When I was a junior player, our training everyday involves targets. It was not very complicated training but our forehand and backhand was always towards targets.
Our goal was to hit it since the person with highest number of targets hit, will get reward of getting a bottle of Coke. It was not very much, but at that time, getting a Coke was “something” rewarding. We rarely have that kind of drinks since there were not yet cans selling in stores like recently.
What that makes me? I can hit the balls close to the line whenever I want. One foot difference in ball placement makes huge different for the opponent.
Just put cones, markers or line on the court. Make the kids hit to that. In ITF coaching, target is a must. Its one of criteria to pass the test. Start doing this, players will improve with repetition.
Be mindful about junior kids hitting winners in matches, are they really hitting to the spot or it was just a coincident? Sometimes, the shot that they hit and make winners are meant for somewhere else, but since it was a winner, celebration was done as if it was meant to be.
Playing in a team of 4, 5 or 6 people will create a lot of fun and engaging environment. They will have more fun challenging each other to hit a certain area in a target when coach set for games. The games can be who hit the most win, but they prefer who hit the cone, everyone else do push up, or some punishment.
Know the term Accurate and Precise. A player who is accurate can hit into an area every time he hit a forehand. We call it accurate forehand. But a player who can hit a cone every time he hits forehand we call it precise forehand. As a coach, I would like to have player to be precise. But tennis has too many variables, the spin, speed and height making it a difficult sport to be precise. Not to add the player is also moving towards the ball, some are short, wide and deep.
To be precise, then an area of target should be made first. Get the player to be accurate. A close drill, where coach is telling where to hit at the beginning will make coach know exactly the target the player intent to hit. A close drill will let them focus on the target more and try to get into the area of target.
Some players do not have this skill in getting into the target. They are just hitting and making them not aware that target is a must. To make the other person imbalance, the ball needs to be put away. And this target practice will help so much in the sessions made by coaches.
The tennis court is sometime bigger than even some house, but players still hit it out of the area. With integration of spin, balls can go down quickly into the court, but players have to know the heaviness of spin and height in order to hit targets. When done everyday, the feel and the control of the spin will come naturally to players.
Once they get it, they will get it.