Fives coaching resources
Films, shot technique, the laws and lesson plans, laid out in the order a new player or a new coach needs them. All of it is free.
Where to start
Watch the two Fast Fives films, then the three set-piece films on the serve, the cut and the cut-return. Learn the beginner shots from the Shot Vault next, one family at a time. Teachers can run a first lesson straight from the free lesson plans, and anyone who wants a coaching qualification goes to the governing body's courses.
The technique on this site comes from Anthony Theodossi's Shot Handbook. He has spent thirty years in the game and twenty coaching it. About the coach
Stage 1. A first session: Fast Fives
The simplified game. Two short films take a new player from the court's features to a doubles rally.
- 01 Quick Start: How to Play (2:37)
- 02 A Simple Doubles Game (2:13). One real game, called by the players.
Stage 2. The full rules: the three set pieces
The complete game starts every rally with a serve, a cut and a cut-return. Each film comes with the points to watch for.
- 03 Serving (2:05). Serve the ball the way the receiver wants it. An overarm throw, high around the coping, landing just off the top step. Stand in the middle of the court, on the edge of the top step.
- 04 Cutting (1:12). Begin roughly midway along the left side wall. Play an overarm Slap Attack around the angle, aiming into the buttress. The first cut must reach the front wall right of the service line, or via the right-hand wall. The rally is not live until the ball has gone up into play.
- 05 Cut-return (1:25). Get right into the corner between the buttress and the left side wall. Stay low, bending at the knees. Use one hand only, out in front: returning the cut with both hands is illegal.
Stage 3. The shots, one family at a time
The Shot Vault films all 31 shots in the handbook, each with its technique and notes. Start with the beginner shots in each family, then add the rest as the basics hold up in a game.
Buttress Attack
Aim at least a foot above the ledge for safety, and watch the pace: length matters more. (Slap Attack) A compact action means less to go wrong. The harder you hit, the less likely the ball is to roll. (Right Hand Sharp Shooting)
Slap Attack (Beginner), Right Hand Sharp Shooting (Beginner), Dossi Special (Intermediate), Left Hand Sharp Shooting (Intermediate), Mid-Court Slap Volley (Intermediate), Spin Attack (Intermediate), Corner Volley (Advanced), Pressure Cooker (Advanced), Left Hand Buttress Attack (Advanced), The JPR (Advanced), Sidewinder (Advanced), Dunbar Dig (Advanced)
Corner & Drive
Time it so you hit the ball just in front of you, with a touch of backspin to keep it in court. (Slap Attack to Left Bricks) Stay up court after playing and wait for a volley. (Slap Attack to Left Bricks)
Slap Attack to Left Bricks (Beginner), The Granny (Beginner), Side Wall Drive to Right Bricks (Beginner), Dossi Special (Intermediate), Slam Volley to Left Bricks (Intermediate), Back Right Volley Attack (Intermediate), Left Wall Get Out of Jail (Intermediate), Right Corner Attack (Intermediate), Left Corner Attack (Intermediate), Left Hand Bludgeon Shot (Intermediate), Mis-Hit Bludgeon (Intermediate), Right Wall Get Out of Jail (Intermediate), Corner Volley (Advanced), 3-Wall Volley (Advanced), Corner to Corner (Advanced), Pythagoras Pass (Advanced)
Volley
Get the hand up early, by the ear, and snap down from the elbow. (Right Hand Sharp Shooting) Lots of weight going forwards, and hit the ball just in front of you. (Slam Volley to Left Bricks)
Right Hand Sharp Shooting (Beginner), Slam Volley to Left Bricks (Intermediate), Left Hand Sharp Shooting (Intermediate), Back Right Volley Attack (Intermediate), Mid-Court Slap Volley (Intermediate), Corner Volley (Advanced), 3-Wall Volley (Advanced), Left Hand Block Volley (Advanced), Pressure Cooker (Advanced)
Escape & Defensive
When you are on the back foot and cannot move your weight forwards, float the ball onto the front wall so it drops. (Float) The block volley is the one shot played with the wrong foot forwards. Practise it until it is instinctive. (Left Hand Block Volley)
The Granny (Beginner), Left Wall Get Out of Jail (Intermediate), Left Hand Bludgeon Shot (Intermediate), Mis-Hit Bludgeon (Intermediate), Float (Intermediate), Right Wall Get Out of Jail (Intermediate), Bricks Retrieval (Intermediate), 3-Wall Volley (Advanced), Left Hand Block Volley (Advanced), Pythagoras Pass (Advanced), The JPR (Advanced), Spin & In (Advanced)
Spin & Trick
Strike the ball at knee height or above, and let the spin come from the turn of the wrist. (Spin Attack) Control and accuracy over power. (Spin Attack)
Slap Attack (Beginner), Slap Attack to Left Bricks (Beginner), Side Wall Drive to Right Bricks (Beginner), Dossi Special (Intermediate), Spin Attack (Intermediate), Side Spin to Right Bricks (Intermediate), Left Hand Buttress Attack (Advanced), The JPR (Advanced), Sidewinder (Advanced), Dunbar Dig (Advanced), Spin & In (Advanced)
Stage 4. The laws, in plain English
The laws page sets out the full game: hitting up, the serve, the cut and the foul, lets, scoring and game ball. It opens with a Fast Fives summary for a first session, and the official laws are there to download.
For teachers
Three complete lessons from the Year 7 Beginners scheme are free: Lesson 1: Learning the Basics and Lesson 2: The Slap-Attack Shot need no login, and Lesson 3 needs a free account. Each has phase timers, drill diagrams, differentiation and assessment. The full schools programme covers Years 3 to 10 across seven schemes of work.
For coaches
Coaching qualifications come from the governing body, the Eton Fives Association (EFA): EFA coaching, the Activator course and John Reynolds's coaching book.
Common questions
- Is this Eton Fives coaching?
- Yes. Fives Vault covers the three-wall doubles game governed by the Eton Fives Association, which most people outside the game know as Eton Fives. On this site it is simply Fives.
- Are the coaching resources free?
- Yes. The five films, all 31 shot films, the laws and three complete school lessons are free. Two of the lessons need no login and the third needs a free account. The wider schools programme is a paid licence for schools.
- How do I become a qualified Fives coach?
- Through the governing body. The Eton Fives Association runs the Activator course as a first step, and Level One and Level Two coaching courses above it.
- Where can a beginner play?
- The court directory lists 88 places to play, and the club directory marks the clubs that welcome new players with no school or university tie.