Forehand Drive + Footwork
What you're working on
A two-phase solo drill that combines lateral footwork with forehand drive mechanics. The first phase isolates the shuffle step, building the low, efficient movement needed to cover the court. The second phase puts that movement to work, linking split steps directly into a forehand drive from progressively deeper court positions. A practical drill for players looking to improve both their court movement and their forehand under realistic conditions.
See how the drill works
Run the drill
Drill Set Up
One player, a paddle, cones, and balls. Start one step behind the baseline on the deuce side.
Phase 1. Shuffle Steps: Place one cone at the corner of the deuce side and one at the middle line, both with a ball balanced on top.
Phase 2. Forehand Drive: Move to the advantage side. Place a line of cones with balls on top, running from one step behind the baseline towards the kitchen. Space the cones so the player can take 2 to 3 small split steps between each one.
How to run it
Phase 1: Shuffle Steps
1. Start one step behind the baseline in the middle of the deuce side.
2. Get low and shuffle step from one cone to the other, touching the ball on top of each cone as you arrive.
3. Repeat for a set number of repetitions or a set time before moving to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Forehand Drive
1. Pick up the paddle and move to the advantage side of the court.
2. Start at the first cone, one step behind the baseline.
3. Get low, rotate the trunk, and hit the ball off the cone with a full forehand drive to the other side of the court.
4. Move with small split steps to the next cone.
5. Repeat the same movement, get low, trunk rotation, full forehand swing, at each cone.
6. Work through all cones along the line towards the kitchen.
7. Vary the target on each run: all down the line, then all crosscourt, then mixed
Coaching Points
• Stay low throughout both phases, do not rise up between cones or between split steps.
• In Phase 1, touch each ball cleanly, the touch confirms you have moved fully to each position rather than reaching.
• In Phase 2, the split steps between cones should be small and controlled, not a jog or a sprint.
• Rotate the trunk fully on every forehand, the swing starts from the body, not the arm.
• Complete the full forehand drive movement on every cone, do not abbreviate the swing because the drill is moving.
• Vary the target deliberately: down the line, crosscourt, then mixed keeps the drill game-realistic.