Follow the Leader: Shadow Forehands and Backhands

A warm-up in lines where everyone copies the shadow stroke shown by the student in front. It gets the body going and grooves the forehand and backhand before any ball comes in.

How to play

1. Lines of five, paddle in hand, about two meters apart; easy jog in single file around the schoolyard (2 min).
2. The leader stops and does a shadow stroke: forehand, backhand or volley. The rest copy it in place and keep jogging (3 min).
3. Add the ready hop: a small two-foot jump before each stroke, like waiting for a return (2 min).
4. The leader goes to the back and the next one leads; each leader must invent a two-stroke combo (2 min).
5. Wrist, shoulder and trunk mobility holding the paddle with both hands (1 min).

Rules

• Keep two meters apart in the line so paddles never touch.
• Every shadow stroke finishes with the paddle in front of the body, never swinging back toward the person behind.
• Leaders pick strokes everyone can copy; no wild jumps or spins.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: the leader raises the paddle before each stroke as a visual cue.
• Wheelchair users: do the shadow strokes with trunk rotation and move at their own pace beside the line.
• Hesitant students: they can go last and lead only if they want, repeating a stroke already shown.

Learning goals

• Raise heart rate and warm up gradually.
• Tell apart the forehand, backhand and volley motions.
• Lead the group with clear choices.

Equipment for a class of 25

• beach paddles: 30

Teacher tip

Model one forehand and one backhand in shadow before you start so everyone has the same picture. The usual mistake is swinging with the arm only: ask them to point their belly button where the imaginary ball goes.

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