Being a great tennis coach involves many elements. Communicating and engaging your students are keys, while understanding fundamental training concepts is also critical.
All players and coaches should uphold professionalism and etiquette at all times, which includes punctuality, maintaining positive attitudes, and complying with game rules.
1. Serve
The serve is one of the key tenets of tennis, setting the tempo for each point and giving players a powerful tool for setting opponents at bay. While many find it challenging to master this stroke due to precise timing and hand-eye coordination requirements, if players miss serving within double match lines it results in faulting giving opponents an edge and is an excellent place for improvement of play. Thus the serve serves as an excellent place for anyone aiming to enhance their game to start practicing this stroke.
There are various approaches to practicing the serve, and it is crucial that players pay close attention to all aspects of its swing. Players should follow a process which begins with starting, ball toss, upper body rotation and stretching towards ball, backswing and finishing (trophy pose). Players must ensure their racquet does not move too rapidly during this process as doing so will cause them to lose control over ball.
An effective way to hone the serve is with a straightforward drill that anyone, with or without partners, can perform. Players should stand on either end of a service box and have another throw the ball to them and hit it back; repeat as needed until your score beats your own each time!
Mix up your serves to keep opponents guessing as to the type of serve they will hit next. Try hitting flat serves for one game before switching up with kick serves at some point during another point; this type of variety will also strengthen internal rotation and pronation which are both essential parts of an effective serve.
2. Return
Return shots in tennis are often the starting point of each point and some players have used them as an effective weapon to neutralize an opponent’s serve and set themselves up to break serve or at least create difficulty for their opponent when defending it.
Returning the ball can be done several ways in tennis depending on both your opponent’s serve and desired style of game. For instance, players looking to extend rallies and wear down opponents may benefit from standing farther back during returns in order to give themselves time to get into position before hitting back.
Others might choose to stand closer to the baseline during their return, in order to give themselves more time and opportunity for hitting effective defensive shots. Whatever approach is taken, having a plan in place to deal with an opponent’s serve is critical for success on court.
One way of doing this is with a short, simple return reminiscent of a volley – giving them nothing to work with and forcing them into making backhand volleys which tend to be weaker shots.
Additionally, you can use your return to set your opponent up for an approach shot or lob towards the net – this can prevent them from poaching on their next shot and help win more points on your return. Doing this consistently forces them into making mistakes on their shots and breaks serve.
3. Groundstrokes
As you watch a tennis tournament, you may notice that every player approaches their shots differently; however, certain fundamental characteristics should remain constant across shots: power, accuracy and balance.
One of the key strokes in tennis is a groundstroke on the backhand side, particularly on its backhand side. A groundstroke on this side often serves as the best weapon during a baseline rally due to its greater power than its forehand counterpart and also allows players to hit variations like topspin, slice and slice-topspin with greater ease.
In order to execute an effective groundstroke, it is key to move early and contact it around waist-high. This will give players more control over their shots, and prevent too much up or down shotmaking. In addition, using a unit turn when leaving their split step or ready position can ensure that the dominant arm elbow leads the stroke while upper body rotates with it, optimizing groundstroke effectiveness.
Use of a strong racket is also essential to effective groundstrokes, as it will resist more powerful ball impacts and help protect it from deforming or bending. Finally, choosing one with compressed string patterns can boost power of any groundstroke.
When it comes to groundstrokes, it is crucial that players complete a full follow-through after every shot in order to maximize power generation from their legs, hips, chest and shoulders into their racquet. Doing this allows maximum energy transfer from leg, hip and shoulder muscles onto their racquet for maximum power generation.
4. Returns
The return shot is an invaluable weapon in any tennis player’s arsenal and mastering it can make or break a match. But like any shot, perfecting it requires lots of practice and repetition as well as focus, concentration, and mental preparation.
As a coach, it is key that your students remain focused throughout their lessons and practice sessions – no phones, no social media and no distractions should be allowed during these times. Doing this creates an ideal learning environment while showing your commitment to them and to tennis as a sport.
Additionally, it’s vital that students learn to effectively manage their time on the court – including using techniques that put opponents under pressure immediately and knowing when and how to defend. Furthermore, understanding how the second service works is also key.
An effective strategy for helping students enhance their returns is teaching them to be more aggressive on both first and second serves, such as through block returns that involve short, powerful swings that make it hard for opponents to hit cleanly; or framing or bunting the ball – which forces opponents onto more difficult paths while decreasing double fault potential – as another approach.
Make sure that when returning, the ball goes deep; this will force your opponent to half volley or lob, making for an effective high percentage shot that may be useful in certain match situations.
5. Shots
There are literally hundreds of ways to hit a tennis ball. Simply watch any professional tournament and you’ll witness an array of techniques used by each player to score each point – yet certain essential characteristics must exist for every player to succeed.
First and foremost, tennis shots must be executed at exactly the right moment for maximum effectiveness. Otherwise, opponents have enough time to anticipate and prepare for your shot; too late may mean missing entirely or hitting below your comfort zone – therefore developing an efficient timing practice to help ensure you hit all your tennis shots at just the right moment is key to becoming a top performer on court.
Every tennis shot can be defined by both timing and spin/flatness applied during its impact point (topspin, slice or no spin). While focusing on an exact impact point is key for accurate shots, some variance is always possible depending on factors affecting how the ball reacts upon landing on the ground.
Every tennis player needs to understand their strengths and take advantage of their opponent’s weaknesses. For instance, if an opponent is an expert baseliner, try drawing them in with drop shots or forcing them back with lobs.
Strategic development can transform your overall gameplay and help you win more points, games and matches. Take time to understand these fundamentals of play and you will notice a remarkable transformation in your performance – then add advanced strategies that can take it even further!
