Proper Shot Selection in Tennis

One of the most glaring problems for players of all levels is shot selection and when to pull the trigger on that shot. This drill is a simple yet effective way to develop and improve both of those aspects. Grab a hitting partner and hit the courts and try this drill.

To start with, you and your hitting partner assume normal baseline positions on opposite ends of the court. The only rule to this drill/game is, you can only hit into the parts of the court that you can see over the net. For example, when standing at the baseline it is impossible to see inside your opponent's service boxes. So hitting a drop shot from this position is out of the question.

Begin the drill with a drop feed to your partner and hit groundstrokes back and forth with each other. The objective here is to force a short ball by hitting deep penetrating shots down the middle of the court. Once a shot is hit and you move in you will find that you can now see more of your opponent's court over the net. Now deep angles are opened up for use. As you keep closing into the net you will find a direct proportional relationship, the closer to the net you get, the more court you can see. This relationship is what dictates what shots are available to you at any given time.

The objective is to get into the strongest position possible, about 2 racquet lengths from the net. In this position, virtually all of your opponent's court can be seen and subsequently is available to hit.

This is a great exercise to increase your development of point patience, shot selection, net aggressiveness, and stroke advancements. Simply put, if you can see it, you can hit it!