Tennis Ball Tracking · Wolfpack Drill 04

Teaches

Eye-tracking. Her eyes follow the ball from your hand all the way into hers, building the habit before we add a glove.

Bring ● Tennis ball ● Open space

Setup

Stand about 6 feet apart on the grass.
No gloves — use bare hands to start.
A tennis ball is soft, bouncy, and forgiving if she misses.

How it works

Toss the ball underhand right to her chest.
She catches it with two hands, watching it the whole way in.
Say “watch it all the way” before every toss for the first 5 reps.
After 10 clean reps, mix in a slightly higher or lower toss.
Optional: call out a colour (red / blue) mid-flight and have her say it before catching — forces her eyes to lock on.

Watch for

Eyes stay on the ball, not on your face or the ground.
Hands meet the ball out front, not waiting at her belly.
Soft hands — she gives a little as she catches, like catching an egg.

What to say

Watch it all the way.

Soft hands.

Eyes on the ball, not on me.

Nice — you tracked that one perfectly.

High-five moments

She says the colour before she catches it.
Three catches in a row with her eyes visibly locked.
She starts calling “mine!” on her own.

Make it easier

Move closer and roll the ball on the ground first. Rolling is slower and it’s easier to train her eyes.

Level it up

Toss two different-coloured balls one at a time and call the colour she needs to catch. Pressure + tracking.

★

Key cue

“Eyes, hands, squeeze.”