their court, they will have to hit it UP after the bounce, gently, to either of the other players' box.
This is a non-competitive game, the emphasis is on ball and racquet control.
Bouncy Numbers The coach rallies with a young player. He will call a number which represents how many times the ball should bounce before the player will return the ball. The player will back up and wait for the ball to bounce the number of times specified by the coach before she returns it back over the net. This is a good way to teach young players footwork, tracking, and keeping an eye on the ball. >
Juggle Rally Two players rally over the net. As they receive the ball, they will tap it first on their racquet, let it bounce, then hit it gently over the net. The player on the opposite side will do the same: tap the ball on the racquet, let it bounce and then return it back to his partner. Good game for ball and racquet control, as well as keeping an eye on the ball. >
Spots Line up four poly spots from the net to the baseline as follows: one at the middle of the service court, one at the service line, one half way between the service line and baseline, and one at the baseline. The coach is on the side opposite the line of spots, the young player starts from the spot closest to the net. The player is required to rally two balls in a row with the coach, starting and recovering from the first spot. If he succeeds, the player will move to the next (further) spot (the one on the service line), where he will try to rally three balls in a row (recovering to the same spot). If he makes it, he will move back further to the next spot (going for four balls in a row). If he fails to rally the required number of balls, he then goes back to the previous spot. The player attempts to move back one spot at a time until he gets to the last one, on the baseline. From
here, he will try to rally five balls in a row with the coach. Note: This is a good game to develop consistency under pressure for beginning players.
Field Trip The coach is half way between service line and net with a basket of balls ready. Two players are on the same side of the court with the coach, with no racquets (they are the "fielders"). On the other side of the net, at the baseline, the rest of the players form two lines. The coach will double feed, one ball to first player in each line. They will execute ground-strokes hitting them over the net. If they miss the ball, they get another one. The fielders will try to each catch 3 balls that come to their side. They can catch them off the air or after one bounce. Once one of them catches three balls, he/she replaces the player whose ball they caught last.
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Jog Ball Toss Kids line up forming a circle inside no-man's land. They each have a ball in their hand (no racquets). At command, they start jogging in a circle. As they jog, the coach will give commands like: toss the ball in the air and catch it after the bounce; toss the ball in the air and catch it before it bounces; toss the ball in the air and catch it with right hand after the bounce; change direction of running; etc. Note: good exercise for warm-up. >
Wipe Out One line of players behind the baseline, another line of players on the opposite side, baseline also. A coach (or a feeder) is at the net with a basket of balls; he feeds always to the side with one player on the court (once the game begins). First player in one line will play against the first player from the other line. Whoever wins stays and brings another player on the court (the next in line). Whoever loses, moves out to the end of the line and the next player in line steps up to play. As long as the players keep winning, they keep bringing a new player on the court. Once they lose, they all go to the end of the line (wipe out). The game continues until there is a team with all its players on the court playing against the other team's remaining player. Note: this is a fun game for groups of 6 and more players. >
Catch Call Two players, A and B, stand about 10 feet apart. A holds a ball and faces B. B is turned with her back to A and is ready to react. A will call "Catch!" then toss the ball towards B. B will turn around as soon as she gets the cue and try to catch the ball after one bounce. Players then can take turns tossing and catching. Note: quick reaction and hand-eye coordination exercise.
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Frog on Lily Pad Kids pair up. Each team has two poly spots ("lily pads") handy. One of the players (in each team) starts at the baseline as "the frog"; the other player having the "lily pads" ready places one of them about 2 feet in front of the "frog" who will jump on it. The second pad will be placed, again, about 2 feet forward; the "frog" will jump on this one too and wait for the next "lily pad" to be placed ahead before jumping again. Once the "frog" gets to the service line (jumping from one lily pad to another), players will reverse roles. Note: This game can be used as a warm-up in the beginning, or as a race between teams at the end of the lesson.
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Balls Toss and Catch Two players stand about 10 feet from each other. One of them holds two tennis balls (sponge balls recommended for little kids). At command, she will toss both balls (at the same time) toward her partner. Her partner will try to catch the balls after the bounce. Then they repeat the action with the other player catching the balls. Note: good exercise for developing hand-eye coordination, quick feet and hands for little players.
Bounce / Hit Two players rally over the net, short court. Each player will say "bounce" when the ball bounces on her side and "hit" when they swing at the ball, during the rally. These cues help the children focus their eyes on the ball and have longer rallies.
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Call 1 or 2 Two players rally over the net. As they hit the ball, players call a number - either 1 or 2; the number represents how many times their partner should let the ball bounce before they hit it back. Note: this game improves kids' focus on the ball and promotes good footwork. >
Great Footwork The coach is at the net with a bunch of balls; the little player is at the service line, same side with the coach.
The coach will roll one ball at a time and instruct the little player to stop the ball with either the left or right foot. The little player will move parallel with the net and stop the ball with the foot instructed by the coach; then she will kick the ball back to the coach. Note: good drill to teach kids to "find" the ball with their feet first.
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Bounce and Clap Two little players stand across the net facing each other. They toss the ball back and forth to each other; as the ball bounces, the player whose side the ball bounces claps once as the ball touches the ground; then she catches it and tosses it back. The other player does the same. Note: By clapping when the ball bounces, it teaches the little players to keep their eyes on the ball. Variation: both players can clap when the ball bounces on either side. >
Open Stance Footwork The little player stands behind the service line, the coach is at the net, same side with the player. The coach will roll a ball to little player's right side; she will move to the ball and stop it with her right foot. Then the coach will roll the ball to the player's left side; she will move to the ball and stop it with her left foot. The drill continues alternating left and right or random. To make sure that the balls don't gather all in front of the player, the little player can kick the ball after she stops them with the foot.
Note: good drill to teach little kids the footwork required for open stance ground-strokes.
Rally and Move Two players start at the service line, opposite sides. They each have a "polly spot" at their feet - that is the starting and recovering point. The two players will attempt to rally 10 balls over the net (6 balls for less skilled players). If they succeed, they put their racquet down so that the bottom touches the "polly spot" and the tip points toward the baseline; then they mover the "polly spot" over the racquet and place it at the tip of the racquet. They attempt another rally of 10 balls over the net from the new location (of the polly). Every time they succeed they move the polly spot one racquet length toward the baseline. Eventually they get to the baseline and attempt a 10 ball rally from there. Conversely, if they fail to rally 10 balls over the net, they move the spot one racquet length toward the net (where they can hit volleys). Note: good fun drill to practice consistency under the pressure. >
Target Cones Two players, opposite sides of the net, rally a ball over the net. Each player has 3 cones positioned on their side of the court, about half way between net and service line. During the course of the rally, the players aim to knock over each other's cones with the ball. Whoever knocks a cone over gets to take that cone and place it next to the ones on their side. (If more than one cone is knocked down by the ball, the player receives only one cone). The score is 4 - 2 (4 for the player who hit a cone, and 2 for the player whose cone was hit). Now the player with 4 cones has a smaller target to aim at (2 cones) compared to her partner who now has a bigger target (4 cones) to aim at. They keep rallying until eventually one of them accumulates all the cones on her side.
Note: good drill for consistency and developing stroke placement.
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Figure 8 / Sprint / Catch One player (A) is behind the baseline facing the net; the other player (B) is about 10 feet in front of her holding a tennis ball. Two cones are placed about 6 feet apart, one on the right and one on the left, on the baseline. The first player (A) will start moving in a figure 8 pattern around the two cones, facing the net, until the other player (B) tosses the ball up in the air - (A) will sprint to catch the ball after one bounce (two bounces for younger kids); then she will toss the ball back to her partner and continue moving around the cones. Repeat 3 times. Note: For younger players, large balls can be used to catch. Good drill for footwork that also improves quick reaction and watching the ball on the run.
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Clap Together - warm-up Two players face each other - they each clap hands together, then clap against their partner's hands; then clap hands together again, then with their partner's opposite hands (right hand of one player claps the right hand of the other player, and so on). They do this while moving laterally to the baseline then back to the net. Note: This is a great drill for coordination and footwork. >
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (kids warm-up) Two players face each other, keeping their knees bent and hands up, palms facing the other player's hands (about eye level). One of the players is designated as the Leader. At command, the two shuffle laterally facing each other (towards the baseline and back to the net). As they shuffle, the Leader will move her hands in different ways: hands up, hands down, one up and one down, stretch one arm to the side or any other moves. The other player will try to mirror the leader's movements all while shuffling laterally. Note: This is a good exercise for footwork, balance and coordination. >
Cone Catch Two players face each other, each on one side of the net. Every player holds a cone with the opening (base) pointing up. They toss a ball back and forth over the net. The player who receives the ball will try to catch it in the cone; then she will toss it back to her partner who will also try to catch the ball in the cone. Do this until players successfully catch the ball 10 times in the cone. Note: This drill develops hand-eye coordination and teaches the kids to judge proper spacing to the ball. >
Throw and Cone Catch Two players pair up, with each one on opposite sides of the net. One of the players (A) holds a cone in one hand and a ball in the other. The other player (B) is in ready position with a racquet in her hands. Player A will toss the ball to B; B will hit the ball back to A who will attempt to catch it in her cone. The exercise continues until they successfully do it 7 times then players switch roles. > Perfect Contact Feed a ball to the player. He/she will move to the ball and try to contact or catch it with her dominant hand. After a few repetitions, put the racquet in her/his hand and repeat the drill but this time, have them contact the ball with the strings. It is important that the players learn to contact the ball then swing through before they add the backswing. Note: practice contact and hand-eye coordination.
> Bounce-Count-Catch Each kid has a ball in his/her hands. They toss the ball straight up and catch it after it bounces once. If successful, they will toss the ball again and catch it after it bounces two times; then after three times, four times etc. They will try to see what the highest number of bounces they can achieve and catch the ball after. If they can catch the ball after 5 bounces it would be a good accomplishment. Use yellow balls (bouncier) for better results. > Serve Toss and Tap Each kid sets-up a line of balls stretching from the net (about 3 feet from it) all the way to the service line. They start close to the net, where the first ball in line is. Then they pick up the first ball in line, put their racquets up like in a "high five" then toss the ball up as high as the racquet strings are. They will tap the ball (without a back-swing) so that it goes over the net, and then add a follow-through (finish with the racquet close to the pants' left pocket). Move back to the next ball in line and repeat. As they keep moving back, the distance between the net and them increases so they will have to hit more up and a little more push/swing. Once they get to the service line, they can add a backswing starting with the racquet behind the head. > Bounce, Bounce, Bounce Kids scatter all over the court with a racquet and a ball in hands. At command, every player will begin bouncing their ball against the ground using their racquets (the ball should not be touched by hand once it is bounced). They keep doing it until one of the players' ball rolls. That player who is out of the game can cheer for one of the remaining players so that he/she stays involved. The game goes on until there are two players left competing for who keeps the ball bouncing against the ground the longest time. Note: "Bounce, Bounce, Bounce" develops good hand-eye coordination as well as racquet and ball control.
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Step-In / Step-Back The "little star" stands at the baseline, ready position. The coach holds 7 balls in his hands; the basket of balls is close to the net (same side); Have the kid set (turn sideways, racquet cocked), then drop a ball in front of her; she hits it and followsthrough; then make a step toward the net and drop another ball and so on until she hits the seventh ball closer to the net. The kid will hit every ball that you drop in front of her moving closer to the net. Once she hits all the balls, take another 7 balls from the basket and repeat the tennis drill, this time moving away from the net - hitting and stepping back. Note: Good tennis drill to teach moving into the ball, proper preparation, footwork and balance for little players.
One for All The kids are divided into two teams - A and B; they line up behind the service line - one on the right and the other on the left. The coach is just inside the service line with a basket of balls near by. Piles of targets are placed on the court opposite side from where the teams A and B are positioned. Game: The coach will feed the balls, one at a time, alternating, to the first player in each line. If at any time a player (who practices ground-strokes) misses the pile of targets (cones), she/he stays out inside the doubles alley (of his team's side) and cheers for her/his team. If any of the players from a team knocks a target from the pile she/he will bring all the players standing in the alley back in line and in the game. If none of the players of a team knocks any of the targets, the other team receives 1 point. This drill/game continues until one team's players hit the targets 10 times (or wins 10 points). Note: Good technique is enforced andâ&#x20AC;Ś having fun.
> Tennis Counting
This is a drill that emphasizes consistency under a little bit of pressure (drill designed for young players). The coach is inside the service court, having a basket of balls near by. The little player can do the drill either from service line (opposite side from the coach) or, depending on his skill level, closer to the baseline. Drill: The coach says a number from 1 to 5. That number represents how many strokes in a row the little player should hit in to get a point. The balls the little player hits are fed by the coach. Every time the number is reached, the little player gets 1 point (+1). Her goal is to get to +5. If she misses before she reaches the target number, she loses a point. Note: According to little player's skill and emotional level, the number of balls in should be carefully selected by the coach so that the player does not get discouraged.
> Cone Scoop The coach is at the net on one side, the little players are divided in two groups and lined up behind the service line. Every player holds a cone, upside down, in their hands; or if the number of cones is limited, the first player in each line will hold a cone then pass it on to the next player. Drill: The coach will toss a ball for the first player in one of the lines; the little player will attempt to catch the ball, after 1 bounce, in the upside-down cone. If she does it successfully, she'll score 1 point for her team. The coach will then feed a ball to the first player from the other line, and so on. Play first team to score 7 points. Note: - the feeds should be done based on the kids' hand-eye coordination level (lower or higher bounce); - this drills is good for hand-eye coordination and movement while watching the ball.
- low compression balls should be used with little kids.
> Back/Forth Serve The player begins this drill from the service line, having a bunch of balls nearby. She will attempt to serve diagonally, into the proper service box, from the service line. If her serve is in she will make a step back (toward the baseline); and so on as long as she gets it in. If she misses the serve she makes a step forward (toward the net). The player will continue serving until she makes her way to the baseline. Note: This drill is good as a serve warm-up or just to practice serve consistency under pressure. Emphasize loose and relaxed arm and body.
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Towling Place a bunch of cones somewhere on the court; the coach, with a basket of balls nearby, is on the same side with the cones. The little player is at the service line or anywhere behind it in ready position. Drill: If there are 7 cones on the court the little player has 7 tries to knock them down (or at least one). If she knocks, let's say, 3 cones then there are 4 cones left standing. In this case she will have 4 more tries to knock them again. If the little kid is up for a challenge keep going and give her as many tries as many cones are left standing. This is a fun but challenging drill that can also build character.
> Hand Rally Line up a group of kids having the first player in line about 6 feet from the net. The coach is on the other side of the net, having a basket of kids' balls (soft) and standing about 12 feet from the net. Drill: The coach will feed gently (with the racquet) a ball to the first player in line. She will catch it and toss it back to the coach then moves to the end of the line of players. Without catching it, the coach will gently tap the ball back over the net for the next player in line. The second player will also attempt to catch and toss the ball back to the coach; and so on. If any of the players drops or does not catch the ball, the coach will grab another one from the basket and the drill continues without interruption. Notes: - have players move quickly out of the way once they toss the ball to the coach so that they don't bump into the next player; - this drill is great for developing hand-eye coordination and it can be a good work-out if the number of players is less than three.
> Earthquake Two groups of kids are lined-up at the baseline (smaller court being used), opposite sides of the net. The first player from one line will play against the first player from the opposite line. The rules are simple: after every shot, the respective player must spin 360 degrees before she hits the next ball. The two players play the point out. The winner stays to play for one more point against the next player in opposite line. Every time a player wins, she counts the point, having the goal of being the first player to win 7 points in total. Note: - good and fun drill to practice balance, body control as well and competitive attitude. - it is recommended to have sponge or very soft balls to play with so that kids have more time to spin and get ready for the next ball.
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