Let’s face it- in today’s world, it’s hard to find a good time to practice any sport. Tennis is one of the hardest, though, because it feels like you need a partner to practice. If you’re struggling to find anybody to play with, never fear- here are five tips on the best ways to practice by yourself.

• Work With A Ball Machine

The easiest way to practice your serves without anyone else around is by using a ball machine, which shoots tennis balls at you for you to deflect. Here, you can perfect your serve and your swing, without ever needing a practice partner. Not every court has a ball machine, though, so this option may be out of reach for some players.

• Practice Your Serves

Never fear being without a ball machine- instead, you can simply run your serve practice again and again until you always make that first shot. Even if you don’t have anyone to practice against, you can still repeat these simple actions and ensure that at the very least, you’ve got your opening moves memorized.

• Bounce Some Ideas Against The Wall

If you’re desperate to dodge and weave to hit a ball back across the net, try bouncing your next serve off of the wall and catching it again. You can even run this exercise when it’s raining, because as long as the wall doesn’t have any windows, you can do this anywhere!

• Run Some Footwork Drills

Footwork drills are another great exercise that you can always do on your own. Whether you’re working on the court or at home, there are all kinds of different ways to build your dexterity on the court. There are dozens of different drills to explore all across the internet, so you’ll never be in need of new techniques.

• Self-Feed Some Ground Strokes

If you’re looking to practice working with the ground, you can always bounce a ball off of the ground and then send it across the court. You can plan these shots just like you would in a real match, and practice hitting the corners, the lanes, or anywhere else on the court.

Training On Your Own

While sometimes it can be difficult to find a training partner, it’s also perfectly realistic to train for your top tennis game on your own. It’s important to keep training, so even alone or in the rain, these suggestions can help you stay sharp for your next match.