5 Drills to Improve Your Speed and Agility for Tennis and Other Racquet Sports

Drills are an important part of tennis training. While cross-training is important, the best way to get faster and stronger is to train your sports specific muscles and the best way to do this is to do tennis drills. Try these 5 tennis drills to improve your speed and agility for tennis.

Tennis Drill 1

Start at the base line. Have your tennis partner stand near the net on the other side. Have your partner hit a soft, high ball so that it lands near to the net where a drop shot would land. Sprint for the drop shot and try to make the shot. Be sure to not start running until your partner hits the ball. Even though it is a difficult drill, focus most on getting the ball in as returning a drop shot successfully can win a point.

Tennis Drill 2

Start at the net. Have your tennis partner hit a very high lob over your head so that the ball lands back behind the service line. Run back behind ball and hit it with a ground stroke. At the start of the drill, tap your racquet on the tennis net to signal to your partner when you are ready for him or her to toss the ball so you don't start too far away from the net.

Tennis Drill 3

Start at the baseline. Have your tennis partner first hit you a ground stroke. Then, have your partner hit a short ball you have to run up to hit. Next, have your partner hit you a volley. Finally, have your partner hit a high lob, which would land near the net if it landed, which you will overhead smash. Preferably, you should hit a combination of forehands and backhands for the ground strokes and volleys. Try alternating forehand and backhand so that you have to run diagonally.

Tennis Drill 4

Start at the baseline. Have your tennis partner hit you, first, a forehand ground stroke. Then, your partner should hit you a short backhand ground stroke, forcing you to run up diagonally. Next, have your partner hit you a backhand ground stroke behind the service line which you must backpedal to hit. Last your partner should hit you a short forehand ground stroke, forcing you to run diagonally again.

Tennis Drill 5

Start at the base line, in the left most corner if you are right handed, or in the right most corner if you are left handed. Have your tennis partner hit a ball towards the other corner on the baseline so that you have to sprint to get to the ball. Repeat for back hand, starting in the opposite corner.