Sprint-Recovery Baseline Intervals
Speed & Acceleration
Legend
- player
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Build the sprint-and-recovery pattern required to chase wide balls and return to the ready position quickly.
What you need
- tennis court
- cones
- timer
Your focus
Match play demands repeated short sprints with incomplete recovery between them, a pattern that straight-line drills do not replicate. The baseline interval drill specifically trains the diagonal and lateral sprint patterns that occur most frequently during rallies. Recovery speed , getting back to the center after a wide ball , is equally important as sprint speed to the ball.
Place a cone at the center of the baseline and one cone 3 feet outside each singles sideline.
Player starts at center cone, sprints to right wide cone, touches it, sprints back to center cone, that is 1 rep.
Immediately sprint to left wide cone, touch, return to center, that is 2 reps.
Complete 8 reps (4 right, 4 left) without stopping; rest 60 seconds; run 4 sets. Record total time per set.
Goal
Success is sprinting to the wide ball and still recovering to the center mark before the next feed, the recovery matters as much as the sprint.
Helpful cues
- Push off the outside foot on every turn.
- Head up, see the center cone before you plant.
- Drive your arms on the recovery sprint, that's where matches are won.
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Move the wide cones closer to the sideline (not outside it) to reduce total distance.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Coach feeds a ball after each recovery to center so the player must immediately hit a groundstroke before sprinting wide again.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.