Ball Machines – Using them for Doubles Practice

Tennis Ball Machine

Ball machines are great for practicing your doubles shots – if positioned correctly.

5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine:

Do not place the ball machine on the baseline in the center of the court
Do not have the ball machine oscillate from deuce court to ad court
Do not use the ball machine to practice only your ground strokes
Do not stand still after each of your shots
Do not return random shots of the in-coming ball

5 things TO consider doing when using a ball machine:

Place the ball machine in the deuce court near the singles side line
Have the ball machine direct the shots to your deuce court alley
If you wish to have the ball machine oscillate, have it direct the ball to your deuce court alley and then toward the center service mark in the deuce court as though you were pulled wide to return a shot and the next ball was directed up the middle to your center of the court.
After each shot recover to a new position on the court to keep your feet in motion simulating real match play
Direct each ball you receive back toward an intended target. Aim for a direction and depth as you send the ball back over the net.

There are many options to consider in planning your practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of you practice time with the ball machine.

5 things to consider when PLANNING your practice:

Getting advice from someone on how to adjust the ball machine and how to vary deliveries of the ball
The length of time you want to practice – half an hour or an hour based upon your goals, shots you wish to work on and conditioning level
Having a friend join in with you to practice volleys off your ground strokes or lobbing off your volleys when at the net. They can even practice poaching on every other shot that comes out of the ball machine and you can practice switching after the poach.
It also helps when it comes time to pick up the balls when the machine is empty so you can spend more time hitting. That may include taking turns putting balls in the machine while either of you are hitting then rotating turns. Consider serving all the balls that did not make it over the net when you do have to pause to pick up the balls to work on your serve as part of your practice.
Write down drills you create or ask your tennis professional to suggest some drills that would be good for your doubles game.

10 options to make your PRACTICE PRACTICAL:

Select real doubles targets: deep cross court to square #2, short underspin or heavy short angle shots to square #1, down the line toward the net players alley or lobbing high and deep to square #3 over the opposing net players head.
Even though the ball machine is set to send the ball to you as a ground stroke, practice moving forward after your initial shot to play a half-volley and then moving in further to play a volley or two.
As you play shots moving in toward the net, select targets for direction and depth that you would actually use if your opponent were on the baseline where the ball machine is located and your were attempting to capture the net.
When you get to the net, recover back quickly and retreat back toward the baseline as though you were put on total defense by your opponent. Pause to make a shot from your position and then retreat further back until you choose to advance forward again.
Vary the speed of your shots. Use the 3 speeds mentioned in other articles: level 1 is slower and has lots of spin, level 2 is a rally speed and level 3 is as hard as you can hit – without missing.
Vary the spin of your shots. Use varying degrees of topspin and underspin to improve your weapons in match play.
Vary the frequency of the shots delivered by the ball machine. Allow little time between shots or too much time like an opponent who plays softly and slowly with their returns.
Vary the spin of the shots delivered by the ball machine to help you learn how to receive different shots that may be difficult for you in your matches.
Limit the number of shots you make without pausing. Hitting 3oo balls in a row just because that is how many the ball machine holds is not effective not efficient practice. After about 40 or 50 balls, use the remote and turn off the machine and reset some feature of the ball you are receiving – change the direction of the in-coming ball, speed, spin or depth of the ball.
Change your targets often. Practice enough returns to specific targets until you are confident with that target then move on to a new target that demonstrates your ability to control the direction, depth, spin and speed of your returning shot.

Ask your tennis professional to use a ball machine in your next lesson to see how it can be used effectively in your practice session. Ball machines are great ways to allow you repetition in learning how to hit a shot. They also assist in developing confidence in your strokes so you can play them in match play without having to think about “how” to hit. This will allow you to focus more on the strategy of “where” to direct your shots and enjoy playing the game – TENNIS.

by Ken DeHart
USA High Performance Coach
PTR & USPTA Master Professional

Photo Credits: arsandy.wordpress.com

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aim, ball machine, balls, baseline, deliveries, feet in motion, ground strokes, half an hour, length of time, match, new position, oscillate, random shots, target

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Doubles, Practice, Tennis Tips

Posted by Ken DeHart on January 26, 2010 in Doubles, Practice, Tennis Tips. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.