Why Players Need to Hit the Ball from Day One
In tennis, the main objective is clear: hit the ball over the net, keep it in play, and win the point. It’s a sport defined by precision, timing, and the ability to react to the ball’s movement. From day one, players should focus on hitting the ball rather than on exercises like catching it, which may feel unnatural when applied to a match situation. After all, when was the last time you saw a player catch the ball during a tennis match?
The Importance of Hitting the Ball from Day One
The moment a player steps onto the court, they start learning how to read the ball’s flight, time their swing, and adjust their positioning—all critical skills for any tennis player. By encouraging hitting from the first session, coaches help players develop these core abilities right away:
Muscle memory: Repeatedly practicing the correct swinging motion ingrains muscle memory early. Players learn how to align their body, hand, and racquet to make effective contact, which becomes second nature with enough practice.
Reading the game: Tennis is dynamic. Players need to quickly interpret the ball’s trajectory, speed, and spin. Hitting from day one accelerates their ability to anticipate and respond in real time. The earlier players are exposed to these elements, the quicker they develop the instinct to adjust and prepare for each shot.
Confidence-building: Successfully hitting the ball, even on the first try, builds confidence. It’s an immediate reward for effort and encourages players to push through mistakes and learn quickly. The quicker they get comfortable hitting, the sooner they can start enjoying the game.
Positioning and footwork: When players are focused on hitting the ball from day one, they begin to understand the importance of positioning. They learn to move their feet, adjust to the ball’s height and direction, and place themselves in the right spot for each shot. This sense of positioning is vital for long-term improvement.
Match-readiness: At the end of the day, players are preparing to play actual matches, where the primary skill is hitting, not catching. Building good habits and focusing on hitting from the start makes the transition to match play much smoother.
The Catch-and-Throw Approach: Does It Hold Players Back?
Some coaches begin by having players catch the ball to develop hand-eye coordination or an understanding of the ball's flight. While this might help in some cases, it often delays players from practicing the essential skill of hitting the ball.
Tennis matches don’t involve catching the ball—players must read the ball’s flight, react, and hit it with their racquet. So, although some catching drills may be used to fine-tune perception, they shouldn’t take centre stage in early training sessions. The risk is that overemphasising this can lead to hesitation when it’s time to actually swing at the ball, especially when time is a factor in real matches.
Play Like You Practice
Hitting the ball from day one ensures that players start developing match-relevant skills immediately. By focusing on racquet-to-ball contact, timing, and positioning, they’re prepared for the real demands of the game from the start. Every moment spent hitting (rather than catching) translates directly to the experience they’ll need in competitive play.
So the next time you step on court, think about this: in a tennis match, you're there to hit the ball, not catch it. Start practicing as you mean to play, and you'll be on the path to success much faster.
