Tennis Movement

Spider Footwork Drill

Tennis drill for movement training sessions

Fast-feet movement drill training court coverage and recovery to the centre mark.

15 minDuration
6 playersGroup size
BeginnerDifficulty
Baseline areaSpace needed
ConesEquipment

What This Drill Improves

This tennis drill is best for beginner players who need focused work on movement. It works well with 6 players and can be adjusted by changing the space, pressure, or scoring rules.

Setup

Cones placed at six positions around baseline: corners, T, and wide service lines.

Instructions

  1. Player starts at centre mark.
  2. Coach calls cone number — player sprints to it and touches cone.
  3. Sprint back to centre, split-step, then next call.
  4. Complete 8 calls per set. 3 sets with 1 min rest.

Coaching Points

✓ Recovery to centre — never ball-watch.
✓ Small steps approaching the cone.
✓ Split-step every time before the next call.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

  • Players losing focus on the main coaching point.
  • The drill area being too large or too small for the group.
  • Progressing the drill before the basic pattern is clean.

Progressions: Make It Harder

→ Timed: beat 12 seconds per 8 cones.
→ Add a racket — shadow swing at each cone.
→ Partner calls randomly, unpredictably.

Regressions: Make It Easier

Walk through the pattern first, then build up to game speed.
Use larger targets or more space to help players succeed early.

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