How to Practice Tennis Alone
Tennis requires stamina, speed, quick reflexes, hand to eye coordination and agility with every movement you make on the court. You’re not always going to have a partner available to help you practice and improve the many aspects of your game. Practicing tennis alone is a fabulous way to improve your individual abilities while still working the basic strokes and moves.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Racket
- Tennis balls (preferably 3 cans)
- Practice wall with net lines (if possible)
- Ball machine
- Empty tennis court
Instructions
-
-
1
Warm up your body completely before practice to prevent injuries. A link for a complete warm up is included with the Resources section at the end of this article.
-
2
Place 3 empty tennis ball cans at the deepest corners of the court inside the box edges. These will be your “targets” when serving. Place yourself on the other side of the net and aim for the cans.
-
-
3
Place your tennis balls behind you on the court. One after another, serve the balls to the empty court until you’re finished. Then collect the balls and move to the other side of the court. Tennis is a very aerobic activity, so continued movement helps build your stamina.
-
4
Use your racket to hit the ball directly up in the air. Try to keep the ball airborne by bouncing it continually off your racket. Once you reach a rhythm, spin your rather on alternate hits so your using both sides of the racket. This drill will help increase your dexterity.
-
5
Perform some suicide runs to improve your footwork. Stand outside the sideline on one side of the court. Sprint to the center line, tap it with your hand and return to the sideline. Then sprint to the other sideline, tap it with your hand and return to your original sideline. Start with 5 minutes and work up from there.
-
6
Practice against a wall. Any wall will do, but a tennis practice wall is best. Work through a series for forehand and backhand movements.
-
7
Practice against a ball machine. This gives you the added benefit of having an “invisible player” on the court while still allowing you to workout alone. You can practice a variety of shots and foot movements, too.
-
1
