Drill library · Solo

Serve and Recover

SoloNTRP 3.0–4.015 minservefootwork

Why this drill

Solo serve practice teaches a lie: serve, stand, admire. Matches continue. This drill welds the serve to what actually follows it — the recovery steps, the split, and the first ball.

Setup

Hopper at the baseline. A cone inside the court on your forehand side at mid-court depth — the imaginary plus-one ball.

The drill

Serve to a called target. The moment the ball lands, move: two recovery steps in, split-step, explode to the cone, and shadow a full inside-out forehand with recovery back to center. That's one rep — but only if the serve went in. Three sets of eight. Alternate deuce and ad courts by set.

One thought to take on court

Land the serve, land the split. Your serve isn't finished until your feet are set for the return.