When playing tennis, it is important to develop one’s arm strength to be able to deliver smashing forehand and backhand serves and volleys. And how does one go about improving their arm strength? A series of tennis conditioning drills that will not only make your arms stronger, it will also help you game in the long run by developing your reflexes and footwork skills as well.

20 in a Row

The first of these tennis conditioning drills is for two players. Player one stands on the baseline in the center of the court while player two stands in the middle of the court between the net and baseline with a bucket containing at least 20 balls. Player two feeds the balls to player one with the aim of making player one run the baseline as much as possible. For each ball the player hits, they earn one point and for each ball they miss they lose one point.

Once player one has received 20 balls, the drill is completed and their final score is tallied. After practicing this drill for a number of weeks, players should notice their scores increasing as they gain arm strength and agility. When running this drill, coaches should make sure players are strictly adhering to the fundamentals of the sport, especially towards the end as the player tires from running.

Backhands and Down the Line Shots

The second of the tennis conditioning drills has players developing their backhands. This drill is for two players. To begin, player one stands in the center of the court on the baseline while player two stands across the court from player one. Right-handed players begin this drill in the add court whereas left-handed one start in the deuce court.

To begin, player one hits the ball cross-court to player two using a backhand serve. Player two returns the serve to player one also using a backhand. Play continues in this manner using only backhand to hit the ball. To up the competitive ante on this drill, the players can play a game where the first player to reach eleven points wins, with one point for each time their opponent misses the ball.

Finally we have a tennis conditioning drill that teaches players to hit down the line without landing in foul territory. This drill is also for two players, who begin the drill standing in the center of the court on the baseline on opposite sides of the net. Player one begins by hitting the ball down the line using their forehand. Player two hits the ball back to player one with their backhand, unless they are left-handed. If this is the case, they also use a forehand stroke.

The key to hitting the ball down the line is to hit the ball evenly and not too hard. This drill can also be played as a game in a similar manner to the backhand cross-court drill above. After one player reaches a score of eleven, players switch sides so that both have a chance to hit forehand and backhand.