Good tennis decisions rarely come from thinking harder during a rally. They come from spotting useful clues early: where your opponent is standing, how much time you have, and whether the ball is short enough to attack. Decision-making drills help you practise those choices until they feel more natural under pressure.
These tennis drills work on more than shot selection. They connect reading the ball, moving into position, choosing a target, and recovering for the next shot. You can adapt them for singles or doubles, and most need only a partner and a few cones or targets.
What Good Tennis Decision Making Looks Like
A sound decision is not always an aggressive one. If you are stretched wide or late, a deep crosscourt ball may be smarter than trying for a winner down the line. When you have time and a short ball, moving forward and attacking can make sense. The aim is to choose a shot that fits the situation—not to hit the most exciting option every time.
Build each choice around three quick questions:
- Where is the ball? Is it deep, short, high, low, or wide?
- Where is my opponent? Are they balanced, recovering, or leaving space open?
- What can I hit safely from here? Can you attack, or should you defend and reset?
Good drills make players notice these clues before they swing. They also reward smart choices, not just winners.
Six Tennis Decision-Making Drills
1. Call the Shot Before You Hit
Have a partner feed balls from the opposite baseline. Before each shot, call out your choice: “deep crosscourt,” “short angle,” “approach,” or “high and deep.” Then hit the ball and recover to a balanced position.
Start with predictable feeds, then mix up the height, depth, and direction. The call makes you commit to a plan instead of deciding at the last second. If you call “approach,” for example, you should move forward after hitting rather than admire the shot from the baseline.
- Focus: Choosing a shot based on the ball you receive.
- Make it harder: Give yourself only a moment to call, or have the feeder disguise the direction.
2. Read the Opponent’s Position
Place a feeder near the middle of the court and ask them to move toward either side just before you hit. Your job is to notice the movement and choose a safe target that uses the open space. If they lean too far toward your forehand side, for instance, you might play behind them or into the space they have left.
Keep the target realistic. Aiming for an open corner is useful; trying to paint the line from a difficult position often is not. This drill teaches you to look up and read your opponent instead of watching only the ball.
3. Short Ball: Attack or Reset?
Your partner feeds a mix of short and deep balls. On a short ball, decide whether you are balanced enough to attack. If you are, move in and hit to a large target. If you are off balance or the ball is low and wide, play a controlled shot and recover instead of forcing a winner.
Score the decision as well as the result. A sensible attack that misses narrowly may still be a good choice, while a low-percentage winner attempt from a bad position is not. This distinction helps players learn without becoming afraid to take risks.
4. The Two-Choice Rally
Play crosscourt rallies, but allow only two options: continue crosscourt or change direction down the line. Before changing direction, the ball should be high enough and close enough to your body to let you swing with balance. If not, keep the crosscourt rally going.
This simple rule teaches patience. Changing direction can open the court, but it also creates risk and may leave you exposed. After each change, recover toward a position that covers the likely reply.
5. Serve-Plus-One Decisions
Start each point with a serve, then play the next ball live. Before serving, choose a broad plan—for example, serve wide and look for a ball to the open court. The receiver should return freely, so the server must adjust if the return does not match the plan.
The key lesson is to treat your serve as the start of a point, not a separate skill. A serve aimed wide may draw a return toward the sideline; if the return comes back deep down the middle instead, the smart next shot may be a neutral ball rather than a forced winner.
6. Doubles: Cover the Open Space
In doubles, have two players rally while a coach or third player calls “middle,” “line,” or “crosscourt” as the ball is hit. The team must move together to cover the most likely reply, then adjust as the rally changes. Switch who starts at the net and who begins at the baseline.
This works on shared decisions as well as individual reactions. Partners should use clear calls and avoid both chasing the same ball. Start slowly so players can focus on spacing, then play points at full speed.
How to Run a Useful Decision-Making Session
Keep the drills short enough to stay sharp. A practical session might include two drills for five to eight minutes each, followed by points that use the same tactical ideas. Give players a few seconds between sets to name what they noticed and what they would try next time.
Use a simple scoring system that rewards the process:
- Give one point for a sensible choice that matches the situation.
- Give another point for a good recovery after the shot.
- Track winners and errors separately, rather than treating every missed shot as a poor decision.
As players improve, add pressure: use a score such as 30–30, limit the time between feeds, or require a specific pattern before the point can be won. Keep the rule tied to a real match situation. Too many restrictions can turn a tactical drill into a guessing game.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing a target before reading the ball: A plan should change when the feed, bounce, or opponent’s position changes.
- Rewarding winners alone: This can teach players to take unnecessary risks. Praise smart choices and good recovery, too.
- Making drills too predictable: Players need some uncertainty to practise reading and adapting.
- Ignoring court position: The same shot can be sensible from one spot and risky from another.
Keep feedback brief and specific. Instead of saying “make better choices,” ask, “What did you see?” or “What was the safer target from that position?” These questions help players build their own match awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I practise tennis decision making?
Include decision-based work in one or two sessions each week. Even a short drill before match play can help, especially if it focuses on a situation you often face, such as handling a short ball or choosing when to change direction.
Can I practise decision making alone?
Yes. Use a ball machine with varied feeds, or rally against a wall and call your target before each shot. You can also practise shadow swings by reacting to a partner’s hand signals. A partner or coach adds the useful challenge of an opponent who moves and adapts.
What is the best drill for beginners?
Start with “call the shot before you hit.” Use easy feeds and large targets, such as deep forehand or deep backhand. Beginners benefit from making a clear, simple choice before adding disguise, pressure, or smaller targets.
How do I know if my decision was good?
Judge it by the information you had when you chose, not only by whether the ball landed in. Consider your balance, court position, the ball’s height and depth, and your opponent’s location. A reasonable choice can still miss; review the decision and the execution separately.
Final Thoughts
Strong tennis decision making comes from reading the situation and choosing a shot that fits it. Practise calling your intention, noticing your opponent’s position, and changing your plan when the ball demands it. With regular, realistic drills, smart choices become easier to trust when the score is tight.
