By Eli Buenaventura
For Variety

RECREATIONAL players and some youngsters, who build their game around the baseline, are contented hitting balls from sunrise to sunset from their “home turf”. When they hit a short ball, instead of following it up with a winning volley at the net, they dash back to the baseline. What could have been an easy point, turned out to be a stamina-sapping exchange of shots. If you are one these players and you want to be an efficient grinder as well, here are some drills taken from the book, Tennis Drills by Lewis Brewer.
1. Mini-tennis drill. This drill allows you to learn the feel of hitting “touch” shots near the net. Ask your friend to play tennis against you, confining your shots within the service box. You can alternate hitting the first shot. You can keep score or just play points.
2. Angle volley drill. This drill allows you to learn to hit sharply angled volleys. You can do this by letting your hitting partner and yourself on the ad service box using a backhand stroke. Move to the deuce service box if you want the forehand side. You can always keep score or play points. Well-placed angled volley is commonly seen on doubles matches where there is a little space to pass the ball.
3. Approach shot drill. This is a three-ball drill with emphasis on the approach shot. Your friend can begin at the baseline near the center mark.You are at the opposite baseline. You hit the first ball into the corner so that your friend must move in to hit a backhand return. Following that shot, you hit a shot near the service line so that your friend must move in to hit a forehand approach shot. You finish by hitting a shot to your friend to volley. Your friend can do the drill after you are done..
4. Singles go drill. You and your friend start this drill at the baseline. You both begin rallying a few shots. After the third or fourth hit, you shout: go”, your friend must go to the net no matter where the ball is, and you and your friend must finish the point. This drill is most effective in training players to be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity to come to the net.
5. Singles must attack. Both you and your friend begin the drill at the baseline, rallying. As soon as your friend hits the ball inside your service line, you must come to the net and you both play the point. It is possible that both of you could be at the net at the same time. Your goal is to keep the ball deep in your friend’s court so that he will never have a chance to go to the net.
6. Hit a short ball drill. Ask your friend to hit short to the T of the service line and hit a cross-court shot from there. Both of you must finish the point. Try forehand cross-court first and then the backhand cross-court. Hit 50 shots on the forehand side and 50 hits on the backhand side.
7. Serve, volley to open court. This drill is designed to allow a server to follow up his serve with a volley to the open court. This is particularly important in doubles game. You and your friend start the drill at the baseline. If your friend will serve, make sure your return should not be a winner. Do this drill as many times as you can.
8. Serve, volley, must lob. You and your friend start the drill at the baseline. You should serve to your friend and follow the serve to the net. Your friend should make the return as difficult as possible for you, but should not try for a winner. You hit the volley to the open court and your friend must return the ball with a lob. After you, you let your hitting friend do the serving. This is a very common situation in actual matches, and yet it is rarely practiced.
9. Ghost doubles drill. You and your friend start the drill using only half the court. Your friend will serve to you and he serves to the net and hit it crosscourt as if he was actually playing doubles. You alternate serving with your friend. This drill is designed to improve your doubles game in case there are only two players who show up in a doubles practice.
10. Tie-break off baseline drill. This drill allows you and your friend to play the 12-point tiebreaker outside of your baseline zone. The goal is to get off the baseline at the earliest opportunity. You and your friend start the drill at the baseline. If your friend serves first, he must make an effort to move to the net and vice versa. You and your friend should finish the point. Use lob, angled volley, drop shot etc.
The above drills are not exclusive to improve your game off the baseline. You can actually design your own that is more appealing to your system and less boring. Even the best players get bored with some drills and create their own. On thing, however, is certain: If done regularly, you will find the net as your “home turf” as well.