Session 4 — Boast and Drive — drill poster

Drill 1: Two-Wall Boast to Length

Setup

2 players, feeder back, hitter also starting back corner. For a third player, rotate them in as feeder every 3 reps while the hitter stays on to build boast reps across multiple feeders; swap the hitter role every 2 sets. For a fourth player, run two pairs on Drill 1 and Drill 2 in parallel on the same court in alternating 10-minute blocks (one pair active, one resting/watching) rather than splitting the court width, since the boast's diagonal flight path needs the full court.

Pattern

Feeder feeds a loose/short ball into the hitter's back corner. Hitter plays an attacking 2-wall boast (side wall, then front wall, landing short in the opposite front corner). Feeder must move in and retrieve it, then plays a straight length drive back to reset. Hitter recovers to T between reps. Run 8-10 reps each side then swap.

Coaching points

• Boast comes off a short/loose ball, not every ball — this drill teaches the trigger, not a default shot.
• Hit the side wall first at a flat, low angle so it doesn't balloon.
• Recover to T immediately, the boast is not a shot to admire.

Success criterion

7 of 10 boasts land in the front quarter without hitting the tin, and the hitter is back at the T before the feeder's retrieve arrives.

Regression

Feeder feeds a slower, higher, more obviously "boastable" ball; widen target to the whole front third.

Progression

Feeder feeds a tighter, less obviously loose ball, forcing the hitter to judge for themselves whether a boast is really on.

Duration

20 min.

Drill 2: Boast-Drive Combo (Boast Counter)

Setup

Same pair, live pattern. For a third player, rotate them in as feeder every 3 reps while the hitter stays on to build boast reps across multiple feeders; swap the hitter role every 2 sets. For a fourth player, run two pairs on Drill 1 and Drill 2 in parallel on the same court in alternating 10-minute blocks (one pair active, one resting/watching) rather than splitting the court width, since the boast's diagonal flight path needs the full court.

Pattern

Feeder drives normally; whenever the ball comes back loose or short, hitter boasts it attackingly (as in Drill 1); feeder must scramble forward to retrieve the boast and counters with either a drop or a straight drive — hitter must read which and recover accordingly.

Coaching points

• Hitter should only boast genuinely loose balls, not force it off a good length ball (that's a bailout, not an attack).
• Feeder counters with intent, not a panicked retrieve.
• Both players stay balanced through the exchange rather than lunging.

Success criterion

Hitter correctly identifies and converts at least 4 of 6 "loose ball" opportunities into a boast that draws a scrambled feeder response.

Regression

Feeder tells the hitter out loud when a ball is genuinely loose/boastable, removing the judgement call while the shot itself is grooved.

Progression

Feeder mixes genuinely tight balls in with loose ones at random, hitter must resist boasting the tight ones.

Duration

20 min.