Your top 6 drills to win more matches have nothing to do with flashier, more modern strokes.
Last video, I exposed how most players think they need to swing prettier to win more.
The truth is, you don’t need more flash. You need more repeatable habits under pressure.
These six drills work whether you’re a 3.0 or a 5.0, because they train the skills that actually decide matches.
The first three drills build shot tolerance and pressure tolerance together.
Shot tolerance just means repeating the same shot, in the same way, to the same place, without breaking down.
That matters because most points at every level end in an unforced error, not a winner.
Drill one: the target zone rally.
Set up a target zone between the service line and the baseline, inside the singles court.
Rally back and forth, both players aiming for that same zone on each side.
Any shot landing short of the service line or past the baseline sends you back to zero.
The goal: 10 shots in a row as a team, landing inside that zone.
Simple concept. Genuinely difficult to execute.
Your pace, your height, and your tempo all need to stay confident and consistent, or the ball won’t travel deep enough to count.
Count out loud as you go. Yes, it feels a little silly.
But counting out loud sharpens focus, keeps both players locked in, and confirms you’re actually on the same page.
The pressure naturally builds as the count climbs, forcing you to execute quality shots without losing concentration.
Drill two: crosscourt, one side only.
Now we raise the difficulty two ways.
First, cut the target zone in half, aiming crosscourt into just one half of the court.
Second, restrict yourself to only your outside swing. Lefties hit only backhand, righties hit only forehand. Hit the wrong wing and you reset to zero.
Half the target. Half your shot options. Still chasing 10 in a row.
This is a genuine development skill for singles and doubles alike: holding a high-quality, high-depth crosscourt exchange under pressure without your technique breaking down or your shots going short and tentative.
That pressure tolerance is exactly how you level up.
Drill three: switch sides, same cooperation.
Move to the ad side and reverse the restriction. Now you’re hitting the opposite wing from drill two.
Same half-court target zone. Same team goal of 10 in a row.
Keep counting out loud. Stay mindful of your tempo and swing speed.
Watch your net clearance here too. Shots clearing the net by 3 or 4 feet give you the depth you need.
Anything skimming low over the net tends to land short, technically in, but far too easy for an opponent to attack.
Drill four: target location, competitive.
Now we shift from a zone to a specific physical target. A cone with a ball on top, a ball pyramid, a hopper, anything works. Place one on each side of the court.
This time, you’re not cooperating. You’re competing directly.
First player to hit the opponent’s target three times wins the drill.
This sharpens your competitive instinct alongside your precision.
The natural tendency here is to ease off, get careful, and just push the ball over.
Resist that. Slowing down isn’t the path to leveling up your game.
Drill five: margin for error, ad side.
Same target-location format, now on the ad side.
Notice the placement: 5 to 6 feet off the sideline, 8 to 9 feet off the baseline.
That’s intentional margin for error, and it’s exactly what you should be doing in real matches too.
Everyone knows not to aim right at the lines on paper. Yet in real matches, targets quietly creep closer and closer to those lines anyway.
This drill forces real intention about exactly where you’re aiming, not just where you think you’re aiming.
Drill six: target location, outside swing only, deuce side.
Back on the deuce side, same specific target, but now restricted to your outside swing again.
Balls must hit the target on the fly or after one bounce. Three bounces before reaching it doesn’t count.
That restriction keeps building precision and repeatability on both your forehand and your backhand individually.
Whether you play singles or doubles, this kind of directional repeatability under pressure is what separates players who win matches from players who just look good warming up.
Run through all six of these this week, and you’ll start building the actual skills that win matches, not just the strokes that look good on camera.
Keep up the great work on your game, and I’ll catch you in the next lesson.
Your Coach,
-Ian
