Don’t have a tennis partner? Learn how to practice tennis alone. Here we have a list of great solo practice ideas to improve your tennis game, whether you are a junior tennis player, an amateur, or on the way to winning the US Open.
As a junior tennis player’s parent, I’ll tell you that the best way to train and learn tennis properly is with an experienced coach, a great team of colleagues and many hours on the court.
But what should you do, if you cannot afford an extra hour of coaching? What to do when you are at home and would still like to improve your tennis skills?
Top 5 Ways to Practice Tennis Alone at Home or on the Tennis Courts
When you don’t have a tennis partner to train with, you can still improve your skills:
Practice Tennis by Hitting a Wall
“Poor mans’ tennis practice”, if you will, nothing easier than finding a wall nearby and practicing your tennis shots. What can you do at a tennis wall (or just a simple wall/backboard you find around)?
- footwork drills,
- volley drills
- rallies
The pros of this type of tennis practice is that the wall tends to “return” the balls pretty fast, if you are hitting hard and, since it doesn’t move, it can offer some predictability to your shots.
While it might not seem like a big deal, you will learn to hit in different speeds, to hit at a certain target and also train your eyes to notice the ball trajectory.
Not to mention that practicing tennis at the wall is VERY strenuous if done properly, so you will also improve stamina, breathing, and overall fitness. Even advanced players train like this, as they can improve many types of shots.
Use a Tennis Ball Machine
For a tennis player, even a junior, a decent tennis ball machine will make a HUGE difference. The best investment we made in tennis equipment for our junior tennis player was getting the best tennis ball machine on the market at that time.
The tennis ball machine allows training in almost all possible techniques, except for the serve: forehands, backhands, volleys, overhead shots, etc.
In order to build muscle memory and effectiveness, you will need to do the same drills over and over again.
When you are in a clinic with your coach, there’s always someone to feed you the balls. But, when you are training alone, or just need consistent feeding, a tennis ball machine will make the difference.
Start with a “slower” program, especially when you are new to using a tennis ball machine, then ease into more aggressive tosses and challenging speeds.
Use the Top Spin Pro
Another amazing tool for any aspiring tennis athlete, the Top Spin Pro can be used in your living room, not only on the tennis courts.
So, instead of wasting time, during those nasty rainy days you cannot train outdoors, practice your groundstrokes with the Top Spin Pro.
What makes it a cool gadget?
It’s small yet sturdy, the ball is “tied” to it, so you will not break any windows during practice and you can focus on proper leg work, distancing, and ball spin.
While beginner tennis players hit “flat” strokes, in order to become a competitive tennis player, you need to hit with “spin”. This makes the ball unpredictable and your technique more effective. For this, Top Spin Pro is your best ally.
Practice Your Serves
Out of all tennis strokes, the serve is the most complex and difficult to master. Professional tennis players still make mistakes, when serving, especially during important matches, so practicing your tennis serve should always be your top priority.
The good news? You don’t even need a partner for that.
When in a tennis match, your serve can be a huge advantage or your Achille’s heel. My kid, when starting to compete, would often lose because of too many double faults. As soon as we started working on the serves, we stared getting more wins.
Just grab a tennis ball hopper, few tens of tennis balls and start serving.
Shadow Tennis
Your tennis coach already showed you the proper form for your groundstrokes, volleys and serves. You have watched many videos, might even get some notes about what to take into account when doing your routines.
Just like boxers do shadow boxing, tennis players can do their routines at home, in the yard or at the office.
You don’t need too much space to think about proper footwork, correct stances or angles. In this type of excercises you’ll focus on form, position and correct stroke mechanics.
These are just few of the drills you can think about, when trying to play tennis without a partner.
How to Practice Tennis Alone FAQ
Can I practice tennis by myself?
Yes, you can practice tennis by yourself. You won’t be able to rally over the net, of course, but you can rally by hitting a wall, work on your serve and improve your strokes by using a tennis ball machine, Top Spin Pro and rehearsing your tennis techniques without hitting a ball.
How many hours a day should I practice tennis?
The more you train, the better you become. Do you wish to play competitive tennis? Then you’ll find yourself training 4-5 hours/day (even more). If you just want to become better, few hours a week will do the trick.