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Lesson 1 of 6
  • Year 5

Forehand (underarm shots) using rackets

I can play forehand shots with control and can hit the ball into the channels to create space and win points.

Lesson 1 of 6
New
New
  • Year 5

Forehand (underarm shots) using rackets

I can play forehand shots with control and can hit the ball into the channels to create space and win points.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: to play a controlled shot, our dominant hand should be at the bottom of the grip.
  2. Move: tracking the ball and moving our feet so the ball lands on our forehand side improves the accuracy of shots.
  3. Think: evaluating our own/partners forehand performance will help improve our control and accuracy.
  4. Feel: continuing to try and improve our performance throughout the lesson demonstrates self motivation.
  5. Connect: working together with our opponents and listening to others shows we understand the importance of respect.

Keywords

  • Forehand - a shot in which the palm of your hand faces the direction in which you are hitting the ball

  • Backhand - when you hit a ball with a racket with your arm across your body and the back of your hand facing the ball

  • Accuracy - the ability to control where we hit an object

Common misconception

Pupils hit their shots too hard and the ball travels out of court. Pupils do not return to the ready position after every shot. Pupils struggle to rally when the ball can only bounce once.

Encourage pupils to follow through on their swing to develop more control over the shot. Remind pupils to return to the middle and be in the ready position after every shot. Allow pupils to continue to rally even when the ball bounces twice.


To help you plan your year 5 physical education lesson on: Forehand (underarm shots) using rackets, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It is always useful to have different size rackets/bats/paddles (short handles) and different sized balls as many pupils struggle to control their shots with a racket and tennis ball. If pupils cannot rally cooperatively, ask one pupil to throw the ball instead of both pupils using a racket.
Teacher tip

Equipment

1 tennis racket per pupil, 1 tennis ball per pupil (or alternative) , 30+ cones of different colours

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What do we call the position we get into when waiting to receive the ball?

sitting position
scoring position
Correct answer: ready position

Q2.
What is it called when we hit the ball back and forth in games such as tennis?

Correct answer: a rally
a serve
a volley

Q3.
If we hit the target, what are we showing?

mistakes
Correct answer: accuracy
speed

Q4.
If we listen to others and work well together, what are we showing?

frustration
speaking
Correct answer: respect

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
At the end of the forehand shot, where should the racket be pointing?

Correct Answer: the target, target, towards the target

Q2.
If you continue to try and improve throughout the lesson what are you demonstrating?

anger
happiness
Correct answer: self-motivation

Q3.
If we evaluate our own and our partners performance when hitting shots, what can we improve?

Correct answer: our accuracy
our strength
our flexibility

Q4.
What happens if you hit the ball out of the lines within the court?

nothing
score a point
Correct answer: lose a point