300 Series: Skills & Drills Lab
Serves & Intro to Top Spin
Takeaways & Training Tasks
Keep the momentum rolling with these quick steps:
- Refresh your memory with the 2 skills, 2 drills, and training video.
- Knock out the drills 2ā€“3x before we meet again.
- Each time you play, pick one skill and make it your mission to useĀ it often and on purpose.
Serves
- Grip: Continental or Eastern Forehand
- Stance: Semi Open for optimal hip rotation and weight transfer
- Paddle Prep: Low to high in pendulum shape next to body
- Contact Point: Below the waist, out in front with weight transferring from
back foot to front foot - Follow Through: Out in front towards the target
Serves 21
- Set up cones to divide the service box into 3 depths from NVZ to baseline.
- Players set up cross court from each other on the baselines.
- Players serve one ball back and forth to each other, both with depth emphasis.
- Points: 3 points deepest zone, 2 points middle zone, 1 point shallow zone, -1
for in the net or out. - First player to 21 wins!
- Perform on both odd and even sides of the court.
Baseline Top Spin Technique
- Grip: Eastern Forehand/Backhand
- Stance: Open or Semi Open pushing forward through the shot
- Paddle Prep: Low to High swing plane in a C Shape, avoid scooping up at
the end. For less shot depth - push forward less. For more depth - push
through the ball more - Contact Point: In front and to the side, transferring weight into the shot
- Follow Through: Out in front towards the target with non dominant hand
acting as counter balance
Baseline Target Ladder
- Place depth target strips to mark out transition zone depth. 3 depths total:
NVZ, Transition Zone, Deep in Service box. - Perform self feed and partner feed.
- 1 player at NVZ and 1 at baseline.
- NVZ player feeds balls and baseline player must work the ladder: drop shot,
mid-court drive, deep return.
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