Drill library · Solo

Court Ladder Sprints

SoloNTRP 2.5–4.010 minfitnessfootwork

Why this drill

The classic line-touch ladder — baseline to service line to net and back — is tennis's oldest conditioning test because it is tennis: accelerate, brake, turn, repeat. Five minutes buys a third set.

Setup

A court with visible lines. No equipment. Start behind the baseline.

The drill

One ladder: sprint to the service line, touch it, back to the baseline; sprint to the net, touch, back; each touch with a low, braked stop and a hand on the line. Time each ladder. Six ladders, resting ninety seconds between. Log best and average — and note the fade from first to last, which is the number training actually moves.

One thought to take on court

Brake with three short steps and a drop of the hips — the turn is where the drill lives, and where ankles are saved.