Ball Machines – Using them for Singles Practice

Singles Practice Ball machines are great for practicing your singles shots – if positioned correctly.

5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine:

Do not place the ball machine only on the baseline in the center of the court
Do not have the ball machine oscillate only 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 off center where the opponent might be when making a shot
Have the ball machine direct the shots where the opponent might hit based upon their position on the court or particular tendencies of a know opponent
If you wish to have the ball machine oscillate, have it direct he ball within the options available if it were playing from that position in a rally.
After each shot recover to a new position on the court based upon where you place your return of the ball then recover quickly based upon where the next ball is coming from the ball machine.
Direct each ball you receive back toward an intended target. Aim for a direction and depth using the appropriate spin 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, lobbing off your volleys when at the net or alternating hitting after a certain number of shots or pattern has been completed.
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 singles game.

10 options to make your PRACTICE PRACTICAL:

Select real singles targets using the 4 squares on the opposite side of the net. Square 1 is the deuce service court, square 2 is the space behind the deuce service court, square 3 is the space behind the ad service court and square 4 is the ad service court. This will help you with the direction and depth of your intended target and make your practice more practical.
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 feel comfortable 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 permit repetition in receiving particular balls and learning a response to that ball. Ball machines also assist in developing confidence in your strokes so you can use 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: shortCHINESEguy

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Practice, Singles, Tennis Tips

Posted by Ken DeHart on January 27, 2010 in Practice, Singles, Tennis Tips. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.