Patterns: serve wide, hit into space

Setup

1. Two players, one serving and one returning, singles court.
2. A cone in the wide corner of each service box as the serve target.
3. A cone in each back corner of the server's target half to mark the space for the +1.

How it runs

1. The server serves wide: slice wide on the deuce side, kick or slice wide on the ad side.
2. Normal rules: two serves, foot faults and lets apply.
3. The server's first ball after the return goes into the open court, away from the returner.
4. Server scores 2 for a point won within their first two shots, 1 for any other point won.
5. Ten points each side, then swap roles.

Coaching points

• The serve's job is to pull the returner off the court, not to ace them.
• Read the return early and step in; take the +1 on the rise if it lands short.
• Play the +1 forehand where possible; move around the ball to take it.
• Aim the +1 a metre inside the line; the space is big, so take margin.
• Recover to the middle of the returner's possible angles, not the centre mark.

Common mistakes

• Hitting the +1 back to where the returner was pulled.
• Admiring the serve and starting the +1 late.
• Going for the line on the +1 and missing.