Here are ten more creative ways to have more fun on the court (and develop racquet and footwork skills at the same time).

1. Play a serving-based game where the server continues to serve each game until he/she loses serve. With the loss of serve, the opportunity to “serve it out” then reverts to the other player. It’s a different twist on serving and emphasizes the importance of holding serve.
2. Another way to change the complexion of the game with the serve is to play points where the server has only one serve per point (no second serve).
3. To emphasize the importance of net clearance, penalize players with the loss of an additional point for any ball hit into the net.
4. Play “Cut Throat”, a one versus two player game. Players only count points won on the singles side of the court. Players rotate clockwise one position with each loss of point by the player on the singles side of the court. With more than three players, the rotation can include a station off court.
5. Play a no-bounce, volley-to-volley game. Use the service box as the court boundary and require all volleys to be hit up in the air (versus down at the feet of your opponent).
6. Play an offense/defense game where one player (or team) has to finish the point within X number of shots (or loses the point).
7. Play a doubles-based lob game in which one player on each team is positioned in the forecourt and one player positioned in the backcourt. The players on each team positioned in the backcourt hit lobs over the players positioned in the forecourt (who are not allowed to step back beyond the service line). Once a lob is intercepted by the net player (either with a volley or overhead), the point is played with court positioning restrictions.
8. Maintain a (juggling) rally with two balls in play at one time. The two players initiate the rally by hitting a ball in play at the same time. The rally can also work with three, four or more players.
9. Play “Ping-Pong Doubles”, a game in which partners must alternate hitting each ball.
10. Place a target (or multiple targets) on each side of the court.  Players win one point for hitting a target and to keep things honest, one point for winning three consecutive rallies.
11. Finally, as a bonus, check out this mini tennis rally game video with Novak Djokovic and Dusan Vemic.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9eNJBzptZ0

These are just a few examples of games to make things fun on the court and to target specific court skills. It is fun to experiment and be creative with different point situations and variables.

Here are ten creative ways to have more fun on the court (and develop racquet and footwork skills at the same time).

1. “Role play” and take on a new or different on-court persona and style of play. As an example, assume the role of a “baseline grinder” and stay back on everything and play a defensive, high margin style of play.
2. Play “Slice War” where every shot must be hit with slice (back or under spin).
3. Play “Mini Tennis” using the service box or boxes as the court boundary and a requirement that no shots can be hit with pace. It’s a great game to develop finesse and “soft hands”.
4. With a partner of similar constitution and temperament, hit 1,000 balls in a row (or as many as you can in a consecutive rally). Yes, this can be fun.
5. Grab a ball machine and/or a willing (or perhaps unwitting) partner and “crank it up” with your groundstrokes, serve, overhead, etc. After a sufficient warm-up, hit the ball as hard as you can.  Now if you want to make your session more productive, adjust and modify how hard you hit the ball to find your “pace threshold” (what pace you can realistically maintain before going “over the edge” and not being able to get a reasonable number of balls in the court). One variation is to play “Offense/Defense” where one player attacks with sustained and relentless pressure while the other player defends by doing everything possible to get the ball back in play and extend the rally.
6. Play points (or hit rallies) where the objective is to move your partner (opponent) around as much as possible without actually putting the ball away. Try to extend or lengthen the rally and add variety to the rally by utilizing the entire court, varying spin and pace, etc.
7. Play “No Bounce” (or one bounce) points meaning that you’re not allowed to let the ball bounce at all during the point (or only allowed to let the ball bounce one time on your side of the court each point).
8. Play “Two Bounce” points. Maintain a rally or play points with the requirement that you have to hit the ball on the second bounce and the second bounce must land within the singles (or doubles) court lines.
9. Raise the net by two, three, four or more feet using extender poles and rope.  Play points or maintain rallies over this higher (raised) net to help establish a higher percentage stroke pattern.  If you can stake out two side-by-side indoor courts, it’s also possible to maintain a rally over the divider net to achieve a similar objective.
10. Hit for targets.  Set up targets at strategic locations to hone your groundstrokes, serves, etc.

Here are nine basic control variables for tennis which define your choices and options for each and every shot.  These nine control variables can also serve as frameworks to define your capabilities and to help you (or your coach/professional) construct a game plan for your development as a player.

1. Ball Control Variable #1 (Direction) – Here are the choices: Hit cross-court. Hit down-the-line. Maintain direction. Change direction (redirection)
2. Ball Control Variable #2 (Depth) – The choices are: Hit short. Hit to the mid court. Hit deep.
3. Ball Control Variable #3 (Net Clearance) – Your options are: Hit with low clearance over the net. Hit with medium clearance over the net. Hit with high clearance over the net. Hit higher still (with a lob).
4. Ball Control Variable #4 (Spin) – You can differentiate spin by: Hitting flat (little or no spin). Hitting with topspin (slight to extreme). Hitting with underspin (slight to extreme). Hitting with sidespin (slight to extreme). Varying spin. Combining spin (as applicable for each stroke).
5. Ball Control Variable #5 (Pace) – As defined by your range of capability, the options are: Hit softly with slow pace. Hit with moderate or medium pace. Hit hard and fast. Maintain pace (hit it back at the same speed or velocity). Vary pace by taking pace off the ball (hit it back slower). Vary pace by adding pace to the ball (hit it back faster).
6. Ball Control Variable #6 (Bounce) – Using a combination of pace, net clearance and spin, work the ball so that it responds with a high bounce, responds with a low bounce, responds with something in between a high and low bounce, projects or carries into the court with a varying level of force or stops and does not carry or project into the court.
7. Ball Control Variable #7 (Point of Contact/Timing of Contact in Relation to the Bounce) – In relation to the bounce or flight of the ball, the choices are: Hit the ball at the peak of the bounce. Hit the ball as the ball is dropping. Hit the ball as the ball is rising (hit the ball on the rise). Hit the ball before the bounce (with a volley).
8. Ball Control Variable #8 – (Point of Contact/Timing of Contact in Relation to Your Body) – In relation to your body and strike zone (which varies depending on whether you’re taking the ball after the bounce or before the bounce), adjust your feet and position to hit the ball below your strike zone, hit the ball at your strike zone (preferable) or hit the ball above your strike zone
9. Ball Control Variable #9 – (Point of Contact/Timing of Contact in Relation to Your Position on the Court) – Adjust your feet and position on the court to give your opponent more or less time to respond by hitting the ball progressively further back away from the net or baseline or hitting the ball progressively closer into the court and towards the net.
10. In conclusion…

So if the ball comes to you, what do you do?

The only things within your capabilities you can do.

You hit the ball left or you hit the ball right.

You hit the ball up and deep or perhaps short with only a little flight.

You hit the ball fast or you hit the ball slow.

And possibly with less or more spin for a decisive blow.

You make the ball bounce up or make the ball bounce low.

You make the ball carry into the court or create extra bite to make the ball go real slow.

But most importantly, you make the ball bounce in as most of you should know.

You close to take the ball in or fade back to take the ball late.

You hit the ball on the bounce early or hold your ground and wait.

All of which sets the match tempo in your control leaving nothing to fate.

So if the ball comes to you, what do you do?

Go with what you know, keep things simple and have a plan.

And remember to maintain control and play to your abilities as only you can.

1. Acclimatize. If at all possible, get used to the conditions by playing outside in the heat in progressively longer increments of time. Roger Federer is famous for his intense training in the heat of Dubai.
2. Hydrate. Drink 16 – 20 ounces of water or electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink (one standard bottle) two hours before competition or practice. An electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink should not contain more than 9% electrolytes and carbohydrates (19 grams per 8 ounces or 48 grams per 20 ounces). An electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink with a higher % content may slow the rate of absorption. A sports drink with salt (sodium chloride) helps to replace lost salt due to sweating and increases thirst and voluntary fluid intake. Drink 4 – 16 ounces of water or electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink during every changeover (or 32 – 60 ounces per hour). It’s important to drink consistently not just when you’re thirsty. Drink an electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink for matches or practice sessions lasting more the 60 minutes. Avoid drinking beverages containing caffeine and carbonation. Beverages containing caffeine and carbonation are not as effective in replenishing body fluid loss. After a match or practice session, drink one 20 ounce bottle of electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate sports drink for every one pound of body weight loss within two hours after completion of the match or practice session.  The goal is to replace 120% – 200% of body weight lost during competition or practice.
3. Cover up. Wear a hat or visor. Wear UV protective clothing with a UPF rating of 30 or more.  Liberally apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater every two hours. Wear sunglasses which provide 99 to 100 percent UV-A and UV-B protection.  Seek shade if possible during changeovers and between points.
4. Take your time. Pace yourself by taking as much time as possible between points and during changeovers. Judiciously take towel breaks and manage the tempo of play to your advantage.
5. Be smart. Avoid playing from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM when the sun is most intense if you’re not feeling 100%.
6. Get strong. On and off court conditioning is a must to be truly successful (and confident) in extreme heat conditions. Heat-related fatigue, sickness and cramping are viewed by the ITF and USTA as the result of lack of conditioning and are not subject to medical injury rules for timeout and treatment.
7. Shorten the rally. Play “first strike” tennis to end the point more quickly.
8. Extend the rally. Of course if heat is your thing, you may be better served grinding and extending the rally to wear down your opponent.
9. Be positive. Embrace the challenge and approach things from a positive perspective. Make the best of the situation and don’t waste precious energy by complaining or getting down on yourself.  If conditions are bad for you, they’re just as bad for your opponent(s).
10. Play indoors. Avoid the intense mid-day heat and sun by playing indoors.

1. Be active with your feet. Time the split step to properly “unweight” your body and get a maximum jump on the ball.
2. Make early contact (in relation to your body) and drive your hand and racquet face through the ball out toward the target (leading with the butt end and bottom edge of the racquet).
3. Maintain the racquet head above your wrist and maintain a consistent angle between your forearm and racquet. Keep the racquet head up at the finish as well to ensure you are hitting through the ball and to assist your “quick” recovery for the next shot. Keeping the racquet head up at the finish will give you more “pop” on your volley.
4. Coil and uncoil. Set your hand and racquet in line with the ball out in front of your body (with no backswing) and then coil with your hips and shoulders to set the racquet back in a strong hitting position. For the one-handed backhand volley, this coiling action will position the butt end of the racquet in line with the ball and the racquet frame back to almost a parallel alignment with the court. Uncoil by stepping forward (opposite foot) and then opening in succession first the hips and then the shoulders to drive the racquet forward through the ball.  For the one-handed backhand volley, the resulting stroke gives the appearance of a knifing action with the racquet path and angle.
5. Maintain core stability and balance. Establish a centered, balanced position with a low center of gravity. Avoid overextending (and drawing your body out of alignment) by reaching with your racquet for the ball.
6. Use your non-hitting hand and arm to generate momentum. For the backhand, swing the non-hitting hand (or non-hitting elbow) back as you bring your hitting hand and racquet forward to contact the ball. For the forehand, drive the elbow of your non-hitting arm into your rib cage (into a tuck position) to lock the hips and allow the shoulders and racquet head to transfer force to the ball.
7. Get into the net. Close your distance to get as tight as possible to the net.
8. Close into the net and move through the shot for balls up in your strike zone (shoulder height).
9. Hit hard for angles when taking the ball close to the net. Hit for depth when taking the ball from a deeper court position.
10. For doubles, hit at the feet of the opposing player who is positioned closest to the net and has the least amount of time to respond (when in a court position to attack the volley).

Here are ten areas of focus and tips to improve dynamic balance and athletic, centered movement on the tennis court.

1. Practice hitting from a lower center of gravity with a wide base of support. Maintain a low center of gravity with the position of your head approximately one foot lower in height when in the ready (or ideal athletic) position.
2. Bend with your knees and hinge with your hips to load and get down as necessary for each shot. Maintain an alignment with you shins and torso. Approach each shot with your legs and core muscles as if you are preparing (or bracing) to strike (or resist) a heavy object.
3. Keep your head as still as possible and centered over your hips (belly button). At the same time, maintain a level, horizontal position with the shoulders. Minimize any bobbing and side to side rotation of your head. Maintain your eyes on the point of contact through the follow through and completion of your stroke.
4. Use your non-dominant hand and arm to maintain balance and coordination in tracking and moving to the ball and to facilitate proper weight transfer and trunk (or hip) rotation.
5. Be active with your feet. Use short adjustment steps to establish an ideal centered hitting position. Be careful not to compensate for poor footwork (lazy feet) by overextending and reaching out with your hands and racquet.
6. Be fluid and relaxed with your stroke patterns particularly with the follow through.  Hit with “soft” hands.
7. Include core stability exercises to strengthen your abdominal and lower back muscles in your training regime. Core strength is critical to maintaining proper balance and posture.
8. Secure your balance by holding the finish of each shot for a “one thousand”, “two thousand” count.
9. As the first step in a progression to establish proper balance and weight distribution for the serve), hit serves with both feet planted on the ground (without lifting the heel of either foot off the court).
10. There are many other on-court hitting exercises to improve balance.  Examples include hitting while balancing an object such as a towel on your head, hitting open-stance forehand and backhand groundstrokes (in response to balls fed to your strike zone) without lifting your heels off the court (similar to the serve example above), hitting forehand and backhand groundstrokes and volleys while balancing on one foot, and running around your forehand (backhand) groundstroke to hit a backhand (forehand) groundstroke.

1. Set the racquet in line with the oncoming ball (with your hitting hand or hands out in front of your body), coil with your hips and shoulders, drive the racquet head (leading with the butt end of the racquet) out towards the target and forcefully step in with your opposite foot to maximize the effectiveness of your volley. Close the net on a diagonal angle.  Get as close to the net as possible to hit the volley.
2. Hit your volley at the feet of the opponent positioned at the net. When in a position to finish the point with an aggressive volley hit to an opening or at the opponent who has less time to respond.
3. Poach or cross early in the match to get rid of early jitters and to immediately establish your presence at the net.
4. Disguise your move (or cross). Time your move to leave just as your opponent gets into the set position and commits to hit cross court.
5. Disguise your intention to move. Either go or fake a move and stay to disrupt the rhythm of your opponents and to keep them guessing as to your intention to move. Avoid predictable patterns. Aggressively move with your forehand and backhand (not just your strongest side).
6. Communicate with your partner. When your partner is serving, use signals to direct the location of the serve.  It’s much easier to move in response to a serve hit down the middle. Use signals to also let your partner know when you’re planning to go or not go.
7. Don’t worry if you get passed down-the-line by your opponents. Aggressive play at the net is all about percentages and managing your risks.  Challenge your opponents to beat you down-the-line. Redirecting a return or shot down-the-line is a difficult shot to make (particularly under pressure).
8. Play the score and situation and look for every opportunity to help your partner. Strategically poach to help salvage a hold when your partner is struggling with his/her serve. Strategically poach when up in the score to decisively close out a game (and demoralize your opponents).
9. If you cross the center service line in moving to hit your volley continue to the other side of the court for coverage after the shot and advise your partner to cover your vacated side (switch).
10. Have fun. It’s much more fun to be actively engaged in each and every point rather than being a passive observer when not serving or receiving serve.

Here is an on-court game plan I follow to get my game tournament ready (particularly after I’ve taken some time off from competitive play). Hopefully this plan has application for your game as well.

1. Hit for rhythm (baseline focus). Take the time to hit a lot of balls in repetition. Adjust your pace, spin, depth, net clearance, trajectory and direction to keep the ball in play and extend the rally.  Establish a good foundation of consistency and depth.
2. Hit for rhythm (net play focus). Follow the same kind of focus with your volleys and overheads.
3. Hit with intensity.  Maintain active and lively feet and go for every ball (particularly important in your early season hitting sessions).  Go for everything.  Do your best to run down every shot.
4. Establish and hit for patterns (or shot combination sequences). Examples include cross court/down-the-line baseline patterns and closing approach and volley patterns.
5. Hit a lot of serves. Get a cart of bucket of balls and hit serves.  Hit for targets.  Work and differentiate between It’s much easier to control and dictate play following a first serve versus a second serve. Getting your first serve consistently in play applies real and imagined pressure on your opponent.
6. Play points with the goal of extending the rally. Work to hit more shots and make your opponent hit more shots. Learn how to successfully “grind out” a point. Establish a requirement for the point to only count after hitting x number of shots in succession. Another option is to not allow winners for the first two or more shots.
7. Play points with the requirement of only one serve (not two) to start out each point. This requirement improves intensity and focus and helps to develop a reliable and dependable second serve.
8. Play points with a penalty for unforced errors or any mistake hit into the net.
9. Manipulate the score and scoring format to accomplish specific goals and to recreate playing pressure situations. Examples include starting each game up 30 – love or down love – 30, serving consecutive games until broken, allowing only one or x number of bounces per point, etc.
10. Play meaningful matches with consequences in which the results are important to you (such as ladder or tournament matches).

Here are some tips to deal with less than ideal playing conditions.

For extremely windy playing conditions,

1. Dig in and fight through it.  Be lively and active with your feet to put yourself in the best possible position to hit each shot.  This is particularly important in the wind based on the unpredictable nature of the ball flight and bounce.  Remind yourself that your opponent is experiencing the same conditions and potentially the same difficulties.
2. Hit with a higher margin of error.  Hit predominantly cross court. Be particularly leery of hitting down-the-line “tightrope” passes.  Hit with more spin.
3. Determine the direction of the wind and adjust your tactics accordingly. Take balls earlier on the bounce (on the rise) with a shorter backswing and close into the net when the wind is at your back.  Drive through the ball with an extended and full swing pattern and aim higher over the net when the wind is in your face (when you’re hitting into the wind).

On cold, frigid days (or when the mercury dips on the thermometer), recognize that everything tends to get slower and heavier. Heavy and dense cold air creates drag and slows down the flight of the ball making it more difficult to hit with pace. Racquets strings are also less resilient and responsive adding to the difficulties of generating pace on the ball. Ideas (tactics and strategies) to deal with the difficulties of cold weather include:

1. Be positive and maintain a positive frame of mind. Recognize your opponent has to deal with the same difficult conditions.
2. String your racquet with a lower tension and a higher gauge string to make your racquet more responsive.
3. Hit your groundstrokes with slice (underspin and sidespin). Slice grabs the court and makes the ball bounce even lower in colder conditions which is particularly effective against opponents with more extreme grips.
4. Use the drop shot. A well-hit drop shot in cold weather will not bounce as high or carry into the court.
5. Get into the net. Lower bouncing balls will make it more difficult for your opponent to get underneath the ball to generate topspin and pass you with low, dropping shots. In colder conditions, you will generally see more passing shot attempts hit higher over the net and up into strike zone.
6. In rally situations, relax and hit through the ball with a complete swing to generate more racquet head speed.  Hit high over the net to get depth and penetration with your shots. Players with more compact strokes (and slower swing speeds) tend to lack depth on colder days.
7. Be patient and work the point with longer, more extended rallies and point patterns. Be prepared to hit more shots to earn each point.

Here are ten situations and responses to better manage your court position and take advantage of court dimensions and physics.

1. If playing a shot maker with more power and weapons, hit down the middle (preferably with depth) to eliminate angles and opportunities for your opponent to open up the court.
2. If you’re having difficulty covering the court (either because of a prior or match-induced condition), play close to the baseline or just inside the baseline and work your way in to the service line. Playing on or inside the baseline reduces your court coverage requirements and the court area for your opponent to hit to.
3. If forced out wide (particularly if required to hit on the run), respond by hitting cross court preferably with height and depth to buy time for recovery. Hitting cross court better positions you for the next shot and eliminates the opportunity for your opponent to hurt you with an angled redirection.
4. Hit drop shots from inside the baseline (not from behind the baseline) for the best chance for success. Think of the time it takes to execute the shot and the time your opponent has to respond.  Hitting a drop shot from a deeper court position is more difficult to execute, gives your opponent more time to run down the shot and makes your job more difficult to defend if your opponent gets to the shot (particularly if the response is another drop shot).
5. When hitting from behind the baseline, hit high and deep (either down the middle or cross court).  Don’t force a mistake by trying to go for too much.
6. When hitting inside the baseline (particularly in response to a weaker shot), respond with a down-the-line redirection or cross-court angle. Hitting from a court position inside the baseline gives you the best opportunity to open up the court and put pressure on your opponent and in a risk-reward analysis, gives you the best chance for success.
7. Hit hard for angles (and/or to the open court) when volleying close to the net. Hit for depth and location (to set up your next shot) when volleying from a deeper court position.
8. Recognize what you have to work with in relation to the net. As an example, when volleying in response to a low ball dipping below the net (particularly if hit at your body), open and drag your racquet head across your body in an outside-in direction and aim for a down-the-line directed angle.  Keep the ball low (low net clearance) and use under and side spin to get the ball to stay down and bounce to the outside of the court. If you get a ball up in your strike zone, close with the shot and hit a drive volley (cross court or down-the-line) to the open court.
9. When hitting overheads from inside the service line, flatten out your overhead and hit with “pop” and velocity. Aim for your opponent’s service line and look to hit the ball off the court in an angle.  When hitting overheads from deeper in the court, aim to a deeper court target and progressively use more spin as you are progressively forced back to hit from a deeper court position.
10. Want to keep things simple? Aim every shot to clear the middle of the court (or the center strap as reference).  This simple focused tactic guarantees a high percentage response to every shot.