How to Practise Tennis Alone
One of the most common laments in tennis is 'I have no one to hit with.' Here's the good news experienced players will tell you: you can improve a huge amount on your own — sometimes faster than in aimless social hitting, because solo practice forces reps and focus. Here's how to make it count.
The wall — the partner that never cancels
A hitting wall or backboard is the best free practice tool in tennis. It gives you endless, instant reps for consistency, control and rhythm. Stand back far enough to simulate a real rally, aim at a target line, and count how many you can keep going.
The catch: the ball comes back faster and lower than a real rally, so don't over-swing — use it to groove clean, controlled contact rather than power.
Serve baskets — the highest-ROI solo drill
The serve is the one shot you can fully practise alone, and most players never drill it enough. Buy a hopper or a basket of balls, head to an empty court, and hit dozens of serves: groove your grip and toss first, then work targets (wide, body, T).
Because nobody is waiting on you, this is where solo practice pays off fastest — an hour of focused serving a week transforms your game.
A ball machine, if you can access one
A ball machine delivers programmable, repeatable feeds so you can drill footwork and groundstroke technique without a partner. Clubs often have one, and portable machines (Slinger and similar) have made them far more affordable to own or rent.
Set it to move you side to side and enforce a recovery step between shots — movement is as trainable solo as your strokes.
Shadow swings and video
You don't even need a ball to improve technique. Shadow-swing your strokes slowly in front of a mirror or on court to groove the shape of the motion, then film yourself hitting — comparing what you actually do to what you think you do is one of the fastest fixes there is.
Footwork and fitness
Split-steps, side shuffles, cone drills, sprints and skipping all build the movement and conditioning that underpin every shot — and none of it needs a partner. Ten focused minutes of footwork drills a session compounds quickly.
Structure a solo session
Aim for a simple flow so you don't just aimlessly bash balls: dynamic warm-up, then serve baskets, then wall rallies (alternating forehand/backhand and cross-court/down-the-line targets), then a footwork or fitness block to finish. Twenty focused minutes beats an hour of drifting.
Need somewhere to practise? Find courts and walls near you — including free public ones.
Open the Court Finder →