Player practice guide
Forehand Wide-Ball Receive + Recovery
15 min Coach / feederIntermediateMovement
Reach a wide ball in balance, send it deep crosscourt and recover before the next feed.
Best for: players who can rally from the baseline and want to defend wider balls without losing court position.
Goal
Move to the wide ball with space, reply deep crosscourt and recover before the feeder sends the next ball.
Success today
Complete 8 of 10 feeds with a deep crosscourt reply and return to the recovery marker before the next feed.
Watch before court
Technique reference
How To Practice Tennis Alone And Get Better Fast! · 9:05
Technique reference—not the full drill. Watch the stance, footwork, spacing and recovery used across the solo movement patterns.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One coach or capable feeder
- At least 2 metres of clear space outside the singles sideline
- Basket of 20+ tennis balls
- 4 flat cones or court markers
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
The feeder sends the ball outside your baseline starting position. Move wide to meet it, reply into the deep crosscourt target, then return to the centre recovery marker before the next feed.
- Ball direction
- Feeder ball
- Player movement
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Place a start-and-recovery marker just behind the centre of the baseline and a wide-ball marker outside the singles sideline.
- 02The feeder stands behind the opposite baseline with the basket safely behind them.
- 03Use two cones to mark a deep crosscourt target between the service line and baseline.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Rehearse the movement
- Split-step as the feeder begins the motion.
- Move to the wide marker and recover without a ball.
8 slow feeds · 4 min
Find space around the ball
- Ask your feeder to send the ball outside your starting position.
- Reply crosscourt at a controlled pace.
6 alternating feeds · 3 min
Add the recovery
- Ask the feeder to alternate forehand and backhand sides.
- Return to the centre marker after every reply.
10 scored feeds · 5 min
Complete the success set
- Score one point for a deep reply and full recovery.
- Aim for eight points before the set ends.
Remember
Three player cues
- Split as the feeder strikes the ball.
- Create space with your first movement.
- Recover before watching the result.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Moving before the feeder strikes
- Reaching with the racket instead of the legs
- Watching the reply instead of recovering
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Use slower feeds, reduce the movement distance and aim for 6 successful repetitions from 10 feeds.
Make it harder
Use a narrower target and a shorter feed interval while still returning to the recovery marker before the next ball.
Keep it safe
Keep the basket behind the feeder, clear loose balls after each set and stop immediately if a ball enters the player's movement lane.
Continue later