Fun tennis drills: 10 games for kids and adults

Players who have fun come back. Whether they are 6-year-olds or adults who play on Tuesday evenings after work, a lesson with games, laughs and a bit of competition helps them improve more and quit less.

Here are 10 fun tennis drills we use in our lessons. Each one has a technical or physical goal behind it, but players experience it as a game. The full drill sheets in our catalogue are in Spanish; here we explain each one in English.

Games without rackets to get started

Ideal for warming up young players, or for days when there isn't equipment for everyone.

Sideways tag. Classic tag, but players must always shuffle sideways around a circle of cones. With more players, set up several circles and swap roles every 30 seconds. It trains lateral movement without anyone noticing.

Points by throwing. Real points from the baseline, but the ball is thrown by hand, copying the full serving motion. A fun way to teach the throwing action of the serve.

Warm-up games with rackets

Racket spikeball. Inspired by the beach game: players hit the ball down so it bounces inside a small circle of cones and the opponent can't return it. Lots of reaction and touch.

Colour rally. Before every shot, players must call out a colour without repeating any already said in the rally. It sounds easy until you reach eight shots. It makes players think while they play.

Basket drills that feel like games

Counted bounces. The coach calls a number from 1 to 4 and the ball must bounce that many times before the player hits it. It trains reading the bounce and adjusting the feet.

Get out of the way. Two players go for the same ball: the one on the inside hits it, the one on the outside must move away fast, because their partner is about to swing right where they were standing. Reaction speed and communication.

Collect the cones. After each shot, the player picks up a cone from the sideline and carries it to the centre of the court. A way to add fitness work without it sounding like "now it's time to run".

Competitive formats that hook players

King of the court. The classic that never fails: a king defends their side and challengers try to dethrone them. In this version you must win three points in a row, each from a different part of the court: baseline, approach and volley. If you want the most famous version, read our article about Winner.

Race to 100. Every shot in the rally adds points, and the winners of the point bank the total, so players want to keep the ball in play. Ideal for working on consistency with large groups.

Team duels. Two teams, each on a different court: the coach calls a number and that player must defend alone against the other team. Works really well with large groups.

Tips so the game doesn't swallow the technique

• Explain the rule in 30 seconds. If you need longer, the game is too complicated for that group.
• One technical goal per game. For example, in Race to 100 correct the height of the ball over the net, not everything at once.
• Rotate fast. Nobody should spend more than a minute waiting in line.
• Adapt the rules to the level. More bounces allowed for beginners, smaller target zones for advanced players.

Find more games

In the drill catalogue you can filter by part of the lesson and number of players to find games for your group. And if you want the whole lesson built for you, try the automatic session generator. For a broader view, see our guide to tennis drills for every part of the lesson.