Tennis Volleys & Net Play Practice Plan for 13 to 15 Year Olds
At 13 to 15, net play becomes finishing craft: volleys PLACED (deep to corners, short to angles) rather than merely made, the TOUCH family arrives (the drop volley's soft hands, the lob volley's nerve), and transition play gets match-honest: approaching off real mid-court balls, splitting through passing attempts, and finishing sequences where every volley has a reason. The overhead becomes a weapon expected to end points.
This is a 75-minute workout with yellow balls and a feeding partner (passing-shot attempts included; a parent hitting honest targets at the net player is superb training). The teenage framing: at this age the net is won BEFORE arrival (approach quality, split timing) and converted AFTER it (placement, touch); the volley technique itself was settled years ago, on purpose.
This plan was written for every 13 to 15 year old. ParentEdge writes one for yours.
Built around their game, their goals, and what they’re working on.
When is a drop volley the right choice?
Off a comfortable volley with the opponent pinned deep: the drop converts their depth into your winner. It is the wrong choice off stretched low volleys (survive deep instead) and against opponents already moving in. The disguise is half its value: prepared like a punch, softened only at contact.
How does a teenager get better at converting net approaches?
Almost entirely through two graded habits: split timing through the passing attempt, and first-volley DEPTH over ambition. Conversion failures at this age are overwhelmingly ambition failures: low stretched volleys attempted as winners. Deep first, place second, and the numbers transform in weeks.
How important is net play for junior singles?
More than juniors think: the mid-court balls their groundstrokes now create go unconverted without it, and opponents given infinite time never donate errors. Even a functional finishing game (deep first volley, one placed second volley, a trusted overhead) converts free points every match and changes how opponents play everything else.