One of the main things that make a tennis player a successful one is the ability to move quickly in any direction the game wants them to. Moving around in the court at winning speeds calls for agility and swift reaction speed.
Don’t worry if you are not good with reflexes and reaction time. We’ll tell you how to improve reaction time in tennis.
Effective tennis ball reaction drills to improve your reaction time
Here are some tried and tested methods that can drastically improve your tennis reaction time.
1. Ball drop reaction drill
- Ask a friend to stand 5 meters from you with a bouncing ball in their hand.
- They have to drop the ball from shoulder height randomly.
- Your task is to catch the ball before it bounces off the ground for the second time.
This drill is great for coordination as well as reaction time improvement.
2. Reaction split step
- Position a friend 5 meters from you, holding a tennis ball in each hand.
- Your friend has to raise both his hands to shoulder height and drop one of the balls at random.
- Your task is to catch the ball before it bounces off the ground for the second time.
- Return the ball to your friend as quickly as you can and restart the drill.
It is one of the most effective tennis reaction drills to improve your reaction time, agility, and decision-making skills.
3. Blind reaction drill
- Position a friend 10 meters behind you with a tennis ball.
- They have to toss the ball towards you at random.
- You are required to turn around as soon as you hear the ball bounce off the ground and catch it before it bounces again.
It is also among the popular tennis ball reaction drills, as it teaches you to respond to the sound of the ball.
