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Player practice guide

Short-Angle Forehand: Four Variations

15 min Coach / feederAdvancedForehand

Use four short-angle crosscourt forehand variations to open the court from the centre.

Best for: forehand-dominant players refining angle from four common contact positions.

Goal

Shape the forehand short crosscourt from neutral, inside-out, wide and short-ball positions.

Success today

Land 8 of 12 forehands in the short-angle target, with at least 2 successes from each position.

Watch before court

Technique reference

How to Hit Angles? · 6:24

Technique reference—not the full drill. Watch how contact position and spin create a safe short crosscourt angle.

Open video on YouTube

Arrive ready

Before you go

  • One coach or capable feeder
  • Basket of 24+ tennis balls
  • 6 flat cones
  • Approximately 15 minutes of court time

Court blueprint

Set up the court

Four forehand positions to one short angleMove from centre to four marked forehand contact positions and shape each ball into the same short crosscourt target before returning to the recovery marker.NETDeep targetYouFeederBALLSBasket

Move from centre to four marked forehand contact positions and shape each ball into the same short crosscourt target before returning to the recovery marker.

  • Ball direction
  • Feeder ball
  • Player movement
  • Recovery
  • Target zone
  1. 01Mark a short crosscourt service-box target.
  2. 02Place contact cones at neutral, inside-out, wide and short-ball positions.
  3. 03Ask the feeder to announce each position before the first round.

Step by step

Your 15-minute practice

  1. 0–3 min

    Walk the four positions

    • Shadow one angle forehand from every cone.
    • Create space outside the ball.

  2. 12 called feeds · 4 min

    Use predictable feeds

    • Hit three balls from each position.
    • Aim inside the service box with safe net height.

  3. 7–11 min

    Mix the positions

    • Let the feeder change the order.
    • Keep the same shaped finish from every contact.

  4. 11–15 min

    Complete eight angles

    • Count at least two successes from each position.
    • Recover to centre after every feed.

Remember

Three player cues

  • Get outside the ball.
  • Shape across with spin.
  • Angle inside the service box.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

  • Trying to hit around the net post
  • Using the same footwork from all four positions
  • Opening the shoulders too early

Keep the same purpose

Adjust the challenge

Make it easier

Use two contact positions and the full crosscourt service box as the target.

Make it harder

Remove the position call and add a deep target that must be chosen when the angle is not available.

Keep it safe

Keep all four movement lanes clear and use flat markers outside the player’s final steps.

Continue later

Related drills

Offensive Crosscourt Forehand15 min · Coach / feederFour-Way Short-Ball Finish15 min · Coach / feederShort-Angle Forehand, Backhand + Inside-Out Forehand15 min · Coach / feeder