Right Court SCServe and Return — drill 1 of 4
Drill 1: Lob Serve & Deep Return
- A plays a lob serve high into the back corner
- B returns straight and deep down the same wall
- B recovers to the T
- Setup
- 2 players, one serving, one returning. (3-player adaptation: rotate the server every 4 serves so the returner faces different toss rhythms and paces, with the third player waiting at the back as next server, cycling through all three. 4-player adaptation: run two simultaneous server/returner pairs at each end of the same court for this feed-and-reset pattern — there's no live rally yet, so the paths don't cross.)
- Pattern
- Server plays a lob serve from either box; returner lets it drop off the back wall/side wall as needed and returns it straight and deep back down the same wall, aiming to pin the server back. Server retrieves and the pattern resets (a feed, not a live rally, for reps). Run 8–10 serves each box, then swap roles.
- Coaching points
- Server: height and width are the target, not pace — aim to hug the side wall on the way up.
- Returner: take the ball at the top of the bounce or as it drops off the wall, racket prepared early.
- Returner: return with depth over pace.
- Success criterion
- Server lands 7 of 10 lobs in the back quarter without hitting the back wall on the fly; returner sends 7 of 10 returns behind the service box.
- Regression
- Server aims for a bigger, more generous target (whole back third instead of tight to the wall); returner allowed extra bounce/space before committing.
- Progression
- Server varies which box and how tight to the wall; returner must also touch the T after each return.
- Duration
- 20 min.
Right Court SCServe and Return — drill 2 of 4
Drill 2: Return of Serve Pressure
- Option one: a lob serve dropping into the back corner
- Option two: a firmer, lower hard serve
- B recovers to the T after the return
- Setup
- Same pair, live pattern. (4-player adaptation: switch to one pair at a time on the court for this live-pressure version, after both pairs have run Drill 1 together.)
- Pattern
- Server now varies between the lob serve and a firmer, lower hard serve, unpredictably. Returner must read serve type early and choose the appropriate response — deep straight return off the lob, or an aggressive volley return off the hard serve if it sits up — then the point is played out live for 2–3 more shots before resetting.
- Coaching points
- Returner splits their ready position between "wait for the drop" (lob) and "step in and take it early" (hard serve) — the read starts the moment the server tosses/prepares.
- Server should vary rhythm, not just serve type, to avoid becoming predictable themselves.
- Success criterion
- Returner picks the correct response type (deep return vs volley) on 7 of 10 serves.
- Regression
- Server announces serve type just before serving, isolating the technical response from the read.
- Progression
- Play the point out fully live after the return (not just 2–3 shots), turning the drill into serve-and-rally practice.
- Duration
- 20 min.
Right Court SCServe and Return — drill 3 of 4
Games 1: Serve Battle (conditioned, 15 min)
- Condition
- Every point starts from a proper serve (no rally warm-up feed); server rotates after every single point regardless of who won it, so both players get maximum serve and return reps.
- Scoring
- First to 15 total points across both players combined, or 15 min, whichever comes first.
- Rotation
- Server rotates after every point, per the condition above.
- Duration
- 15 min.
Right Court SCServe and Return — drill 4 of 4
Games 2: Open Play (normal, 15 min)
- Condition
- None — full rules, applying everything from the session. Remind players to actually serve properly (from the box, foot-fault rules) rather than just tossing it in.
- Scoring
- Games to 11, standard PAR scoring.
- Rotation
- Round-robin if more than one pair is sharing the court.
- Duration
- 15 min.