How to Practice for Singles in Tennis

The secret to having an ideal singles practice session is intensity. Now what do we mean by that? If we take a look at most (if not all) professional players on the tour, we can clearly see that each practice session is taken very seriously and each shot is hit with intent.

Pros try to simulate the intensity of the match in each practice session, fully committing to each shot knowing that the way they practice will translate to how well they play in matches.

Its a very good idea to use the experience of previous matches (losses and wins) to go prepared to the next practices, with a plan to improve the areas of your game that held you back.

Here are some drills/exercises to consider implementing to your practice sessions for better results on tournaments:

1.Depth Focused Rallies

The goal here is to keep your practice partner on the defense, deep in the baseline.

Place markers around 6ft inside the baseline on both sides of the court and begin the rally. Set a goal number of total shots within that marked area and the first one that reaches it wins.

2. Offense/Defense drill

This drill will teach players how to take control of the point when the opportunity arises and when to defend when necessary.

You start a rally with your partner, you score a point if you win the point before 4-6 shots (you decide the amount) and they win a point if the rally lasts longer than the number set.

You can continue this drill until one of you reaches 11 points, then you swap roles and go again.

3. Quick match simulation

Instead of playing a normal practice match this drill is much shorter and simulates the pressure of a real match. Each player serves 5 points at a time and the first one to 20 wins.

These drills can enhance your practice sessions, assuming you also maintain a high intensity throughout.