Player practice guide
Forehand + Backhand Practice with Stepper
15 min Coach / feederBeginnerMovement
Coordinate adjustment steps with balanced forehand and backhand swings.
Best for: young beginners coordinating quick feet, forehand-backhand recognition and balanced contact.
Goal
Step off the platform safely, create space for the called side and recover around the marker.
Success today
Complete 12 of 16 alternating feeds with safe stepper use, correct side recognition and a balanced finish.
Watch before court
Technique reference
Tennis Footwork Ladder Drills: Improve Your Speed & Agility · 13:03
Technique reference—not the full drill. Watch the first-step speed, direction changes and balanced recovery used in the ladder patterns.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One coach or capable feeder
- Low non-slip step platform
- 16+ low-compression balls
- 4 flat cones
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
Step safely from the central platform area, move to the called forehand or backhand contact cone, hit towards the deep target and recover around the outside route.
- Feeder ball
- Player movement
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Place the low step behind the hitting start, never inside the swing path.
- 02Mark forehand and backhand contact zones plus a recovery route around the step.
- 03Ask the feeder for gentle alternating balls.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Step off safely
- Step on and off without a racket, then move around the platform.
- Never jump backwards onto it.
3–7 min
Add side calls
- Move to forehand or backhand on the feeder’s call.
- Freeze balanced in the contact space.
8 feeds · 4 min
Add gentle feeds
- Hit eight low-compression balls towards the large target.
- Recover around the outside of the step.
16 feeds · 4 min
Score sixteen patterns
- Count safe exit, correct side and balanced finish.
- Aim for twelve successes.
Remember
Three player cues
- Step down under control.
- Call the side, then create space.
- Recover around the platform.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Jumping backwards onto the step
- Running between the step and the ball
- Swinging before the feet stop
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Remove the platform and rehearse the same forehand-backhand routes from a floor marker.
Make it harder
Vary feed direction after the side call and reduce the target slightly.
Keep it safe
Use a low non-slip platform, one active player and a recovery path that never crosses the step.
Continue later