Intensity Drills to Scope Physical and Psychological Tenacity

Key Points

• The intensity and physical presence a player shows sets the tone on both sides of the net
• Taking the ball earlier allows you to track the ball faster, which in turn allows you to have better footwork
• THE 75 PERCENT DRILL:
• Hit the ball at 75 percent toward the returner while focusing on setting up early
• Hit the ball on the rise
• Focus on foot and leg work and maintain intensity
• Do a handful of sets until the player masters the drill
• MIXED OVERHEAD VOLLEY DRILL:
• The coach hits a mixture of drives and lobs, while the player hits volleys and smashes
• Direct everything back to the coach
• Get to every ball and recover back to the middle-net position
• THE ADRIANO 10-BALL DRILL:
• For advanced players to learn physical and mental toughness
• The coach hits anywhere on the court varying the distance and angle of play - no lines apply
• The player hits 10 balls back to the coach without an error otherwise the count resets to 0
• The goal is for the player to complete 10 sets of 10 balls which can take up to an hour