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Great workout if you use our ball machine...

Ball Machine Workouts

Tennis is a fun sport that offers physical fitness and an ability to compete in a friendly environment. The game, however, takes a lot of patience and practice to master. Tennis ball machines are an efficient way to learn proper technique and muscle memory so that you can automatically execute your shots and game plan in the heat of a match. Repetition is the key to learning strokes and tennis ball machines allow you to practice the same shot or strategy over and over.

Stroke Specific Drill

Every tennis player has a shot that he would like to improve, but it's tough to find a friend who is willing to spend an hour hitting shots specifically to your backhand or forehand. This is one of the ways that a ball machine can be used as an effective training tool. To execute this workout, Tennis Thoughts recommends setting the ball machine to dispense an entire hopper full of balls to whichever stroke you would like to improve. Depending on your needs, you can set the next round to continue the same stroke, or maybe switch to the opposite one.

Up the Middle

Speed, endurance and footwork are all important elements of a tennis match. The Up the Middle workout will help you improve all three skills, while giving you the chance to work on your ground strokes. Tennis Thoughts instructs to set the ball machine to serve balls down the center line of the court. Alternate between hitting forehands and backhands: A common mistake with this drill is to set the speed of the ball machine too fast. In order to avoid becoming burned out before you have hit every ball in the hopper, make sure the machine is shooting balls at a rate that is challenging yet feasible.

Two-Line Drill

Tennis is a running game, and the player who can hit winners on the run will have an edge over her opponent. For this drill, set the ball machine to alternate between forehands and backhands. Have the balls hit the ground far enough away from each other so that you have to move quickly from side to side. Along with hitting shots on the run, this drill improves your endurance and sprinting speed.

Random Oscillation

You can never be really sure where your opponent will place the ball. The random oscillation drill helps improve your reaction time so that you are able to get to the ball in time and make the right decision for your return shot. For this drill, Tennis Thoughts recommends setting the ball machine to random oscillation, with balls alternating between forehand, backhand and up the middle, and with some going deep and others landing closer to the net.