At-home tennis drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home tennis training for 11 to 13 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of tennis for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Toss and trophy 13 minutes

Toss practice · 4 min
Same height, catch it in front
Trophy position holds · 3 min
Racket up, toss arm high
Serves to a wall target · 6 min
Reach up, snap down

Session 2

Alternate wall rally 13 minutes

Forehands only · 4 min
Steady and deep
Backhands only · 4 min
Turn early
Alternate forehand and backhand · 5 min
Recover to the middle after each hit

Session 3

Pick your target 14 minutes

Call cross-court or down-the-line · 5 min
Decide before the ball bounces
Hit to the called target · 5 min
Commit to the choice
Play a point with a plan · 4 min
Name your plan out loud first

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 tennis plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

Safety for ages 11 to 13

Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: tennis

A ball and court sized for age: red ball under 8, orange at 9-10, green at about 10-12.
Hat, sunscreen and water for outdoor courts.
Keep serve sets short; stop if your shoulder, elbow or low back hurts.
Kick or topspin serves wait until about 13; low-back pain when arching needs a doctor.
At the net, keep your racquet up in front of your face; feeds are gentle.
Fewer hours a week than your age, and other sports in the mix.

For every sport and age (7)

Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 28 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Tennis: governing bodies, safety and development (8)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)