High Performance Defensive Forehand - Drills and Technique

Key Points

• Players must get used to being in extreme positions
• It’s essential to recover well from positions a meter or more outside the tramlines
• You can test your players defense by putting them in difficult positions on the court
• Place deep targets a meter from the baseline and see how many you can get out of 10
• Keeping the ball deep within a meter of the baseline, makes it very difficult for your opponent to attack you
• To have great defense, you have to use “the buggy whip forehand” where the racket finishes above your head on the same side of your body
• The Buggy Whip Forehand should be hit with fast racket speed, high and with lots of spin
• Focus on keeping the head still and accelerating
• When pushed out wide, “Don’t be shy, send it high”
• Place targets half a meter from the sideline and ask the player to keep the ball low and inside the line
• Look to counter-attack on the wide running forehand by hitting a low slice straight down the line
• Keeping the slice inside the targets will neutralize the point against most players
• Learn how your players think by asking them how they would react and what ball they would play in certain situations
• When running for a drop shot, use soft hands and generally try and hit a drop shot back
• Shadow the inside out forehand then run for a wide drop shot to the forehand
• Balance the intensity of instilling that killer mindset with having fun and enjoying the sessions