Wednesday evening, indoor court booked, sixty minutes. You warm up at an easy pace, chat a little, hit a few serves. Suddenly the clock says 20.25. Then a few more rallies, a short set, and the next group is already at the door. It was nice. But you did not train much.
Indoor court hours are scarce in winter and cost money. So it pays to use them deliberately. The key is not more pace but a clear focus.
Where the time goes in your indoor court hour
The sum is quickly done: if you warm up on court for 25 minutes, you have 35 left to train. Add breaks, collecting balls and the question “What shall we do now?”. In the end you may be left with twenty minutes in which you really work on something.
I often play indoors myself in winter. The hours after which I feel I have improved almost always have one thing in common: we knew beforehand what we were working on.
Before the hour: set one focus
Decide before the hour what you want to work on, and tell your hitting partners. Most are happy to join in when the drill is clear and everyone gets something out of it. Three examples:
- Return: Every return goes deep down the middle with a short backswing.
- Depth: A rally only counts if the ball lands behind the service line.
- First volley: After every serve you move forward, make your split step at the service line and play the volley deep.
Warm up beside the court, not on the court
The biggest time saving happens before the hour. Warm up beside the court: a few minutes of easy jogging, skipping, side shuffles, plus dynamic exercises for legs, core and shoulders. That way your muscles are ready when you play the first ball.
Ten minutes of warm-up on court in fixed blocks
On court, ten minutes are then enough. Divide them like this:
- Minutes 1 to 3: Mini tennis in the service box, relaxed and with spin. Your feet keep moving.
- Minutes 4 and 5: One player at the net, one on the baseline, then swap.
- Minutes 6 to 9: Baseline, first down the middle, then cross-court on both sides.
- Minute 10: A few overheads and serves, then the drill begins.
An example for sixty minutes
This is what an hour with the focus “depth” could look like:
- 10 minutes: Warm-up on court following the plan above.
- 20 minutes: Baseline duel. Only balls behind the service line count. First to ten points wins, then a new round.
- 15 minutes: Game-based drill. Play out points, but a short ball from your opponent is your invitation to attack.
- 15 minutes: Points with serve, for example a tiebreak to ten.
Keep the drills simple and keep count. Ten minutes with a clear task achieve more than half an hour without a goal. Play a few points at the end so that the focus also holds under pressure.
Focus is a mental matter too
A focus for the hour is the first step. Holding it on every ball is the art. If your thoughts drift after two mistakes, a single word that brings you back helps, such as “deep” or “early”. How to find focus words like these and deliberately set your focus wide and narrow is a whole chapter in the Mental Journal by Tennis Schweiz.
Frequently asked questions about the indoor court hour
How long should you warm up on court before tennis?
If you warm up beside the court first, ten minutes on court are usually enough. Without a warm-up you need longer and lose valuable court time.
What if my hitting partners would rather just play?
Suggest a drill that looks like a game, for example a duel to ten points. With a score, almost everyone is happy to join in, and you are still working on a focus.
Is your own ball basket worth it?
For drills with feeding, yes. With twenty to thirty balls you collect less often and have more time for what counts.
More tips for the tennis winter
You will find more drills for indoors and ideas for planning the winter with measurable goals in the guide to the winter indoor tennis season. All three guides together are available in the guide set.
You will find more posts under All winter tennis posts.
