Updated: October 21, 2024

Let’s face it: tennis can be a tough sport to master. But fear not! Tennis training aids are a great way to improve your skills and take your game to the next level. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, these tools can target specific areas like serves, groundstrokes, footwork, and even that elusive sweet spot. Read on to find out if one of these tennis training aids is for you.

Disclosure: Racquet Social participates in affiliate advertising programs, including but not limited to the Amazon Associates Program, and may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. The prices and availability of products listed on this site are subject to change.

TopspinPro: Master the Windshield Wiper Swing

Concept: Improve topspin and racquet swing technique.

How it works: The unique design guides you to hit the ball with the proper “windshield wiper” motion for generating topspin.

Best for: Players of all levels who want to add more spin to their shots.

Technically, this tool could be used by beginners to understand and learn the topspin swing path, and by more advanced players to fine-tune their technique. The design of the TopspinPro’s screen panel and the attached ball helps users hit the ball in the much-touted windshield wiper motion, needed for heavy topspin.

The Sweet Spotter: Unleash Your Inner Baseball Star

Concept: Improve precision, timing, and posture.

How it works: This baseball bat-like tool mimics the length and weight of a tennis racquet, forcing you to hit with precision and perfect your form. A clean hit generates a satisfying sound for auditory feedback.

Best for: Intermediate and advanced players (not absolute beginners) who want to refine their strokes.

The Sweet Spotter is a baseball-like bat that mimics the length and weight of a tennis racquet. To keep the ball in play, players have to hit the ball with precision and timing, ensuring correct posture and form. As part of the design, a clean stroke with the Sweet Spotter generates a distinct sound as a form of auditory encouragement.

If you can consistently hit groundstrokes and serves with the Sweet Spotter, you probably don’t need it. Check out the price and availability of the Sweet Spotter here.

The Functional Tennis Saber: Sharpen Your Accuracy

Concept: Improve accuracy and consistency through sweet-spot hitting.

How it works: This training aid looks and feels like a real racquet but with a smaller head size, forcing you to focus on hitting the sweet spot.

Best for: Players who want to improve accuracy and consistency without drastically changing their grip or swing.

If you are looking for a tennis training aid that looks and feels like an actual tennis racquet, the Functional Tennis Saber might be the one for you. The concept behind the Tennis Saber is simple: offer players a sweet spot training aid that looks and feels like a tennis racquet but with a smaller head that forces them to focus while hitting the ball.

High-level specs, such as the weight and grip size of the mid-sized Tennis Saber, are comparable to popular adult tennis racquets. The key difference is in the head size, which comes in at 37 square inches, which is considerably smaller than regular tennis racquets. The idea is that players who train with the Saber develop hitting accuracy and consistency while building up a good feel for the racquet’s sweet spot.

Here’s a video of some pros trying out the Tennis Saber.

Unlike many training aids, the Saber does not require significant changes to your current grip and playing style, making it easier for players to transition between the training tool and their racquets. The Tennis Saber comes pre-strung and ready for you to start training.

At around $230, the Saber is priced like a high-end tennis racquet and is available for worldwide shipping. You can buy the Functional Tennis Saber here.

Or, add it to your Christmas wish list!

Pop-Up Targets: Aim for Precision

Concept: Develop shot accuracy.

How it works: These targets attach to the net, giving you a specific area to aim for when practicing serves, groundstrokes, and passing shots.

Best for: Players who want to improve their shot placement and consistency.

As the name suggests, Pop-Up Targets help you practice aiming your shots to develop better accuracy on the court. The pop-up targets can be attached to the net at a position that you want to practice hitting to. Hitting balls through a target that is 26” high and 19” wide is guaranteed to improve your accuracy in hitting passing shots, serves, and other groundstrokes. The portable nature of this training aid perhaps makes it one of the more usable training aids.

Here’s a video of this training aid in use. The video is dated, but it still demonstrates the concept.

The ServeMaster: Ace Your Serve

Concept: Develop muscle memory and improve serving technique.

How it works: This tool simulates the swing of a serve, helping you groove the proper motion and build muscle memory.

Best for: Players who want to improve their serve technique and consistency.

If you have ever had a coach who suggested that you stuff a long sock with a few tennis balls and use it as a tool to practice your serve, you may like this one. The tool has a handle similar to that of a tennis racquet and is designed to simulate the swing of a serve.  Available in three specs, its length and weight are similar to that of a real tennis racquet. When swung the right way, it goes through the muscle movements involved in a tennis serve. The symmetrical design is intended to suit both right and left-handed players and the markings on the handle help in perfecting the grip while using the tool.

The ServeMaster is a tool that you can use indoors as long as you have enough room. Just make sure that you don’t end up breaking things. Totalserve.com lists ServeMaster products, starting at $64.95.

Start Rite Grip Trainer – Master the Continental Grip

Concept: Perfect the continental grip.

How it works: This gadget helps you maintain the correct continental grip for serves, volleys, and overheads.

Best for: Players who want to improve their grip and technique for these shots.

If you are a diehard proponent of the Western grip, this gadget may not be for you.

Simply put, this is a gadget that helps you perfect the continental grip which is used by most players for serves, volleys, and overhead shots. If you are unsure of what a continental grip is, check out this post.

Essentially, the Grip Trainer acts as a physical deterrent that limits the movement of your hand on the racquet handle forcing you to stay with the continental grip.

The Start Rite Grip Trainer can come in handy if you have taken up Pickleball recently.

Topspin Solution: A Budget-Friendly Spin Trainer

Concept: Improve topspin with a more affordable alternative to the TopspinPro.

How it works: This compact tool helps you develop the correct swing path for generating topspin. It’s lightweight and easily attaches to any fence or ball hopper with a Velcro strap, making it portable and convenient for practice at home or on the court. The Topspin Solution is a budget-friendly tool that offers flexibility in placement while training to improve groundstrokes and serves.

Best for: Players who want to improve their topspin on a budget.

Training Cones: Accuracy and Agility Training

Concept: Enhance shot accuracy and footwork.

How it works: Training cones are versatile tools for improving shot accuracy and footwork. Use them as targets to simulate game situations and practice hitting specific areas, enhancing precision and placement for serves, groundstrokes, and volleys. They can also be incorporated into footwork drills to improve agility and court coverage.

Best for: Players of all levels who want to improve their shot accuracy, footwork, and court awareness.

Beyond the Gadgets: The Value of Coaching

At the end of the day, tennis tools and aids can only help you build on the skills that you already possess. Nothing can beat a few lessons from a coach or a friend who knows the game well.

So there you have it. Are there other modestly priced tennis aids that should have made the list?