Weird Things to Work On for Better Control on the Tennis Court

Want to hit better tennis shots? Stop focusing only on your swing. Sometimes, the biggest improvements come from the smallest, strangest details.

When it comes to tennis, most players focus on the obvious: hitting harder, improving their forehand, developing a stronger serve, or finding more power on their backhand. Those skills matter, but what if better control on the court comes from working on something a little less obvious?

At Four Lakes Athletic Club, we know that tennis is a game of precision, timing, movement, and decision-making. The difference between a ball landing safely inside the baseline and sailing long can come down to a tiny adjustment you might never have thought to practice.

Welcome to the weird side of tennis training. These are the unconventional skills, habits, and drills that can help you gain better control, improve consistency, and become a smarter player on the court.

1. Train Your Eyes Before You Train Your Swing

Your racket gets the credit for the shot, but your eyes do much of the work before contact ever happens.

Tracking the ball closely helps you judge its speed, bounce, height, and direction. Many players start thinking about where they want to hit the ball before they've fully processed the ball coming toward them.

Try this: During your next practice session, pay attention to the ball all the way through contact. Watch it approach your strings rather than looking up early to see where your shot is going. You can also ask a partner or work with the ball machine to feed balls at different heights and speeds while you focus on tracking each one.

The goal isn't to stare harder. It's to improve your visual awareness so you can prepare earlier and make cleaner contact.

2. Practice Hitting Slower on Purpose

It sounds counterintuitive, but if you want to hit harder with control, you should practice hitting softer.

When every shot is an attempt to blast a winner, it's difficult to develop reliable depth, direction, and touch. Controlled rallies teach you to manage racket speed, spin, and placement without relying on power to bail you out.

Try this: Rally with a partner and aim for 10 consecutive shots at a comfortable pace. Then try 15, followed by 20. Keep the ball deep and consistent without trying to overpower your opponent.

Once you can control the rally, gradually add pace while maintaining the same level of accuracy.

Remember: the ability to take pace off a shot is a skill, not a weakness.

3. Work on Your Non-Racket Hand

Your non-dominant hand might seem irrelevant when you're focused on your forehand or backhand, but it plays an important role in balance, spacing, and preparation.

On groundstrokes, your free hand can help you judge the incoming ball and maintain balance as you rotate. On your serve, it helps guide the toss and contributes to a more organized motion.

Try this: During your next groundstroke drill, deliberately use your non-racket hand to help track the ball and establish spacing before contact. On your serve, practice your tossing motion separately, aiming for a consistent toss location before adding the full swing.

Better balance often starts with the hand you aren't even thinking about.

4. Learn to Control Your Feet Before Your Racket

You can have a technically beautiful swing and still hit an inconsistent shot if your feet put you in the wrong position.

Being too close, too far away, or off balance can force you to adjust your swing at the last second. That's why footwork isn't just about getting to the ball. It's about arriving in a position where you can hit it comfortably.

Try this: Practice shadow swings without a ball. Move into position, establish your spacing, simulate your shot, and recover toward your ready position. Then repeat with a partner feeding balls at different locations.

Pay attention to your adjustment steps and how well you recover after each shot.

The better your positioning, the less you have to compensate with your racket.

5. Make Your Target Smaller

Aiming for the entire court sounds reasonable, but it can make practice less purposeful. If your target is simply “somewhere in,” it's difficult to measure whether your control is improving.

Instead, give yourself a specific landing zone.

Try this: Choose a target area deep in the court, away from the sidelines. During a rally, aim to land several balls in that zone consecutively. Once you become more consistent, narrow the target or change its location.

You can also use targets to practice crosscourt angles, short balls, and controlled shots down the line.

The secret? Make the target challenging enough to demand focus, but realistic enough to encourage repeatable success.

6. Practice Recovering After Every Shot

Here's a strange truth about tennis: your next shot often depends on what you do immediately after your last one.

Players sometimes admire a good shot, watch where it lands, or remain planted after contact. Meanwhile, their opponent is already preparing the next ball.

Recovery footwork helps you return to a balanced, ready position so you can respond more effectively.

Try this: Make recovery part of every drill. Hit the ball, finish your movement, and immediately return toward an appropriate ready position. Your recovery spot will depend on where you hit the ball and your opponent's likely response.

Don't just practice hitting the ball. Practice being ready for what comes next.

7. Experiment With Spin Instead of Just Power

Topspin, slice, and changes in trajectory give you more ways to control the ball. They can help you change its bounce, manage depth, and disrupt your opponent's rhythm.

But spin isn't something you want to add randomly. It works best when you understand what your racket is doing and how the ball responds.

Try this: Hit a series of comfortable topspin shots, focusing on brushing up the back of the ball while maintaining a stable contact point. Then experiment with a controlled slice, paying attention to how the ball travels and bounces differently.

Work with a tennis professional to refine your technique, especially if you're struggling to create spin without losing consistency.

More variety means more options when you need to change the pace or shape of a rally.

8. Practice Making Decisions Before the Ball Arrives

Tennis is a physical game, but it's also a game of quick decisions. Should you attack? Defend? Hit crosscourt? Play a safer shot down the middle?

Hesitation can lead to late preparation, rushed swings, and unnecessary errors.

Try this: During a practice rally, decide on your intended target as your opponent strikes the ball. Choose your shot based on your position, the incoming ball, and your opponent's location. Then commit to your decision while staying prepared to adjust if needed.

You can also play points with specific goals, such as directing most neutral balls crosscourt or using a higher-margin shot when you're stretched wide.

The objective isn't to predict every outcome. It's to develop a clearer plan before you swing.

9. Get Comfortable Being Slightly Uncomfortable

Not every drill needs to feel smooth and easy. Sometimes, improving control means learning to handle awkward bounces, different contact heights, unexpected directions, and imperfect positioning.

Real matches rarely deliver the exact ball you want.

Try this: Ask a partner or coach to vary the feed instead of sending the same comfortable ball repeatedly. Practice moving forward, hitting on the run, adjusting to higher balls, and recovering from wide shots.

Start at a manageable pace and increase the difficulty as your confidence improves.

The goal is to build adaptability without sacrificing sound technique.

10. Slow Down Your Between-Point Routine

Control isn't just physical. Your mindset between points can influence how you approach the next one.

Rushing after an error, dwelling on a missed shot, or trying to immediately win back a lost point can lead to poor decisions. A consistent reset routine helps you return your attention to the present.

Try this: After each point, take a breath, briefly assess what happened, and choose one simple intention for the next point. It might be “move my feet,” “aim higher over the net,” or “play with more margin.”

Then let the previous point go.

You don't have to play a perfect match. You need a reliable way to approach the next ball.

Take Your Game Beyond the Obvious

Better tennis control isn't always about swinging faster, hitting harder, or adding another complicated technique. Sometimes it's about tracking the ball more carefully, improving your footwork, choosing smarter targets, or learning to stay composed under pressure.

These details might seem small or even a little weird, but they can make your practice more purposeful and your game more consistent.

Ready to find out what could be holding your game back?

At Four Lakes Athletic Club, our indoor tennis courts provide a year-round place to work on your technique, sharpen your movement, and build confidence. Whether you're a beginner learning the fundamentals or an experienced player looking for a competitive edge, focused practice and guidance from a tennis professional can help you take the next step.

Don't just work on hitting the ball. Work on everything that happens before, during, and after contact.

Your next breakthrough might come from the one thing you haven't tried yet.