Player practice guide
Court Coverage Practice with Ball - By Self
15 min SoloIntermediate–AdvancedMovement
Connect ball reading, efficient movement and recovery while covering different areas of the court.
Best for: players ready to connect ball reading with efficient movement across wide, central and short court zones.
Goal
Reach varied feeds with the right footwork, send a safe deep reply and recover according to shot location.
Success today
Complete 10 of 14 feeds with a deep reply and arrival at the correct recovery marker before the next ball.
Watch before court
Technique reference
Video guide
Watch this video before you practise on court.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One coach or capable feeder
- A clear full singles court
- Basket of 30+ tennis balls
- 6 flat cones
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
Move from centre to varied wide and short feeds, direct each ball into the deep target and recover to the baseline or forward marker that matches the shot.
- Feeder ball
- Player movement
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Mark central, two wide and one short contact zone.
- 02Place baseline and inside-court recovery markers.
- 03Ask the feeder to vary depth and direction at controlled pace.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Map the recovery choices
- Walk every contact zone and its matching recovery marker.
- Face the court before the next move.
3–7 min
Use called feeds
- Ask the feeder to name wide, centre or short.
- Reply deep and recover to the correct cone.
7–11 min
Read mixed feeds
- Remove the call and use the ball’s depth.
- Choose the route before the bounce.
14 feeds · 4 min
Score fourteen feeds
- Count deep reply and correct recovery together.
- Aim for ten successes.
Remember
Three player cues
- Read depth before moving.
- Balance the contact.
- Recovery follows shot location.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Guessing the next feed
- Using baseline recovery after a clear short ball
- Watching the reply instead of moving
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Use only centre and one wide zone with predictable feeds.
Make it harder
Increase variation and add a live second ball after every correct recovery.
Keep it safe
Keep all four routes clear and stop the sequence when a ball remains in a contact or recovery zone.
Continue later