This is an excerpt from Tennis Drill Book-2nd Edition, The by Tina Hoskins-Burney & Lex Carrington.
Four-Hit Passing Shot
To help players develop quick thinking skills while hitting passing shots on the run.
To play good hard-court tennis, players must improve their overall conditioning, quicken their footwork, and develop consistency, agility, and anticipation skills. This drill helps players stay steady while running down shots by improving their placement and footwork and while hitting on the run and recovering.
Player A, at the net on one side of the court with a basket of balls, puts the first ball into play by hitting it down the line. Player B returns the ball to player A, who then volleys the ball crosscourt to a target (a prepositioned cone or marker). Player B runs and attempts to hit a passing shot down the line past player A. Player A then slides over to the other side of the court and repeats the steps. Players switch positions after every few points.
Players rotate to different positions after playing three to five points.
Players should angle their volleys 99 percent of the time. Volleys hit down the middle of the court tend to come back as winners for the opposing player.
Learn more about Tennis Drill Book, Second Edition.