Looking for ways to make the most out of your time on court when playing with friends/family?

Here are some recreational play ideas for minis & juniors/adults. If you have a great idea, please send us an email with the details so we can test it out and potentially post it for others to play: parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk

Mini Tennis Ideas

Floor tennis:

• played across the width of the tennis court (no net involved)
• hold a push & squash rally across the court with both players standing in front of the tramlines
• Score it: score a point if you get the ball into the other tramline before it is squashed
• Advanced: doubles with the same rules applied & taking it in turns to squash and push the ball

Tap up tennis:

• played over the centre line or service line (no net involved)
• take it in turns to tap the ball up to head height (of the smallest player), always let the ball bounce before tapping it up
• Score it: if you land the ball on the line, score a point
• Advanced: doubles with the same rules applied & taking it in turns to tap the ball upwards

Distance tap up tennis/Battle Ships:

• played across the width of the tennis court with the service line acting as the net
• tap the ball up & over the service line so it bounces on your partners side, after the bounce send it back
• Score it: if they fail to send the ball after 1 bounce you score a point
• Battle ships: if you have spare balls or cones, set them out for both players to try & hit, if successful add to your side
• Advanced: doubles with the same rules applied & taking it in turns to send the ball back

Start the Game:

• same rules as distance tap up tennis, however the rallies must start with a simple serve
• simple serve; pop the ball up & high five (parents must start the game so they can be copied)

Out of the air to bounce:

• either played over the net or over the service line, whatever is easiest for success
• child is up at the net and must take the ball out of the air (volley) and tap to the parent who lets it bounce before tapping back
• Score it: if you make them miss or they cannot get the ball back correctly (no bounce or bounce) then score a point
• Advanced: goalkeepers doubles game, each side has a volleyer (goalkeeper) & a baseliner. Can only win by taking the ball out of the air

Rally to Points

• can be done over the net, over the centre line or as floor tennis
• start by rallying 2 shots & then play out the point without stopping, next rally 3 shots then play out the point, etc
• do not stop the rally to start the point, just continue the rally but try to win, how far can you go?

Juniors /Adults

Rallies:

• 10-10-10: ten volley to volley rally, ten service line to service line bounce rally, ten baseline to baseline rally
• 10 up 10 back: one player is the volleyer & the other is the baseliner, rally 10 shots and then switch roles

• Diagonal 10 up 10 back: same as above but all shots must go diagonal (crosscourt) & repeat on the other diagonal
• Ping Pong: in the service boxes, players have to bounce the ball into their side before before it crosses the net

Service Box Games:

• Half court: serivce boxes only in one half of the court, start with a simple serve & play out the point in just those service boxes
• Full service boxes: using all 4 service boxes, start with a simple serve & play out the point in the service boxes only

• Doubles service boxes: same rules as above but with 4 players on court playing doubles
• Touch: half court service boxes, ball starts on top of the net, let it drop off & play out the point with touch shots only (no big swings)

Full Court Games:

• Singles tiebreak, first to 7 points or first to 10 points
• Doubles tiebreak, first to 7 points or first to 10 points

• Singles match: normal games with player player to 6 games wins & a tiebreak at 6 games all
• Doubles match: normal games with player player to 6 games wins & a tiebreak at 6 games all

• Fast Four: normal games with the goal to win 4 games first and a tiebreak at 3 games all (singles or doubles)
• Auto Wins: normal games but if you win by taking the ball out of the air you automatically win the game (singles or doubles)

• American Doubles: 2 players vs 1 (doubles vs singles) with the singles player serving, rotate every game or after a tiebreak
• American Twist: 2 players vs 1 (doubles vs singles) but swap after each game, if you win the game you score 6 points, or 3 each if you are the doubles team

• Dingles: a doubles game with both halves of the court holding a rally & when one rally ends call out "Dingles" to play full court doubles with the last ball
• See Saw Points: both players start with 5 points, if you win the point you take one of the opponents points. Goal is to steal all of their points to win the game

• Rally to points: rally 2 shots then play out the point, rally 3 shots then play out the point, rally 4 shots then play out the point, etc
• Champions: singles or doubles; one end of the court is the champion & the other is the challengers, take it turns to play & if you win you are now the champion

Remember

• You can bring a bucket of tennis balls to use with your children or friends and play games or use one from our practice ideas page but not to provide or recieve any form of coaching.

• If it looks like coaching and is reported to our team or if our team suspects coaching, they will investigate further. Please remember the Parks Tennis Pass, Play Tennis Pass and Play & Play option are for recreational play only. 
• Parents/friends/family members cannot perform drills that they have seen to help the other person as this would be considered coaching. Even if you're not being paid, qualified or not qualified if your performing drills with or without advice you’re still coaching by providing those drills. Your intention is not recreational play. 

• When booking as a member or through Pay & Play your intention must be for recreational play, not coaching in any form which includes practice matches with clients (paid or not for all forms).