Internal memory of good shots

In the game of tennis, instructors always provide tons of corrections for our strokes whether it is follow through, hit the ball earlier, utilize more spin, turn your shoulders, rotate more. The list goes on! However, there is an alternative way as an instructor  that I try to help my students develop good technique and well formed strokes. I always point out immediately when a student has produced a shot that was well formed. After that I tell that student that they should internalize and remember how they hit that shot and try to replicate that shot. Sometimes, it is easier for people to understand what you mean by a shot when you point out when they have done the shot correctly.

Tennis tip: choke up on the forehand

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fabulous coach but sometimes even I can learn how to fine tune my coaching. The other day, I had the privilege of receiving an interesting tip on teaching forehands from esteemed coach Hector Henry. He saw my kids struggling to hit forehands and advised me to have the kids choke up in the racquet and put their fingers through the neck of it, he told me that it was easier for them to grip the racquet that way. He also pointed out that I should tell them to hit the ball over his head in order to get them to hit under the ball with topspin. I tried this suggestion with my kids and low and behold, they were able to connect with the ball, hit the ball out in front and over the net. Coach Henry told me that I should also then have them gradually move their hand down the racquet as they got more comfortable hitting the ball. This was way I had never considered actually telling my students though intuitively I knew beginner students had more success when they gripped the racquet higher up. 

Teaching tennis to young children

Teaching tennis to young and developing children is sometimes like being an occupational therapist; it involves explaining to kids how to do a fine motor related procedure in a way that is understandable and doable. Good tennis instruction entails assisting kids with motor planning. Sometimes just telling a kid what you need them to do doesn’t help the child produce the desired outcome. For instance telling a kid to follow through may not make the kid follow through but telling them that they have to keep swinging until the racquet is scratching their back and actually doing a complete swing with them will help them comprehend how to follow through. Telling them that they should catch the racquet with their other hand also helps them understand how to follow through. These instructions are better because they give the person a clearer picture of what follow through actually means in physical terms. After all what does the word follow through mean to an 8 year old? As a tennis instructor sometimes it is best to see your self wearing the hat of an occupational therapist. How can you make the action you want the child to do more manageable and understandable for them?

Quickstart tennis regulations

How slow is too slow? The newest USTA trend is to scale down tennis for younger kids. Some of the regulations include using smaller racquets, orange green dot or red balls and playing on shorter courts. While I see that there are benefits to this type of structure for certain kinds of kids, I wonder can things be too slow and too small for some kids who still fall into the ten and under category? My team competed in the 10 and under junior team tennis playoffs. During this tournament a regulation was in place where everyone was required to use a racquet that was 25 inches or less. Yet, this regulation wasn't reinforced throughout the season and many of the kids who are on the older, taller, stronger end of the spectrum play with 27-inch racquets in their practices and matches. One of my students was particularly perturbed by having to use a 27-inch racquet. It was evident that she was having a hard time because the 25-inch racquet didn't afford her the power she was used to with the 27-inch racquet. Another coach told me that one of his players was naturally powerful had a hard time adjusting to the smaller court. While I do see the benefits of using orange or green dot balls for learning to execute strategies such as serve and volleying, I wonder if for some kids there isn't a point of playing on the smaller court. After all, once they hit age 11 they will be able to play on a larger court with yellow balls. So why waste a year making artificial adjustments to your game? I think some kids feel the need to hold back and not fully utilize their power and then are hurt when they play higher age groups and push instead of hitting through the ball. But, is playing 12 and unders at age 9 the best alternative?

Check out my latest blog talk radio interview

Here is the link to my latest blog talk radio interview. http://tobtr.com/s/7660855 The interview is with Barry Goldsmith who got inducted into the college coaches Hall of Fame. Barry discusses the ins and outs of college coaching as well as what motivates players to do better and factors that breed success.