High Ball Attack
Why this drill
The high, heavy ball to the backhand is club tennis's favorite bully. There are two honest answers — take it early, or back up and swing full — and both need deliberate practice against a feed that never tires of asking the question.
Setup
Machine on high trajectory, feeding loopy balls that bounce shoulder-high or above, medium interval. Deep target zones both corners.
The drill
Alternate answers in sets of eight: first set, move in and take every ball at waist height on the rise; second set, retreat and hit full-shape topspin from comfortable height. Four sets per wing. Count deep landings and — honestly — which answer produced more. That answer is your pattern under moonballs from now on.
One thought to take on court
Decide early — in or back — and commit before the bounce. The fatal answer is the half-step that arrives at shoulder height.