Drill library · Ball machine

Run-Around Forehand

Ball machineNTRP 3.5–4.015 minforehandfootworkstrategy

Why this drill

The inside-out forehand — running around the backhand to hit a forehand from the backhand corner — is the pattern that defines modern attacking tennis. It converts your weaker wing into your weapon's territory.

Setup

Machine feeding medium-deep balls to your backhand corner at a beatable interval. Cone zone in the opponent's backhand corner — the inside-out target. Start each ball at the center hash.

The drill

As the ball leaves the machine, cross-step around it so your feet are outside the ball's line, hit the inside-out forehand at the cones, and recover to the hash. Five sets of ten. A ball you're forced to take as a backhand means you were late — restart the set. Count cone-zone hits.

One thought to take on court

Your first move is around the ball, not toward it — get outside its line so contact happens in front of your hip.