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.

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?