Slice Approach Drill

As with any other stroke, the approach shot should be learned and then practiced in the context of match play.

The mechanics of the slice approach are similar to the a slice groundstroke, except that the stroke is played while on the move.

The footwork, described in the article on the slice approach in this issue of High School Tennis Coach is the key, and once learned, should be practiced in match-play drills.

After players have practiced footwork of the slice approach shot by receiving short balls while at the baseline, they must now practice their ability to hit the shot with depth and accuracy.

Step #1
Begin at the center of the baseline. Have a coach or partner feed you a short ball (generally around or in front of the service line) toward the side line. The feed should have an arc which keeps the bounce higher than the net, as this is type of ball off which you would most likely approach.

Step #2
Players practice hitting the ball while moving through the shot, aiming deep and to the corners. A realistic target area (approximately three to four square feet wide) should be used -- not a pyramid of four balls or a ball can).

Step #3
After you have begun to master the shot, you must begin to practice the shot under match pressure. This means you must play for points. Give yourself a goal (seven out of 10 in, for example) to provide positive and negative feedback.

Step #4
you should now practice the shot as part of a shot combination. Start at the baseline, hitting deep balls with regular groundstrokes. Have your coach or partner randomly feed in short balls which you must now attack, closing the net, and finishing with a volley.

Step #5
Make sure that if you are taking feeds from the ad court and hitting your approach shot down the line into the deuce court, you do not receive the volley from the ad court. This would never happen in a match (the ball comes back to them from where they just hit it!), so the feeder must either run to that side of the court to feed the ball, or position himself in the center of the court when feeding.

Remember, new stroke mechanics are learned to improve shot-making ability, and you should practice shot-making skills soon after learning any new stroke skill.