Best Tennis Practice Ever: Getting Maximum Benefit Out of Every Practice

2x ITA National Coach of the Year Brian Boland demonstrates how to run a team practice that maximizes the time you spend on the court. From extensive dynamic stretching and warm-up routines to competitive match play drills, Boland shares the time-tested practice formula he used year after year to turn Indiana State, then Virginia into a perennial national powerhouse.

Dynamic Stretch/Band Routine

Learn how to get your athletes ready for a great practice by implementing the extensive dynamic stretching and band routine used by Boland-coached teams. This series of exercises will elevate the heart rate of your athletes and have them ready to go when it's time to hit tennis balls.

Full Warm-Up

Attention to detail is a must at a Boland team practice. Listen in as Boland speaks to his team about the importance of 'owning every shot' and 'hitting with a purpose.' Coach Boland's team is comprised of highly skilled athletes, and yet, throughout the sessions, you'll see him interjecting advice oozing with a reinforcement of fundamentals; every practice begins with a 10-minute warm-up that stresses quantity and repetition.

Serves & Returns

Boland stresses the importance of the 'first four' shots in a tennis match. The serve, return, and the subsequent two shots require a high amount of focus, concentration, and as Coach Boland states, repetition. He believes beginning all practices with serving and returning drills is a core ingredient to the consistent success of the UVA program.

Cross-Court Baseline Game - Slice & Dice Game

Learn how to teach your athletes how to move the ball within a tight space with Coach Boland's cross court baseline games. Boland instructs his players to hit a variety of shots within a confined space to maximize results. Interjecting fundamentals and shot selection within a game that stresses competition allows not a second wasted at any practice.

Boland's team practice video is a must for any coach who is looking to get everything out of their team during practice time. By implementing the techniques and ideas demonstrated in this video, your team is poised to show consistent, steady improvement.

73 minutes. 2017.