The Broom Drill

Tennis: The Broom Drill Teaches the Correct Upward Swing Path for Topspin Shots

When hitting groundstrokes, beginners often have difficulty in swinging the racquet with the desired low-to-high swing path. Many instinctively emulate a baseball swing, which is naturally level or high-to-low. As a result they tend to have little control over their shots, and the ones they hit are often slices.

Here's a way to introduce the concept of a low-to-high topspin- producing swing.

The Broom Drill

You can use a household broom to introduce the concept of a low-to-high swing path to your students. Students stand on the baseline and swing their racquet through the bristles of a broom. The coach holds the broom at the point of contact with an imaginary ball.

If students swing with a level or high-to-low swing path, their racquet will become stuck in the bristles of the broom. However, if they use a low-to-high swing path, their racket will sweep through the broom's bristles.

It's a great way to give them the feeling of a low-to-high swing path and the type of swing that will apply topspin to the ball. The drill also improves your students' extension and follow through.

Reference: Robert Chonoles, “Trouble With Topspin?” Tennis.com, 2006.
http://www.tennis.com

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