10-Ball Endurance & Consistency

This drill combines endurance, footwork, and consistency by forcing players to react to balls fed in all areas of the court. The goal is to sustain rallies across a variety of situations—baseline shots, volleys, overheads, and passing shots—until 10 successful points are achieved. It emphasizes conditioning while training players to stay mentally focused and physically balanced under pressure, replicating match-like demands.

Setup

• Coach with basket of balls positioned near center court
• One or more players positioned at the baseline, ready to begin
• Cones or markers optional for positioning targets
• Instructions – Single Player Variation
• Coach feeds balls to different locations (short, deep, high, low, wide)
• Player must retrieve and return each ball with correct technique
• Goal is to complete 10 consecutive successful shots:
• If the player misses, their streak resets to the last completed number
• Example: Player makes 3 shots, misses the 4th → streak stays at 3
• Player rotates out after reaching 10 successful shots; next player comes in

Rules & Objectives

• Competitive Variation (Baseline vs. Net Players)
• Two players begin at the net; one player starts at the baseline
• Coach feeds balls into play, and the point is played out
• Net players may retreat to defend, but must reset at the net to start each new point
• Baseline player must score 10 points to rotate positions with one of the net players
• Passing shots = 2 points
• All other winning shots = 1 point
• Rotation continues until all players have played from both baseline and net positions

Repetition

• Run multiple rounds, tracking how many feeds it takes each player to reach 10 points
• Increase to 15 or 20 successful shots for advanced endurance training
• Adjust rules (e.g., only forehands, only lobs, or specific target zones)
• Add time-based competition (who can reach 10 points fastest)

Coaching Points

• Builds endurance and stamina under continuous pressure
• Trains all-court coverage (baseline, net, overheads, passing shots)
• Reinforces consistency and mental toughness when streaks reset
• Sharpens footwork and quick recovery between shots
• Adds a competitive element for motivation and fun

Drill Tutorial