On court with 2
Tennis drills for 2 playersMake every minute count. Make the most of a hitting partner with shared rally targets, straight and diagonal patterns, and short serve-and-return games.
Before your first ball. Agree on pace and target size before you feed. Start closer together for consistency, then move back. Alternate who feeds, and make shared rally goals achievable for the less experienced player.
Plan a 2-player session Activities for 2 players
Crosscourt rally challenge: court pattern A and B exchange crosscourt balls between opposite diagonal baseline corners. Mirror the diagonal after five rallies.
T Net
A B 2 players · Beginner · 12 min
Work together to keep a diagonal rally going.
Consistency · Crosscourt
Rackets + balls
Down-the-line target challenge: court pattern A and B rally straight along the left half of the singles court. T is the deep end of this lane.
T Net
A B 2 players · Beginner · 12 min
Keep a straight rally in a broad lane before narrowing the target.
Down the line · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Cooperative volley rally: court pattern A and B volley gently across the net from inside their service lines. No bounce is used.
Net
A B 2 players · Beginner · 12 min
Keep a soft volley exchange within easy reach.
Volleys · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Serve-and-return target game: court pattern A serves diagonally to B; B returns deep into T behind the near service line. The point ends with the return.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Practise a serve followed by a purposeful deep return.
Serve and return
Rackets + balls
Mini-court depth ladder: court pattern A and B begin at opposite service lines and rally centrally. Dashed arrows show each moving back towards their own baseline after a successful six-return rally.
Net
A B 2 players · Beginner · 10 min
Earn the right to move back by keeping the same relaxed rally rhythm.
Consistency · Movement
Rackets + balls
Straight-and-diagonal figure eight: court pattern A begins near right, B far left. A always hits diagonally and B straight: near right to far left, far left to near left, near left to far right, far right to near right.
Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Coordinate two different directions to rehearse recovery between forehands and backhands.
Crosscourt · Down the line · Movement
Rackets + balls
Approach and first volley: court pattern B feeds short to A near the near service line. A approaches towards B, moves forward and receives a comfortable ball for a volley to far central T.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Follow a short-ball approach with a controlled first volley.
Volleys · Movement
Rackets + balls
Defensive lob and recover: court pattern B feeds gently from the far service line to A’s near right corner. A lobs over B into deep T and recovers towards near centre. Mirror on the next feed.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Use a high defensive ball to regain court position under controlled pressure.
Movement · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Serve plus one decision: court pattern A serves from near deuce into the far diagonal service box, B returns to near centre and A plays the next shot into far right T. Mirror for ad serves.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Choose a safe first groundstroke after your serve instead of ending practice at the return.
Serve and return · Movement
Rackets + balls
Crosscourt then change the line: court pattern A and B first rally on the near-right/far-left diagonal. A then changes to far right T; the full singles point opens after that change.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 12 min
Recognise when to change direction after establishing a diagonal rally.
Crosscourt · Down the line
Rackets + balls
Low slice lane: court pattern A and B exchange one-bounce slice shots down the left singles half, beginning near the service lines. T is the back of the far practice lane; mirror after five sequences.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 10 min
Control an underspin groundstroke through a broad straight lane.
Down the line · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Short touch and recovery: court pattern B feeds softly into the near right service box. A moves forward from the baseline and touches the ball into far left service-box T, then walks back after the ball dies.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 10 min
Move to a short ball and play a controlled touch return before recovering.
Movement · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Controlled overhead to target: court pattern B lobs gently from the far service line to A near the near service line. A turns for a controlled overhead towards far right T, away from B. Arrows show direction rather than ball height.
T Net
A B 2 players · Intermediate · 10 min
Practise turning and setting up for an overhead without a live chase.
Volleys · Movement
Rackets + balls
Service-box angle chess: court pattern A and B play one-bounce points using only the two service boxes on each side. Shaded T areas show the legal landing zones; neither volleys.
T T Net
A B 2 players · Beginner · 10 min
Create angles with placement while keeping the whole point inside the service boxes.
Crosscourt · Consistency
Rackets + balls
Instructions and navigation remain available without JavaScript. Enable JavaScript to use interactive tools and save changes in this browser.
