Under the hood

The Training System Overview, as of 12 Nov 2026.

119drillsan exercise with rules11 tested on court
101cuesa read during the point+ 22 mental cues
40plansa strategy set before the ball
19combosshots that set each other up
31gamesa drill you play to win
13 themes9 ready-made 30-minute sessions
  • Dink26
    Cross-court dink2Topspin dink2Backhand dink2Slice / underspin dink1Dead dink2Dink volley1Middle dink1Step-back dink1
    80 Dink Patterns: Series of 50 (Warm-Up + Pattern Lock)tested81 Dink Duel with Penalty Pointstested113 Dinkles (Two Balls → Live Conversion)tested
    In session: Steady Dinks #80, #81, #113 
    24 cues · 9 plans
  • Volley23
    Punch volley1Roll volley4Flick1Swinging volley1Block volley1Half-volley2Poke0Poach3Erne2Switcheroo1
    14 4th-Shot Step-Back Drilltested15 4th-Shot-Volley Gauntlet (2 Players, NVZ Side Under Pressure)tested16 Shake & Bake with Poach Timing
    In session: Read and Choose #14 
    15 cues · 3 plans
  • Reset17
    Transition reset3
    18 Split-Step Laddertested22 Survival Points (Progressive Reset Stress Test)tested47 7-11 Game (Half-Court Transition)tested
    In session: Work Your Way In #18, #22, #47 
    37 cues · 7 plans
  • Drop12
    Slice drop1Topspin drop1
    84 Serve–Return–Third (Three-Shot Sequence)tested06 Ball-Toss Drop Drill (Solo, No Paddle)07 Diagonal Slinky Progression (Drop Build-Up)
    In session: Soft Third #84 
    33 cues · 7 plans
  • Speed-up12
    Cross-body speed-up1Body shot0
    31 Speed-Up Game (one-sided) – Counter off the Dink Pattern37 Dead-Dink → Speedup → Hands Battle38 Paranoid Dink → Live Speedup
    In session: Fast Hands #31, #38 
    24 cues · 6 plans
  • Drive11
    Topspin drive1Down-the-line drive1ATP (around the post)1
    11 Drive → 5th-Shot-Drop Sequence (2 Players, Live)13 Drive Target Drill: Three Targets48 Lefty-Forehand Isolation
    30 cues · 9 plans
  • Counter & block11
    Counter8Block2Push counter1Backhand slide2
    14 4th-Shot Step-Back Drilltested21 Stoplight Paddle-Reading30 Hard Ball – Progressive Drive Block
    In session: Read and Choose #14, #21 
    23 cues · 8 plans
  • Return10
    Deep return1Slice return2Topspin return0Return placement2
    84 Serve–Return–Third (Three-Shot Sequence)tested97 Return Depth (Back Third)tested02 Return–Sprint–Split-Step Sequence (Serve-Return Live)
    In session: Soft Third #84 In session: Deep Serve, Deep Return #97 
  • Serve7
    Deep serve1Power serve3
    00 Julian Arnold Depth Drill (Serve)tested84 Serve–Return–Third (Three-Shot Sequence)tested01 Step-In Serve Drill (Martínez Vic Drill)
    In session: Deep Serve, Deep Return #00 In session: Soft Third #84 
  • Lob4
    Offensive lob2Defensive lob0Lob retrieval2Tweener1
    67 Offensive Kitchen Lob (Attack-Ball Context)98 Lob Retrieval (Drop-Step, Pivot & Run)99 Lob ↔ Overhead Duel (Live-After-Lob)
    In session: Lob Game #67, #99 
    13 cues · 2 plans
  • Overhead2
    64 Throwing → Overhead Connection99 Lob ↔ Overhead Duel (Live-After-Lob)
    In session: Lob Game #64, #99 
    8 cues · 3 plans
  • Drip2
    Hybrid drive1
    115 Third-Shot Drip (Reps → Steal Time → Mix & Drip)17 Hybrid-Drive Drill with Cone Targets
    In session: Drives That Hurt #17 
    3 cues · 2 plans

When in the point

9Serve4 plans
12Return5 plans
18Third ball2 plans
5Fourth ball0 plans
21Transition3 plans
48At the kitchen12 plans

Which shot, when

Number of drills per shot and moment in the point. A dot means no drill yet. A drill can train several shots and moments, so it can count in more than one cell.

ReturnRet3rd3rd4th4thTransitionTraKitchenKit
Dink····26
Volley214710
Reset·1·133
Drop112·2·
Speed-up····12
Drive272·1
Counter & block11217
Lob····2
Overhead····1
Drip·2···

Ret Return3rd Third ball4th Fourth ballTra TransitionKit At the kitchen

Serve → Third ball

Serve → Third

  1. Serve with an intent (deep, wide, at a player)
  2. the third you want
84 Serve–Return–Third (Three-Shot Sequence)tested101 First Four Shots — Down-the-Line Drive Chain (Worst-Case Reps)115 Third-Shot Drip (Reps → Steal Time → Mix & Drip)17 Hybrid-Drive Drill with Cone Targets
In session: Soft Third #84 In session: Drives That Hurt #101, #17 
1 cue · 2 plans
Serve → Third ball

Serve → hit the stack runner

  1. Aggressive serve
  2. short return
  3. third at the player still crossing
63 Stack Unwind Attack – Attacking the Crossing Opponent as the Serving Team115 Third-Shot Drip (Reps → Steal Time → Mix & Drip)
In session: Move as One #63 
0 cues · 1 plan
Third → Fifth ball

Drive → Drop

  1. Drive the third (60–80 %)
  2. read the volley
  3. drop the fifth; finish instead if it floats
11 Drive → 5th-Shot-Drop Sequence (2 Players, Live)50 Drive–Drop Combo (3rd–5th Shot Sequence)83 Drive–Drop Combo with Role Switch (7-11 Format)
In session: Soft Third #83 
4 cues · 1 plan
Third → Fifth ball

3rd → 5th read

  1. Third (drop)
  2. split at their contact
  3. they hit up: attack the fifth · they hit down: drop or reset the fifth
12 3rd/5th-Shot Sequence Reading Drill: 'Drop-Reaction' (2 Players, Decision Focus)10 Traffic-Light Drill: Drop & Advance Decision
1 cue · 0 plans
Third → Fifth ball

Shake and bake

  1. Big drive on a short ball
  2. it comes back as a block or pop-up
  3. partner poaches the middle
16 Shake & Bake with Poach Timing112 Four Players, Four Shots (Role Drill with Poach)
2 cues · 2 plans
Fourth ball · At the kitchen

Middle until the pop-up, then wide

  1. Keep it down the middle
  2. wait for the big pop-up
  3. finish out wide
no drill yet
1 cue · 0 plans
Transition

Reset until the float → attack

  1. Reset, reset, reset
  2. the attacker floats one
  3. put it away or move in
86 Roll-and-Reset (Cooperative)96 3 Resets to Live (Cooperative-Competitive Gate)85 Space Invaders / Transition Reset + Approach
1 cue · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Earn the attack

  1. Dinks that move them or land at their feet (3+ balls)
  2. dead dink or pop-up
  3. speed-up or put-away
37 Dead-Dink → Speedup → Hands Battle38 Paranoid Dink → Live Speedup66 Cross-Body Speed-up (Dead-Dink Trigger)72 Attack-&-Slide (Dominant Side + Counter Prep)76 Speed-up & Counter-Drill: Offense/Defense State Recognition87 Middle-Dink Offense Drill29 'Dink with a Purpose' — Disruptor Rally65 Flick/Roll Deception out of the Dink25 Backhand Cross-Court Rally Game (Oddside Mirror Drill)
In session: Fast Hands #38 
3 cues · 1 plan
At the kitchen

Pull → inside foot → attack

  1. Outside dink pulls them wide
  2. dink at the inside foot
  3. attack the low backhand
73 Pattern Sequence: Pull + Inside Foot + Attack
1 cue · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Pull wide → attack the middle

  1. Dinks wide (80/20)
  2. the middle opens
  3. attack it
90 Dink Placement Drill: 50/50 vs 80/20 (Read the Opponent)
In session: Read and Choose #90 
0 cues · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Double jeopardy

  1. Wide
  2. volley-dink back into the same corner
  3. partner sends the other one wide
  4. attack the middle
no drill yet
0 cues · 1 plan
At the kitchen

Outside-to-outside

  1. Push a middle ball outside
  2. stretched opponent resets back toward the middle
  3. partner leans in and finishes
no drill yet
1 cue · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Dink and close

  1. Aggressive dink into the corner
  2. follow it, don't back off
  3. take their reply out of the air
27 Dinking Pattern Game (Right-Side Offensive Patterns)109 Protect the Line (Out-of-Air Range Game)
2 cues · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Body → open side

  1. Speed-up at the body (chicken-wing)
  2. their reply comes back up your line
  3. next ball into the side they vacated
70 Triangle-Theory / Two-Ball Drill82 Speedup–Counter–Reset Sequence (Hands-Battle Drill with Triangle Effect)41 Speed-up & Shift (Positioning Drill)
3 cues · 1 plan
At the kitchen

Corner dink → Erne

  1. Two dinks into the sideline corner
  2. opponent off balance
  3. Erne
103 Ernie Live-Point Game68 Ernie Anticipation Drill
1 cue · 1 plan
At the kitchen

Short and wide → ATP

  1. Dink to the middle
  2. then short and wide
  3. around the post
105 ATP Cooperative Rally & Defense102 ATP Pull-and-Defend (Advanced)
1 cue · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Pull wide → lob the other

  1. Partner pulls one opponent wide
  2. lob over the other's exposed shoulder (disguised off a volley dink)
77 Dink Pattern Drill: Pattern Break
1 cue · 0 plans
At the kitchen

Lob → drive

  1. Lob
  2. opponent overheads
  3. be ready to drive the reply
75 Court-Position Read (Tyra Black Drill / Traffic-Light Variant)
0 cues · 0 plans
serve starts with a servefeed a ball is fed indink starts with a dink

Three-States Mini-Game: Offense/Defense/Neutral Live-Reading #78

2 players
short serveto 7; a point only counts if the state is named rightfree point

Skinny Singles with Constraint Focus #88

2 players
serveregular scoring, one constraintskinny singles

Skinny Singles — 100-Dink Team Target #91

2 players
serverally scoring; 100 dinks before 11skinny singles

Tweener Forced-Return Live Point #104

2 players
serveto 11full court

Four Players, Four Shots (Role Drill with Poach) #112

4 players
serveto 7full court doubles

Kitchen Lock (Soft Point Play) #116

4 players
serveto 11, rally scoringfull court doubles, locks into dinks

Third Must Be a Drop (Point Play) #117

4 players
serveto 11, rally scoring; a driven or lobbed third losesfull court doubles

No Bounce for the Receivers (Return Rush) #118

4 players
serveto 11, rally scoring; a bounce on the receiving side losesfull court doubles
In session: Deep Serve, Deep Return, drill 3 

Survival Points (Progressive Reset Stress Test) #22tested

2 players
feedto 5, one side survives, one attackshalf court
In session: Work Your Way In, drill 2 

7-11 Game (Half-Court Transition) #47tested

2 players
feed7-11half court
In session: Work Your Way In, drill 3 

3rd/5th-Shot Sequence Reading Drill: 'Drop-Reaction' (2 Players, Decision Focus) #12

2 players
fed third10 points, then switchhalf court

Transition-Hold (7-11 Scoring) #19

2 players
feed7-11 (A to 11, B to 7)half court, B pinned in transition

Escape Room – Reset out of the Transition Zone #32

2 players
feedfirst to 10half court, transition to kitchen

Court-Position Read (Tyra Black Drill / Traffic-Light Variant) #75

2 players
feed7/11half court

Drive–Drop Combo with Role Switch (7-11 Format) #83

2 players
feed7-11half court
In session: Soft Third, drill 3 

Space Invaders / Transition Reset + Approach #85

2 players
feedto 7 or 11; 2–3 resets before the kitchenhalf court

Swinging-Volley Charge (Transition Offense) #95

2 players
feedfirst to 7, loser feedshalf court
In session: Drives That Hurt, drill 3 

3 Resets to Live (Cooperative-Competitive Gate) #96

2 players
feedto 11 after a gate of 3 clean resetshalf court, all four positions

Modified 7-11: Unwind Under Score Pressure #114

2 players
feedmodified 7-11half court, stack unwind

Dink Duel with Penalty Points #81tested

2 players
dinkto 11, rally scoring; netted dink costs an extra pointdink duel, attack allowed
In session: Steady Dinks, drill 2 

Dinkles (Two Balls → Live Conversion) #113tested

4 players
dinknot stated in the sourcefull court doubles
In session: Steady Dinks, drill 3 

Cross-Court Dink Rally with Target Zone #24

2 players
dinkfirst to 11; a dink outside the target zone = pointcross-court dinks

Backhand Cross-Court Rally Game (Oddside Mirror Drill) #25

2 players
dinkto 5backhand cross-court dinks

Dinking Pattern Game (Right-Side Offensive Patterns) #27

2 players
dinkto 11; dink-volley winner = 2 pointsfree dink rally

'Dink with a Purpose' — Disruptor Rally #29

2 players
dinkswitch roles after 5 pointsdink rally, anchor vs disruptor

Micro Steps Only Rally #57

2 players
dinka big step loses the pointfree dink rally

Divide & Conquer — Targeted Dink Pattern #74

2 players
dinkpoints, rotate after 5dinks, one player targeted

Lob ↔ Overhead Duel (Live-After-Lob) #99

2 players
dinkto 11; live only once a lob is hit, lob = bonusfull court
In session: Lob Game, drill 3 

Ernie Live-Point Game #103

2 players
dinkto 11; Erne winner = 2 pointsfull court

Protect the Line (Out-of-Air Range Game) #109

2 players
dinkfirst to 11; a ball behind your line = point againstdinks

3-Player 1v2 Rotation (Solo vs. Team — No 4th Player) #100

3 players
varies by stationgame to 5 at each of 3 stations1 vs 2