Cross-court is the longer diagonal of the court. The ball travels further in the air, giving more margin over the net. This is the highest-percentage tennis shot. This drill teaches the kid to hit it on purpose.
What you need: Green tennis balls (USTA Stage 1) or yellow if ready, full racquet (25-26 inches), full tennis court.
Setup: Player on the deuce court (right) baseline. Coach across the net feeding balls. Cone target in the opposite cross-court corner.
How to run it:
- Cue: Turn, Drop, Lift, Follow.
- Coach feeds a forehand to the player’s strike zone.
- Player hits a forehand cross-court, aiming at the cone target.
- Track makes vs. misses. Goal: 6 of 10 land near the cone.
- Switch to ad court (left side) and repeat.
What to watch: Body angle at contact. Cross-court forehands require the body to turn slightly toward the cross-court direction. If the body stays square, the ball goes straight.
If they’re struggling: Bigger target. Or hit down-the-line first to build the swing before adding direction.
If they’ve got it: Add a rally. The kid has to keep the ball cross-court for 5 shots in a row.