Joe Dinoffer: By now you can probably see where we are heading. The sixth and final section of this tape is all about intensity. Now, intensity is an easy word to say, but a difficult word to put into practice on the court. The drills in this section are specifically designed to give players that feel for the level of intensity needed to play their very best. The first exercise has four players rallying in the service boxes with mini tennis and then moving back to the baseline.
One ball, four people put them in your packet or -- alright. Now what we are going to do is you hit one ball but after every shot between you and your party, you have to switch with your teammate. Now, I would suggest that one person is in front, one is behind. Ready? Here we go.
Switch, you guys can hit anywhere in the four boxes, switch, got a bounce in the four boxes, so lying down a little bit, like that, alright, here we go. Switching after every shot, switch, switch, switch, switch, switch, one nothing for the men. Come on ladies, let's catch up. Play either with the single score which is what I would recommend for most adult situations or if you really want to chance competitive juniors, let them handle getting into the alleys as well.
What do drills like these accomplish? You get your players moving without verbal instructions. The rules of the exercise accomplish everything you want and more. Now, let's move to an entirely different way to get players to move without verbal instructions.
Out of the series of footwork and movement drills, out of this series of footwork and movement drills, now we are going to add, ring-a-bell and we'll have Mark demonstrated hitting two on one. So we'll put a bell and we will let Cliff coach him a little bit to encourage him, everyone else, it's a bell in each alley way. You have got to ring the bell, you can ring the bell whichever side you like.
Now you'll notice that a smart player will learn, that they have to run last, if they hit crosscourt. When you guys can make them run as much as if you want. His ball have to land in the singles court, your balls have to land in the singles court, alright. And we have been involved -- this is a heavy movement drill, so on this side I would say we rotate the players and then we switch chance completely. So let's start beginning, now that we know the rule -- two points if he wins a point, one point if you guys do, you almost land in the singles court, now for every shot he must ring a bell, it has to be audible. If I was Mark, I would tend to small things down just a little bit, but I am not Mark -- here we go. You guys ready? You can beat in - that was audible. You guys set the bell back down. You are being very kind Janice. One nothing. Mark if I was coaching you, Janice what would you tell him to do?
Mark: To hit a little bit higher.
Joe Dinoffer: Maybe hit a little higher, in fact and even at the top throw level you'll see the players when they get in trouble, increasingly arc the ball to gain time to recover, even at the top most world class tennis levels, you'll see them do that. Mark you should do it too.
Now we'll shift to a crosscourt variation, let's take a look.
Now you have been crosscourt but you only allowed to have forehands, we have almost led in the single's court crosscourt. Unless you get used to this thing and getting that ball up got to land in the singles court there we go -- a point, no ring, no nothing. What a point. Now, why don't you stand here on this side because Mark was hitting right, switching the racquet into his left hand and then doing the bell, which is right which got him using his non-dominant hand, I like that.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services