Moving as one: the rope drill

Setup

1. Partners stand side by side at the kitchen line, each holding one end of a light rope in the non-paddle hand, slightly slack at about waist height.
2. The coach stands at the opposite kitchen line with a basket of balls. Clear the area behind the pair of loose balls.
3. Hold the rope loosely: never loop it round a hand or wrist, and let go at once if either partner stumbles.

How it runs

1. Round 1, no paddles: the coach points left, right, forward or back, and the pair moves there together without the rope going tight or touching the floor.
2. Round 2: the coach feeds dinks and soft volleys to different spots. The pair shifts towards the ball, with the far partner sliding in to cover the middle.
3. Round 3: mix in lobs. Both players turn sideways and shuffle or cross-step back together, then walk back up to the line side by side.
4. Ten feeds per pair, then swap. Finish with a few feeds without the rope to see if the spacing holds.

Coaching points

• When the ball goes wide, both partners shift that way. The space left open is down the far sideline, the hardest shot for the opponents to hit.
• Keep roughly the same gap between you; the rope tells you straight away when one partner drifts.
• Move forward and back together so you are never one up and one back.
• Talk as you move: 'Shift', 'Back', 'Up'.
• Never backpedal for a lob. Turn and shuffle: backward falls are a common cause of serious injury.

Common mistakes

• The partner away from the ball staying planted, so the rope pulls tight.
• Backpedalling for the lob instead of turning.
• Watching the partner instead of the coach's paddle.