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. 

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?

My radio show

I host a show on blog talk radio. I interview tennis coaches, tennis players, sports psychologists, and tennis manufacturers on all aspects of the game. To find me go to http://www.blogtalkradio/sweetspottennis There you can find my previous interviews with Mike Barrell, President of Evolve 9 and an expert on child development. Daniel Hayward, a quickstart tennis coach, Chandler Lewis, territory manager for TGA and David Kochman on being a junior tennis parent. Stay tuned for future interviews.