Serve depth and placement

Setup

1. In each of the receiving service courts, mark two deep targets about a paddle's length inside the baseline: one near the centre line and one near the sideline.
2. Servers line up behind the opposite baseline with a pile of balls. A partner can collect on the far side.

How it runs

1. Serve ten balls from the right-hand court to the deep centre target, then ten to the deep sideline target.
2. Move to the left-hand court and repeat to the two targets diagonally opposite.
3. Score 1 point for a legal serve landing past the middle of the service court and 3 for a target. Keep a running total and try to beat it next time.
4. Each serve must be legal: underhand, diagonal, landing past the kitchen line. Use a volley serve or a drop serve.

Coaching points

• At least one foot behind the baseline, inside the extensions of the centre line and sideline.
• Volley serve: swing upward, contact below the waist, paddle head below the wrist at contact.
• Drop serve: release the ball from the hand without throwing or bouncing it down, then hit after the bounce.
• Pick the target before the routine starts, then follow through towards it.
• Depth matters more than pace: a deep serve keeps the receiver back.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the routine after a miss.
• Serving hard and low into the net instead of with a safe, high margin.
• Forgetting that a serve landing on the kitchen line is a fault.