Player practice guide
Down-the-Line Short-Ball Finish
15 min Coach / feederIntermediateForehand
Attack a short ball and finish the pattern down the line.
Best for: forehand players who reach short balls but lose control when changing direction.
Goal
Move inside the baseline, create space around the forehand and finish safely down the line.
Success today
Land 7 of 10 short-ball forehands in the deep down-the-line lane and recover inside the baseline.
Watch before court
Technique reference
How To Punish Short Balls in Tennis (4 ways) · 8:09
Technique reference—not the full drill. Watch the spacing, contact height and target choice used to attack a short ball.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One coach or capable feeder
- Basket of 20+ tennis balls
- 4 flat cones
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
Move from the centre baseline to the short forehand, send it into the deep down-the-line target and recover to the inside-baseline marker.
- Ball direction
- Feeder ball
- Player movement
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Mark a short-ball contact zone inside the baseline and a deep down-the-line target.
- 02Place an inside-baseline recovery cone near the centre.
- 03Ask the feeder to send a comfortable short forehand ball.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Find the contact space
- Shadow around the outside of the short forehand.
- Stop the outside foot before swinging.
6 feeds · 4 min
Use the full target
- Ask for six slower short feeds.
- Aim beyond the service line with net clearance.
7–11 min
Add the recovery
- Return to the inside-baseline cone after every finish.
- Stay ready for a possible next ball.
10 feeds · 4 min
Score ten finishes
- Count only deep line shots with balanced recovery.
- Aim for seven successes.
Remember
Three player cues
- Move around the ball.
- Drive inside the sideline.
- Recover forward, not backwards.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Arriving directly behind the ball with no swing space
- Aiming at the sideline
- Drifting back after the attacking shot
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Use slower feeds, a wider line target and aim for 6 successful finishes from 10.
Make it harder
Vary the feed depth and require the player to hold the baseline when the ball is not short enough.
Keep it safe
Keep loose balls away from the short-ball contact zone and wait for full recovery before the next feed.
Continue later