Return drills
You hit a return in every point you don't serve — half the match — and almost nobody practices it. Returning well at club level is not about winners; it is about a compact swing, contact out front, and making the server play. These drills build exactly that: blocked returns off pace, called targets deep crosscourt and middle, and live return games with a partner or a machine turned up.
With a hitting partner · 4 drills
One-Serve Games
20 minClub matches are decided on second serves — the points where nerves live. Playing whole games with only one serve makes that pressure routine instead of rare, and teaches the server to swing up with spin when it matters.
Return Targets
15 minThe return is half of tennis and almost nobody drills it. Deep crosscourt zones turn return practice from vague blocking into placement training — and neutralize the server's advantage at any level.
Tiebreak Ladder
20 minNerves aren't a personality flaw; they're an undertrained skill. Playing consecutive tiebreaks with escalating stakes rehearses the exact heart rate of a real one — cheaply, weekly.
First Four Shots
15 minStatistically, most club points end within the first four shots: serve, return, serve-plus-one, return-plus-one. Practicing exactly that window — and nothing after it — concentrates improvement where matches are decided.