What Does “Training at a Higher Level” Really Mean?
Most players think that training at a higher level means hitting with better players. They imagine faster rallies, heavier balls, and opponents who seem to never miss. While that’s certainly one way to be challenged, it’s not what truly defines high-level training.
The truth is, training at a higher level isn’t about who is on the other side of the net, it’s about how you train. It’s the energy, focus, and intent you bring to every ball.
We call that mindset “The Performer.”
The Performer: The Mental & Physical Player
In Spain, they talk about head, heart, and legs. That’s exactly what The Performer represents, the mental and physical side of the player.
It’s the players focus, confidence, accountability, work ethic, positivity, fight, determination, resilience and physical commitment to run down every shot (amongst many other things). Without those elements, any technical or tactical work becomes pointless. You can have the best forehand in the world, but if The Performer isn’t there, it won’t show up when it matters. When matches are at their most critical, it's often the mindset, values and attitude of the player that wins them the match, not their tennis. That is a skill in itself and it needs to be trained everyday to become part of ones character.
Introducing “Redline” Training
One of our favourite drills is called Redline. Two players rally down the middle, aiming to hit the ball nearly hard as they can while keeping it in play.
Imagine a car’s revometer, the dial that shows how hard the engine is working. The red zone is between 4 and 6. When you rev too much you will go into this red zone and the car will start to make strange noises as its being revved too much for it to handle. In tennis, you want to live just below that red zone when you train. Just under the redline.
If you go over it, you lose control. If you stay under it, you’re not pushing your limits. The goal is to rally hard, move fast, and maintain quality, working just under that redline for as long as possible. That’s how pros train, even during the simplest and most boring drills.
What “Redline” Looks Like in Action
We once coached a player who began every session with down-the-middle rallies, treating it as a warm-up. That’s fine for a few minutes, but he was struggling in matches where the tempo was faster and the opponents were more consistent.
When we introduced Redline training, he initially couldn’t handle the pace. His reactions, footwork, and mindset weren’t ready. But after a week of practice, something clicked, his rally tempo increased, his movement sharpened, and that intensity became his new base level.
From that point on, every basket feed, every tactical drill, every session had that same level of energy. That’s when improvement truly began. It's vital for this sort of training to be brought into lessons early on, so that you or your players have high standards from the get go.
Coaching the Redline
As coaches, we make the environment exciting and demanding. If you are doing this drill, you could raise your voice, encourage your players to hit hard even when under pressure, widen their stance, and be explosive with their first step.
You should know they’re training at the right level when the rally tempo is quick (roughly one shot every 1.2 seconds) and yet the error count is low. The best indicator of all? Sweat. If they’re out of breath, pushing themselves, and the court feels alive, they’re training at the right level.
Even a simple down-the-middle rally can make top players work if it’s done right.
The Results: Raising the Base Level
When players train like this, everything changes. They become comfortable with faster tempos. They get more balls back, with better quality. Their base level rises.
They start to control their power, hitting harder and easier. Their eyes lift earlier to spot attacking opportunities. Most importantly, they gain confidence because they feel themselves improving.
Training at a higher level doesn’t require a pro partner, it requires The Performer. Bring your head, heart, and legs, and live just below that redline. That’s where real progress happens.
Final Thoughts
If you want to train at a higher level, stop waiting for better opponents. Bring higher standards to your court. Every session is an opportunity to raise your base level, to build the habits of The Performer, and to learn what it feels like to push your limits, without going over the redline.
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