Most club players show up to practice and just hit balls.
No focus. No goal. No connection between what they work on and what is costing them points in matches. They hit for an hour, feel good, and then play the same way they always have.
If you want to actually improve, you need a practice plan built around your game — specifically, the one or two things that are costing you the most points right now.
Here is exactly how to build one.
Step 1: Identify the Real Problem
Before you pick up a racquet, ask yourself one question: what is actually costing me points in matches?
Not what you think looks bad. Not what your opponent commented on. What is the specific pattern or situation where you consistently lose points?
Common examples:
- My backhand breaks down under pressure
- I lose the point after my second serve almost every time
- I cannot handle a heavy topspin player
- My returns land short and I get attacked
Pick one. Just one. That is your practice focus.
If you are not sure, Ace Tennis Coach can help you identify it. Tell Ace what has been going wrong in your recent matches and it will give you a specific diagnosis and a drill to fix it.
Step 2: Get a Game Plan Before You Practice
Most players skip this step entirely. They know they want to work on their backhand but they have no structure — no drill, no constraint, no way to measure whether it is working.
A good practice plan for one session looks like this:
- One specific problem to solve
- One drill that addresses that exact problem
- A constraint that forces the right behavior
- A scoring system so you know when you have succeeded
- A cue — one short phrase to carry into matches
That is it. You do not need five drills. You need one good one run properly.
Step 3: Structure Your Session in Three Parts
Every good practice session has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Warm up with purpose. Do not just rally crosscourt for ten minutes. Use the warm up to establish the shot you are working on. If your focus is the backhand, warm up with crosscourt backhands and pay attention to height and depth from the first ball.
Run the drill with scoring. This is the main block of your session. The drill should have a constraint — something that is not allowed or must happen for a point to count. The scoring creates pressure. Pressure makes the drill transfer to matches.
Finish with live points. End every session by playing points with your practice focus in mind. Not trying to win every point — trying to execute the specific thing you worked on. This is where the drill becomes a habit.
A Real Example: How Cade Built His Practice Plan
Before a recent tournament, Cade used Ace Tennis Coach to build a backhand focused practice plan. His backhand had been feeling flat and a little inconsistent — not a big weakness, but not where he wanted it going into competition.
He typed the problem into Ace. Ace came back with specific cues — go for more height, more shape on the ball — and a structured drill plan.
Here is what two sessions looked like:
Session 1 with Ben:
Crosscourt backhand exchanges, then live points with Ben's lefty forehand going to Cade's backhand. Real match simulation because that is the exact pattern he needed to solve.
Session 2 with Chris:
Drill 1 — Backhands from the middle of the court.
Normally you would never hit your backhand from the center baseline. That is exactly why this drill works. It forces you to get behind the ball, nail your spacing, and commit to height and depth on every ball.
Drill 2 — Crosscourt backhands, earning the line.
Rally crosscourt. When you get a short ball or a weak reply, you earn the right to go down the line — but only with height and depth, not a line drive. This teaches you to build the point instead of rushing the attack.
Drill 3 — Return depth game.
A tiebreaker to 10. Any return that lands inside the service line does not count as a point. Forces you to hit with depth on every return. Simple scoring, real pressure, immediate feedback.
Watch the full session:
Step 4: Use a Cue to Carry It Into Matches
A drill only works if something transfers to match play. The bridge between practice and matches is a cue — one short phrase you can say to yourself between points.
For the backhand sessions above, the cue was simple: height and depth.
Two words. That is all you need to remember under pressure. Not a technique thought. Not a swing adjustment. Just the ball outcome you are aiming for.
Pick a cue before every match based on what you worked on in practice. Say it to yourself at the changeover. That is how practice becomes performance.
Built on the MPTennis coaching system. Learn more at mptennis.ca or watch weekly videos on YouTube.