Tennis Training Drills You Can Do Alone
No hitting partner? No coach? No problem. These solo drills will sharpen your game using nothing more than a wall, a basket of balls, and some determination.
Wall Drills (The Great Equaliser)
A wall is the best hitting partner you'll ever have. It never misses, it always returns the ball, and it's free. Every professional player practiced against a wall as a junior.
Forehand Consistency
Stand 3-4 metres from the wall. Hit continuous forehands, keeping the ball between waist and shoulder height. Count your consecutive hits. Target: 50 in a row without the ball hitting the ground.
Pro tip: Focus on early preparation — turn your shoulders as soon as the ball leaves the wall.
Alternating Groundstrokes
Hit forehand → backhand → forehand → backhand continuously. The ball should always come back to the centre, so you need to move your feet to position for each shot.
Pro tip: Use a split step between each shot. This is the drill that builds match-like footwork.
Volley Reflexes
Stand 2 metres from the wall. Hit short, punchy volleys — forehand and backhand. The close distance forces quick reactions and compact strokes. No backswing.
Pro tip: Keep the racket head above your wrist at all times. This drill exposes lazy wrist positions instantly.
Serve Practice
The serve is the only shot you have complete control over, which makes it the most efficient thing to practise alone. A basket of balls and a court is all you need.
Target Serving
Place a target (towel, cone, or ball can) in each service box corner. Serve 10 balls at each target. Track your accuracy. Beginners: aim for the correct box. Intermediate: aim for the target area. Advanced: hit the target.
Pro tip: Don't change your technique between targets — only change the toss placement.
Second Serve Pressure
Serve second serves only. If you miss two in a row, that's a "double fault" — do 5 push-ups or sprint to the net and back. This simulates the pressure of needing to get your second serve in.
Pro tip: This drill teaches you which speed and spin combination gives you the highest consistency under pressure.
Footwork & Agility
You don't even need a racket for these. They build the movement patterns that separate club players from couch players.
Suicide Sprints (Court Sprints)
Start at the doubles sideline. Sprint to the nearest singles sideline and back, then the centre service line and back, then the far singles sideline and back, then the far doubles sideline and back. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
Pro tip: Focus on explosive first steps and controlled deceleration — just like changing direction during a rally.
Shadow Tennis
Move around the court as if playing a point, but without a ball. Split step, move to the forehand corner, swing. Recover to the centre. Split step, run to a short ball, hit an approach shot, move to the net, hit a volley. Reset.
Pro tip: This is harder than it sounds and more valuable than it looks. World-class players do this daily.
Ladder/Cone Agility
Set up cones or use court lines as markers. Do lateral shuffles, crossover steps, and forward/backward sprints between markers. Keep your feet moving and stay on the balls of your feet.
Pro tip: Use our agility ladder set for structured footwork patterns, or just use the court markings.
Training Equipment That Helps
You can do all these drills with just a racket and balls, but the right gear makes practice more effective (and less tedious):
| Equipment | Best For | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Hopper (72 balls) | Serve practice — no more bending over to pick up balls | $44.95 |
| Tennis Rebounder Net | Volleys and groundstrokes — adjustable angle for different shots | $64.95 |
| Pressureless Balls (12-pack) | Practice balls that never go flat — lasts months | $24.95 |
| Solo Trainer (Ball on Elastic) | Backyard practice — hit and it comes back to you | $24.95 |
| Agility Ladder + Cones | Footwork speed and change of direction | $29.95 |
Evening Practice Sessions
Solo practice often happens in the evening — it's when courts are free and you have time. If your court has floodlights, you're set. If the lights are dim or unavailable, LED balls let you do serve practice and wall drills in lower light conditions. The glow makes the ball easy to track against a dark wall.
Level up your solo practice
Training gear, practice balls, and rebounders — everything for effective solo sessions.
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