Tennis Practice Drills for Beginners and Intermediates
Most recreational players "practice" by just rallying with a partner. That's playing, not practicing. Real practice is structured, repetitive, and targets specific weaknesses. Here are 18 drills organized by skill area that you can do solo, with a partner, with a ball machine, or with a basket of balls.
Solo Drills (No Partner Needed)
Stand 15-20 feet from a wall. Rally with yourself, alternating forehand and backhand. Focus on consistent contact point and compact swings. The wall returns the ball faster than a partner, which forces quicker preparation. Target: 30 consecutive hits.
No ball, no racket. Stand in ready position, have someone (or a metronome app) call "forehand" or "backhand" randomly. Execute a full unit turn, step, and swing. Focus on initiating with the hips, not the arm. 3 sets of 20.
Place a target (towel, cone, or bucket) in the deuce service box corner, then the ad corner. Hit 10 serves to each. Track how many land within 3 feet. Repeat with second serve. Aim for 60%+ on first serve, 80%+ on second.
Drop the ball from your non-dominant hand, let it bounce, hit forehand. No partner, no feed — just you and the ball. Eliminates timing variables so you can focus purely on form: grip, contact point, follow-through. 50 balls per side.
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Both players rally cross-court only (forehand-to-forehand or backhand-to-backhand). Place a target in the deep corner. First to 10 shots that land within 3 feet of the target wins. Builds directional consistency.
Feeder stands at the net with a basket. Feeds one ball to the forehand, then one to the backhand, alternating. Hitter focuses on recovery between shots — getting back to center before the next ball. 20 pairs, then switch.
Feeder hits a short ball (lands around the service line). Hitter approaches with a deep shot, closes to the net, and plays out the point. Focus on split-stepping before the volley and keeping the volley out in front. 10 points, then switch.
Both players inside the service boxes. Rally softly with full strokes but minimal power. Develops touch, racket face control, and feel. Great warm-up drill. Play points to 11 for competition.
Match-Play Drills
Play points but they end after 4 shots (serve, return, +1, +1). Forces aggressive shot selection early in the point. Great for developing first serve percentage and return quality.
One player is "king" on one side. Challengers line up on the other. Feed starts the point. If the king wins, they stay. If they lose, the challenger becomes king. First to 10 wins as king wins overall. Builds pressure handling.
Serve wide to the deuce court, then hit the open court forehand. Practice the serve + next shot combination that wins the most free points in recreational tennis. 10 reps to deuce side, 10 to ad side.
Fitness Drills on Court
Start at the doubles sideline. Sprint to the singles sideline, touch, sprint back. Then to the center line, touch, back. Then to the far singles, touch, back. Then to the far doubles, touch, back. Rest 60 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
Stand at the baseline center. Partner at the net calls "left" or "right." You split-step (small hop, land on balls of both feet), then push off toward the called direction, shadow swing, and recover. 3 sets of 20. Focus on landing the split step with knees bent and weight forward.
Scatter 10 balls across one side of the court. Start at the baseline center. Pick up each ball one at a time, returning to center between each one. Time yourself. Tennis-specific agility — you're doing the exact movement pattern you'd use in a rally.
Two players at the net, close together. Volley back and forth but after every shot, side-shuffle around each other in a figure-8 pattern. Builds volley reflexes and lateral movement simultaneously. 2 minutes on, 1 minute rest, repeat.
Ball Machine Drills
A ball machine gives you what no partner can: identical feeds, on demand, for as long as you want. That consistency is ideal for grooving technique — and the biggest trap. If your form has a flaw, the machine will help you groove the flaw too, so check your swing regularly while you rep.
Start with the machine feeding the same comfortable ball to one wing. Hit 10 focusing purely on form. Then angle the machine (or stand two steps further from the feed) so every ball needs 2-3 shuffle steps before the hit. Same swing, now with movement. Alternate 10 stationary, 10 moving.
Set the machine to oscillate between the forehand and backhand corners. Split-step as each ball fires, hit, and recover to center before the next feed. Start at a slow interval and only speed up when you're reaching every ball balanced. 3 sets of 20 balls.
Same feed every time; the target changes. First 5 balls must land past the service line, next 5 in the back third of the court, final 5 within 6 feet of the baseline. Miss the zone, repeat the ball. Teaches depth control — the difference between a rally ball and a ball that pushes your opponent back.
Practice Drills FAQ
Can I practice tennis effectively alone?
Yes. Wall rallies, drop-hit feeds, serve target practice, and shadow swings all work without a partner — and solo practice usually gives you more repetitions per hour than rallying, because every ball is under your control. The serve is the single best stroke to practice alone: you control every variable.
How often should I do tennis drills?
Two to three focused sessions per week beats one long one. Skills consolidate between sessions, and short frequent practice keeps quality high. A 30-45 minute session of 3-4 drills aimed at your weakest area is enough to see measurable change within a few weeks.
What is the best tennis drill for beginners?
The drop-hit groove: drop the ball yourself, let it bounce, and hit. It removes the hardest variable for beginners — timing an incoming ball — so you can focus entirely on grip, contact point, and follow-through. Once your swing shape is stable, progress to wall rallies to add timing back in.
How many drills should I do in one practice session?
Three or four, about 10 minutes each, all targeting the same weakness. Cycling through many drills feels productive but spreads your repetitions too thin for any single skill to improve. Depth beats variety.
Are ball machine drills good for beginners?
Yes, with one caveat. A ball machine feeds the same ball every time, which lets beginners groove their swing without the pressure of reading an incoming shot — set it slow and start close to the feed. The caveat: the machine grooves whatever swing you bring, including flaws, so check your form on video regularly rather than just accumulating repetitions.
How do I know if my technique is actually improving?
Measure something. Count consecutive wall hits, track what percentage of serves land within 3 feet of a target, or time your ball-pickup drill. For technique itself, film your swing from the side every few weeks and compare — changes in swing shape show up on video long before they feel different.
More TorqAI Guides
- How to Improve Your Tennis Forehand
- How to Improve Your Tennis Serve
- NTRP Levels Explained
- All tennis guides