Lesson 01
Building Topspin
Goal
Learn the action that creates topspin, then begin carrying it into a real forehand.
Topspin is where I usually begin with a new player who is physically able to produce it. The first lesson moves from evaluation, to learning the action in its simplest form, to gradually asking the player to reproduce it against more realistic balls.
The times below are approximate. A private lesson moves at the player's pace. If something needs more attention, we stay with it; if it comes quickly, we move ahead.
How the Hour Goes
0–10 min
Review · See what held
Warm up and evaluate
We begin at the service line, hitting short and controlled balls back and forth. This gets the player moving while giving me an initial look at how they track the ball, organize their feet, and use both groundstrokes.
From there, we move to the baseline. Depending on the player's level, I'll either rally with them or feed balls so I can get a clearer look at the forehand and backhand.
The purpose isn't to start changing things immediately. First I want to see the stroke they already have.
10–20 min
Build · Introduce the idea
Learn the topspin action
Next, we simplify the forehand considerably.
We move close to the net and temporarily take away the complexity of a full stroke. The player first learns the action that produces topspin and gets a chance to actually feel the ball brush rather than simply being told what spin should look like.
We work progressively from the hand to the racket, eventually establishing the grip and racket position we'll use in the forehand.
This is also where we talk about why topspin matters: it allows us to swing freely while still controlling the ball and bringing it down into the court.
A short silent loop of the forearm rotating through contact — the hand and racket turning over as they pass the ball, isolated from the full swing so the spin-producing action can be seen on its own.
20–35 min
Apply · Make the ball harder
Add distance and movement
Once the player can produce the action close to the net, we make the same task progressively harder.
We move back to the service line and begin with simple feeds directly into the player's hitting zone. At this stage, we're still prioritizing the same thing: produce the spin and preserve the finish as the distance increases.
If the stroke begins to break down, we don't simply hit more balls. We identify what's changing, make a correction, and try again.
We then move back to the baseline. The feeds get progressively more varied and harder.
35–45 min
Build · Introduce the idea
Introduce a simplified backhand
The basics of the backhand are introduced: the turn and step, and finishing at the front shoulder. The goal is not to delve deeply into the backhand but to have it as a reference for solo practice.
45–55 min
Apply · Make the ball harder
Apply it
Now we begin taking the stroke out of an isolated drill.
We might rally, play a cooperative game, use targets, or play points built around creating the forehand we've been working on. The exact activity can change, but the purpose is the same: can the player maintain the new action when their attention isn't entirely devoted to technique?
This is where something that worked during a feed begins becoming something the player can actually use in tennis.
If there's time
Build · Introduce the idea
Introduce the transfer
If the topspin action is holding up well, we can begin introducing the next part of the forehand: the transfer.
Rather than adding more arm movement, we begin looking at how the body creates momentum — loading, transferring weight, and rotating through the shot.
This is an introduction, not something we need to finish in Lesson 1.
Final minutes
Play · Live ball
Play
We finish by playing.
That might mean points, a short competitive game, or another live-ball situation appropriate to the player's level. I want the player to leave having actually used what we worked on, not simply having performed a series of drills.
How It Works in Practice
These are private lessons.
The plan gives us a direction. The player sets the pace — we don't move on because the hour is over, we move on when what we've built holds up.