Tennis skills
19 skills, beginner to advanced. 18 of them you can film on a phone and get measured. No fake scores.
Skills by level
You can film18 of 19 skills
Beginner 5
- Ready Position & Split StepBefore any stroke comes the ready position and the split step — the single most important movement skill in tennis. From an athletic ready stance, you do a small hop so your feet land just as your opponent strikes the ball, loading your legs like a spring so you can explode in any direction.
- The GripsHow you hold the racket — your grip — shapes every stroke. The main ones to know: the CONTINENTAL (like shaking hands with the racket, edge to the floor) used for serves, volleys, and slices; the EASTERN forehand (palm behind the handle) for flatter forehands; and the SEMI-WESTERN (the most common modern forehand)…
- Forehand DriveThe forehand is most players' biggest weapon. Its power comes from the kinetic chain — energy flowing from your legs up through your hips, trunk, shoulder, arm, and hand into the racket — NOT from arm strength.
- Two-Handed BackhandThe two-handed backhand is the easier, more stable backhand for most beginners — it's a shorter, 'closed chain' (your hands, arms, and trunk move more as one unit), which makes it consistent and powerful. Like the forehand, the power comes from rotating your trunk and shoulders, not from your arms.
- Footwork BasicsTennis is often won and lost with the feet. Good footwork gets you to the ball early, in balance, and at the right distance to hit a clean stroke — then recovers you for the next ball.
Intermediate 5
- The ServeThe serve is the most complex and most athletic stroke — biomechanically it's like throwing a ball overhead. The good news: it's a 'closed' skill you fully control, so it rewards practice.
- The VolleyA volley is hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces, usually near the net. It's the opposite of a groundstroke: there's almost NO backswing — it's a short, firm 'punch' or block forward, using the ball's incoming pace.
- One-Handed BackhandThe one-handed backhand is elegant and offers great reach and slice versatility, but it demands more strength and precise timing than the two-hander. It's a longer 'open chain' (more moving links), so it needs MORE trunk-and-shoulder rotation, and — crucially — it must be played MORE FIRMLY than the forehand, with…
- TopspinTopspin is the spin that makes the ball dip down into the court and kick up after the bounce — it lets you swing hard and still land it in, and it's the backbone of the modern game. You create it with a LOW-TO-HIGH swing path: you brush UP the back of the ball, finishing high.
- The SliceThe slice is the opposite spin to topspin — backspin (underspin) that makes the ball float, stay low after the bounce, and slow down, great for defense, approach shots, and changing the rhythm. You create it with a HIGH-TO-LOW swing path, brushing DOWN the back of the ball with a slightly open face, using a…
Advanced 5
- Serve Power & SpinOnce your serve motion is solid, real power and spin come from one thing: the kinetic chain. Effortless racket-head speed is built by sequencing legs → hips → trunk → shoulder → arm → wrist, like cracking a whip, with a relaxed arm and a deep racket drop.
- Return of ServeThe return is one of the most underpracticed shots — and a weapon if you build it. The whole game is read, move, contact in the tiny time you have: split-step as the server contacts, keep your backswing SHORT (block the fast ones, drive the slow ones), and meet the ball in front.
- The Overhead SmashThe overhead smash is the put-away you hit above your head, usually off a lob when you're near the net — and it's basically a SERVE without the backswing or long follow-through. Same Continental grip, same sideways turn and 'L' racket position, same drop-and-pronate.
- Approach ShotAn approach shot is the shot you hit on a short ball as you move forward to take the net. The art is that it's a transition: you hit WHILE moving in, keeping it controlled and deep (often a slice that stays low and buys time), then split-step as you arrive so you're balanced for the volley.
- Defensive LobA defensive lob is a high, deep ball you throw up when you're pulled out of position or facing a net player — it buys you time to recover and pushes your opponent back. The keys: get LOW under the ball, open the racket face, and lift HIGH and DEEP (aim well past the service line toward the baseline).
Insane 4
- The Kick ServeThe kick serve is the high-bouncing, heavy-topspin serve that's the gold-standard SECOND serve — it clears the net with margin (safe) and then jumps up and away off the bounce (nasty). The recipe: a toss slightly BEHIND your head and to your non-dominant side, deep knee load, and a brushing UP-and-across swing…
- Drop ShotThe drop shot is the ultimate disruptor — a delicately sliced ball that just clears the net and dies short, catching a deep opponent flat-footed. Two things make it work: UNDERSPIN (you cup under the ball with an open face for backspin so it stops short) and DISGUISE (you set up exactly like a normal groundstroke…
- Open-Stance PowerOpen-stance hitting is how the modern power game generates huge racket speed and recovers fast — instead of stepping in (neutral stance), you stay more open to the net and unleash explosive HIP and trunk rotation off a loaded outside leg. It lets you handle pace, hit on the run, and recover quickly.
- Transition GameThe transition game is the art of moving from the baseline to the net to finish points — the space where matches are won by aggressive players. The skill is handling the awkward 'no man's land' on the way in: you hit an approach or first volley while moving, then SPLIT-STEP as your opponent strikes so you're…