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| Coach Christopher with Scott Del Mastro |
To succeed on the court, you need consistent, powerful groundstrokes. It may be tempting to hit the ball as hard as possible to mimic your favorite professional player, but before attempting high-risk shots, you first need to develop sound technique.
Scott Del Mastro, director of fitness at Club Med Academies in Sandpiper Bay, Fla., provides three tennis groundstroke drills that will improve your footwork, racquet speed and technique to improve accuracy and power. Perform these drills two to three times per week during your tennis practice to start hitting powerful winners past your opponent.
Hand Toss Drill
Perform this drill to develop your footwork and improve your groundstroke consistency and accuracy. Having quick feet will help you get into position so you can hit the ball in your target zone each time, reducing the chance of a dreaded unforced error.
Swinging Volleys
Use this drill to increase your groundstroke power. Swinging forcefully at the ball without a bounce requires a great deal of racquet speed, which will improve your ability to whip the head of the racquet through the ball.
Put-Away Forehands
One of the most frustrating things in tennis is to miss an easy put-away shot. Perform this drill to reinforce your grounstroke technique when near the net. This will help you consistently hit accurate, powerful shots that will end a hard-fought point.
As a bonus, perform this drill to improve accuracy and spin on your kick