Do you have a friend who tells the same joke at parties?
After a while the whole town knows their one joke and it is no longer funny, just mildly amusing.
Amusing how they haven’t picked up on the fact that it no longer works.
You can spot a similar pattern in recreational tennis.
One shot tennis wonders
Many intermediate players have a limited repertoire of basic shots – a forehand, a backhand and some sort of a serve.
They stick to one shot that kind of works (ever seen these people only doing slice?) but can’t handle situations in the game that require a different shot/placement.
Having a limited arsenal of shots makes people lose matches when they come up against a “better equipped” player of the same skill level.
Not being able to return shots that are (theoretically) within your fitness level to reach and win can get immensely frustrating (read: racket abuse).
This throws your mental game out the window and another match goes to your opponent.
I know because that’s exactly what I went through a few years ago.
Why shot variety is important
When I started club tennis I had an OK (intermediate) forehand and backhand, but that was it.
I didn’t perform well at the net, making silly unforced errors.
Also, a lot of points were lost on lobs because a reliable smash was not in my tool belt.
I remember playing an older, more experienced guy who quickly learned my game (mostly topspin forehand at the time) and used slice on me all the time.
I just didn’t know what to do with those low, slow shots and got bageled.
At that time I didn’t have a good attacking slice and couldn’t counter him well.
After the inner rage of Hulk’s proportions had passed, I got curious about what happened.
Analysing my own game, and watching a lot of other club games, I realised that a lot of people (myself included) did not have the full range of basic shots.
Because of full-time work and other commitments, I didn’t have several hours each day to play tennis (like pros do).
I did an 80/20 analysis on what works best and came up with an effective training plan that fitted in well with my busy week and got me results in a few months.
The 1-hour training plan to advance your game
“The modern player has learned how to take a few steps back from the baseline and turn defense into offense. Based on this, it makes a lot of sense to use tactics other than sheer power to win the point. Hitting the ball with more angle, low and short, high with heavy topspin, slice, or using your volleys to end the point are all good options.” (from an article by Long Island Tennis Magazine)
Here is my training plan, refined and improved over time which has taken my tennis game from intermediate to advanced in a few short months.
This is what I would give to my younger self if we could time travel.
Step 1: When to train
If you’re reading this, chances are that you already play tennis at least once a week.
To make this training effective you need to add two 1-hour singles training sessions to your week.
The easiest way is to piggyback a training session to your existing tennis days.
Start club days an hour earlier with a friend who plays at the same level as you, or a bit better.
Starting earlier is preferred because you’re more focused and fresh, making your technique better.
If your schedule only allows you to train after the club day then do that – it is 100% better than not training at all.
Step 2: What to train
Remember to prioritise placement over power – you’re training consistency.
Power will come with practice.
Here’s the step-by-step training plan that will improve your tennis significantly and only takes one hour.
1. Volley warmup – 10 min (5 min close, 5 min from service line if you can)
Remember to use the hammer grip on your volleys.
This is a basic tip that you most likely know, but I often see people fumble their volleys because they use an unstable forehand grip.
This one exercise alone will level up your game in so many ways – you will perform better at the net, take on forced volleys like a king, get a better smash and improve your slice.
2. Forehand crosscourt – 10 min
Training a consistent, deep crosscourt shot is essential to your game – you will be using it more than any other shot.
3. Backhand crosscourt – 10 min
Having a solid backhand crosscourt is important because for many players it is their weak side.
To be effective in both attack and defence, you must train backhand.
4. Forehand down the line – 5 min
This is an excellent tactical shot because recreational players seldom expect you to suddenly change direction and play down the line.
5. Backhand down the line – 5 min
Funnily enough, a backhand down the line is a more reliable shot than its forehand counterpart.
Holding the racket with two hands (unless you play one-handers) provides greater stability.
6. Volley at the net – 10 min (5 min each, one person feeds strong shots from the backline).
Aim these shots at the service line or closer (having a few spare balls will help here, as not all of them will make it to the other player on the back line).
7. Free slot – 10 min
Free slot is for practicing what you need to improve the most that wasn’t on the drill already – serve, smash, lob etc. (reflect on your game and check which shots will yield the most “return on investment”).
If you don’t have time to train this much during the week – do at least one training session.
If you’re a growth-minded player, then you are probably training during the week anyway, and all you need to do is update your sessions.
If you don’t have time, or, better said, don’t choose to spend the time on improving your game, then the ball is in your court, so to speak.
Sustainably improving your tennis game is not a quick life hack or a one-a-day pill that you take.
I’ve done my part by distilling the most effective training session for club-level tennis – now it’s your turn to put in the effort and reap the benefits.
Wrapping Up
Practising these specific shots will ensure you’re well-equipped for 90% of all game situations in recreational tennis.
Seriously – do these drills twice a week and you will start seeing results as soon as in one month.
Practice takes time, because your muscles need to memorise the repeated actions of making a specific shot, and your brain needs to internalise where these shots are placed, so you don’t need to remember where to hit each time during the match.
However, with relatively short training sessions you can noticeably improve your tennis because these sessions focus on what works in club tennis.
You will win more matches and enjoy the game a lot more.
Good luck out there!
What drills do you use to get better? Is there a specific shot that you would like to improve? What do other people in your club practice?