My Coach - October 2010 issue

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | October 2010 49

My Coach

58 Mapping out a plan: A key step to long term player development is successful tournament scheduling.

60 Serve essentials: Provide students with a technical serve advantage by exploring the biomechanics involved.

62 Mental toughness: What is it, really?

64 What do you see? Stroke analysis

65 Making a difference: As wheelchair tennis has evolved, so too has the career of wheelchair tennis coach Greg Crump.

66 Coach corner

68 Coach drills

A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS

Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

Tournaments build a player’s competitive nature and are an integral component of a yearly schedule – but ascertaining

the correct path for players at varying stages of development can require a finetuned understanding of a player’s individual needs.

Tournament planning depends on exactly where a player is at in their stage

of development, and this will also determine the number of events in which they’ll participate in a calendar year.

The Tennis Australia Athlete Development Matrix (ADM) assists coaches in determining which tournaments are suitable for their players.

“In a nutshell it is a player development map,” explains Tennis Australia Talent Search and Development Coordinator Rob Leeds. “The map consists of competencies that need to be acquired for the player to reach the ensuing player development stage.”

As a starting point, the matrix can be used to ascertain their players’ standard in every area of

development – physical, psychological, tactical or technical.

“Once the coach determines where their player

or players are at they can then read on to see what

competencies are required for the level/phase above,” says Leeds.

Finding the right destinationOnce the outcomes or destinations are

clearly defined it becomes a lot easier to work out how to get there.

As a coach, you need to be clear about the precise direction your athletes are heading in so that it doesn’t become difficult to help them reach their destination.

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Helping a player to reach key destinations in their development can start by mapping out the appropriate competitive pathway. By Daniela Toleski

A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS

Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

58 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | October 2010

Mapping out a plan

What is the athlete Development Matrix?

The Athlete Development Matrix provides a framework and competencies for everyone involved

in delivering the game of tennis at all levels.

The matrix is based on empirically and scientifically relevant information that indicates when certain competencies may be best developed.

It looks to develop the individual by covering eight areas that focus on both tennis-specific and personal attributes.

The tennis-specific components are: n technical n tactical n physical n psychological.

These are combined with the personal attributes: n social n parental n educative n competitive.

These eight components of development have been chosen to holistically guide the development of athletes.

For more information on the Athlete Development Matrix go to tennis.com.au/matrix.

How a player responds to varying conditions will often determine the most suitable tournaments in an annual schedule.


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“The Tennis

Australia ADM provides the

direction. The fun part for us coaches is using our skills to facilitate the arrival at these destinations,” Leeds says.

“From a tournament planning perspective, once you have ascertained which phase your athlete sits within the matrix, the matrix provides some suggestions as to what type of tournaments to play and an indication as to how many matches the player should be competing in on a yearly basis.”

On average players need to average three matches per tournament, but coaches need to look at a number of aspects.

AIS Pro Tour Program men’s coach Paul Baccanello explains that a major factor to consider when planning tournaments is varying conditions. These can include surface, altitude, climate and even balls.

“These factors must be considered to suit a player’s game style,” Baccanello points out. “If you’re player plays best in fast conditions, it’s no use going to a tournament where the temperature is low, the courts are clay, and the official ball of the tournament is pressure less.”

There’s also the question of the physical toll that actually reaching the tournament destination can take on a player.

“Travel must also be considered,” says Baccanello. “Tournaments

should be planned such that travel between tournaments is

kept to a minimum.” A player’s ranking will also have an effect on

tournament scheduling, especially if qualifying needs to also be considered.

“For full-time players, tournament blocks should be four to six weeks. It would be advisable for players to enter a block of six

tournaments. Whether the player plays all six is dependent upon results in the early

weeks and the number of matches the player has had to play and their loads during these tournaments,” Baccanello

says.

Confidence too is a major determining factor and a coach needs to recognise this and alter the schedule accordingly.

“If a player is struggling for confidence, has lost a few first rounds on the trot, then a schedule involving weaker tournaments which the player can use to get a few matches under his or her belt and build a little confidence will be of great benefit,” Baccanello says.

“And vice versa, if a player has been training the house down, has had some good wins over higher ranked opponents then scheduling a tournament block in stronger tournaments would be the best course of action.”

An individual’s tennis tournament schedule is crucial, but a tailored training regime to suit the individual is paramount.

Explore (4–7 years)n Actively participate and enjoy team/fun

challenges.n Able to enjoy competition against

themselves, and then others, in simple scored games.

n Not yet exposed to organised, structured tennis competition.

n Participation in a variety of ball sport skills competitions.

Development (7–10 years)n Actively participate and enjoy team/

fun challenges and round robin tournaments.

n Able to compete against boys and girls in most activities, and particularly in doubles.

n Presented with the opportunity to participate in, on average, two hours of competition per week.

n Compete in six to eight tournaments annually and playing three matches per tournament such that players experience both positive and negative outcomes.

n Per year, children should play around 15 singles and 25 doubles matches.

n No age group ranking lists or national championships exist.

Enhance (12–15 years)n Periodisation featuring peak

performances (three per year) planned.n Presented with the opportunity to

participate, on average, four hours of competition per week.

n Compete in 12–17 tournaments (comprising four–five national; two–three state; four–six international; two–three team) annually.

n Per year, children should play 50–60

singles and 20–30 doubles matches.n 33% rule should apply (33% of matches

against weaker, comparable and stronger opponents).

Cultivate (15–17 years)n Periodised tournament schedule

(including surface considerations, prioritisation of events) with three–five peak performances planned.

n Presented with the opportunity to participate in, on average, no less than five hours of competition per week.

n Compete in 18–22 tournaments (comprising four–eight international juniors, two–three national juniors, four–five national prize money, three–five Futures (M)/$10,000, (F) one–four Challengers (M)/$25,000–$75,000, (F) WTA/ATP as appropriate, one–two team) annually.

n Per year, children should play 65–80 singles and 25–45 doubles matches.

n Girls more likely to make more immediate transition to Pro Tour. Boys should play 50% age group, 50% above age group or professional/open tennis.

performance (17+ years)n Periodised tournament schedule

(including surface considerations, prioritisation of events) with no less than five peak performances planned.

n Competes in 20–30 professional tournaments annually.

n Per year, players should take part in 80–100 singles matches.

n Participation in doubles will be at the discretion of each player/coach. Occasional doubles play may positively transfer to certain aspects of singles performance.

tournaments/competition plan based on developmental stages

Successful tournament planning is a key component of success for elite players like Jarmila Groth.

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SERVE ESSENTIALS

BIomEchANIcS of ThE SERVE – SummATIoN of foRcES

Critical to winning tennis matches and improvement is the development of effective and efficient technique. A basic understanding of biomechanics is important to the performance of the player and plays a role in injury prevention.

The ability for coaches to analyse and then improve technique is core business and as such knowledge of biomechanics and how it relates to the key mechanical features of the serve is necessary.

ELASTIc ENERgyElastic energy refers to

the stretch-shorten cycle of movement where elastic energy is stored when the muscle is stretched and then used or recovered during the forwardswing increasing speed of movement. Davydenko’s shoulders have rotated further than the hips (separation angle) so that the muscles of the trunk and shoulder are on stretch. Separation angle is the difference between the alignments of the shoulders and hips, ideally about 20°.

TRuNk RoTATIoNS – ‘TwIST AxIS’Linked to the leg drive is the

movement of the trunk which can move or in three ways: ‘twist’, ‘cartwheel’ and ‘somersault’ rotations.

NEwToN’S ThIRd LAw of moTIoN – LAw of REAcTIoN

“To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.“

Davydenko exerts a force against the ground. This creates an equal and opposite reaction force upwards that commences the kinetic chain via the Ground Reaction Force.

TRuNk RoTATIoNS – ‘cARTwhEEL AxIS’

The hip and shoulder tilt shown in the image demonstrate the starting position for the trunk rotation in the cartwheel axis. The sequence here will begin with the leg drive which transfers to the right hip to drive the ‘shoulder over shoulder’ rotation of the serve. This component is critical to the development of high speed serves and also influences the height of impact of the serve.

dISpLAcEmENT of ThE RAcquETIn terms of developing racquet

head speed, the backswing increases the distance over which speed can be developed during the forwardswing. The images above show the racquet behind and away from the back which increases the distance the racquet must travel during the forwardswing to impact.

The leg drive is a key component here, as the legs extend the racquet is effectively driven down (increased racquet displacement) which allows the upper arm to be maximally externally rotated and elastic energy stored via pre-stretch of the trunk and shoulder muscles.


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An understanding of biomechanics is important for coaches to analyse the technical aspects of the serve to help students improve and avoid injury. The following analysis of

Nikolay Davydenko highlights these principles at work.

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uppER ARm INTERNAL RoTATIoNNow that the trunk has slowed

the transfer of force is to the shoulder and the upper arm which plays the largest role in the generation of racquet head speed. Research has shown that internal rotation of the upper arm contributes approximately 40 % of racquet speed.

The elbow plays a role in forearm pronation which positions the racquet face for impact and in extension for a higher impact position.

wRIST poSITIoNThe final segment is the

transfer to the wrist which plays a role via wrist flexion. High values of wrist flexion are recorded for professional players. The wrist is also ‘off-set’ at impact so that when the arm internally rotates and pronates the racquet face will be driven forward. The angle between the trunk and the upper arm at impact (shoulder abduction angle) is approximately 120 degrees which is facilitated by the shoulder over shoulder rotation.

foLLow ThRoughDavydenko demonstrates

internal rotation of the upper arm and pronation of the forearm in the early phase of the follow through. These actions allow the racquet distance to slow gradually and not stop abruptly, which could have potential for injury over time due to the stress placed on the body.

TRuNk RoTATIoNS – ‘’SomERSAuLT AxIS’

The forward flexion shown in the image on the left illustrates the significant flexion that occurs around the ‘somersault’ axis which is the largest of the three rotations mentioned previously. This rotation is generated by an off-centre leg drive/ground reaction force initially. The leg-drive together with the shoulder-over-shoulder and forward trunk rotation, when linked to the impact location, cause the tennis player to land in the court with their front-foot. The arabesque position observed is the result of the summation of forces.

Geoff QuinlanTennis Australia – National Academy ManagerBachelor of Applied Science (Honours) Human MovementTennis Australia High Performance coach

~40 degrees

~120 degrees


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Where Science MeetS Art

MentAl toughneSS: WhAt iS it reAlly?

While coaches, commentators and players have happily thrown around the term mental toughness since as early as the 1950s, it may surprise you to know there is still

much debate as to what it is exactly. Since there isn’t even a widely accepted definition, it’s little wonder that research into the area is plagued with problems. So how do you develop something you can’t even define? Well, it’s not all bad news.

One plausible explanation for all the inconsistency is that what it means to be mentally tough may actually be different for different sports. When you have a second look at the research and take this into account, some common themes do actually start to emerge. Essentially mentally tough athletes are those that are able to deal effectively with general lifestyle, training and competition demands. They are able to do this as they tend to have four key skills and attributes: n A high level of belief in themselves n The ability to remain focused on the task at hand n Skilled at handling pressure and stress n Highly motivated.

Why does that highly talented athlete that’s always appeared motivated suddenly seem bored and disinterested? It may have more to do with you and your coaching style than

you might think. One size simply doesn’t fit all. Coaches, just like most people, often have a preferred style. For example, a way to talk, language used, preferred learning activities – all of which keep us in our comfort zone. Now think about how often we ask an athlete to ‘stretch’ themselves. We all readily accept this is critical to developing mental toughness and it is. But as a coach how many of us ask the same thing of ourselves? ‘Stretching’ yourself as a coach, which means adapting what you do and how you do it to the individual you are

working with is also critical to developing mental toughness in your athlete. So ask yourself how often you as a coach step out of your comfort zone?

In its most basic form, communicating with your athlete can be broken down into a push or pull style. Pushing is more directive or ‘telling’, and involves creating a structured environment with clear and consistent rules. Pulling is about collaborating i.e. asking and probing your athlete and allowing the environment to be more flexible with activities and structures guided by performance. The key becomes knowing which style to use when? A simple framework to guide you is the Willing & Able model which considers the interaction between competency (are they able to?) and motivation (do they want to?).

ever Wonder …

EFFORT SATISFACTIONPERFORMANCE REWARD

Can I do it? Is it worth it?

Whatʼs in it for me?

MOT

IVAT

ION

COMPETENCY

Willing but not yet able Willing and able

Not able and not willing Able but not willing

PUSH PULL

PUSH & PULL

Communicating with your athlete can be broken down into a push or pull style. Pushing is more directive … pulling is about collaborating.


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While there is a danger in trying to simplify a complex problem here, one possible answer lies

in understanding motivation. The first link between effort and performance is ability. In considering the task, athletes will often ask themselves “If I try, can I do it?” If the answer is no – most athletes will stop putting in effort. If the answer is yes – the next question becomes one of incentive – “Do I really value the outcome, what’s in it for me?” The answer could range from a variety of internal factors like feeling good about themself to external factors such as money, praise etc. If the answers aren’t appealing, then once again effort stops. However, if the answers do appeal, athletes are likely to ask themselves one last and very important question: “Is this reward ‘big’ enough to make it worth it?” In other words does it really matter to me (Jones, 2002)?

So then, if we think of athletes that ‘tank’, we understand that they could decide that they can’t do it or that the winning just isn’t reward enough for the amount of effort that they would need to put in. A key message for parents and supporters of athletes is to ask questions that help you understand what would make it worthwhile for them.

FroM the StAndS…

Reflection not protection – a strategy for developing mental toughness

Engaging in protective behaviours such as holding our toddler’s hand to cross the road is normal and necessarily born out of an instinct to survive. But these behaviours can be counter-

productive in trying to develop the mental toughness of an athlete. Less ‘overt’ protective behaviours can include, for example, accepting an athlete’s poor language on court because they are frustrated at the umpire’s poor decisions or choosing to compete only in tournaments where they might win. While these allowances essentially protect the athlete’s self-esteem in the short-term, it does little to teach them skills for managing stress.

Although we often shy away from difficult or confronting experiences, they provide an excellent opportunity for learning. Experience of critical incidents is essential to cultivating mental toughness – so, here’s a message for coaches … don’t protect and learn to debrief. A simple formula is: EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = LEARNING. This means helping your athlete to link knowledge and experience, or knowledge, skill and meaning by getting them to discuss the event. Consider what went well and not so well? What could be done differently next time? What have they learned? Through encouraging them to tell and reflect on their story, they are given the chance to determine what they want their next chapter to look like....

SourceS:1. Connaughton, D. & Hanton, S. (2009). Mental toughness in sport: Conceptual and practical Issues. In S.D. Mellalieu & S. Hanton (Eds.). (2008).

Advances in Applied Sport Psychology: A Review (pp.317-346). London: Routledge.2. Jones R. (2002). Managing People Performance. Western Australia: Vocational education and training publications.

Heather McGregor-Bayne is Tennis Australia’s Psychology Services Coordinator.

Why do some athletes give up where others keep going?

EFFORT SATISFACTIONPERFORMANCE REWARD

Can I do it? Is it worth it?

Whatʼs in it for me?

MOT

IVAT

ION

COMPETENCY

Willing but not yet able Willing and able

Not able and not willing Able but not willing

PUSH PULL

PUSH & PULL


greg grump was first introduced to wheelchair tennis in the us in 1985 and he is constantly amazed at the

progression he witnesses in his athletes.“Working from grassroots to the elite end,

some of the players that have represented Australia have started off in a rehabilitation hospital program and progressed to the Paralympic games. that’s rewarding,” he says.

Crump recently visited the island nation of Vanuatu in the south Pacific, along with one of his athletes Michael Dobbie, to help develop wheelchair tennis in the region.

“the game of wheelchair tennis has evolved over the years and so have i with it … i plan to make some more contribution for a while yet.”

Dobbie and Crump completed a week long clinic for ni-Vanuatu people with a disability and were praised by the Vanuatu tennis Federation and the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee for their work with the program.

“i had a great week in Vanuatu,” Dobbie

says. “the players were keen and eager to learn because they don’t get many of the opportunities that people from other countries get.”

the coaching clinic was the first step in the plan to develop

local players to compete in the 2011 Oceania Paralympic Championships to be held

in conjunction with the Arafura Competition in

Darwin.Crump has many years

of tennis experience behind him. He first started

playing tennis at the local grass courts of Wangaratta, then moved to Wodonga, but found the move to Melbourne testing.

“Moving to Melbourne to play on en tout cas courts with a slice backhand, good serve and a shaky forehand was challenging for many years,” he says.

Although Crump isn’t mentioning any names, the wins he recorded over some players who went on to become professionals are firmly etched in his memories.

“My most memorable moment as a player is having some wins over guys that went on to make a good living out of the game … it was on a grass court. no surprise there,” he says.

But his progression from player to coach was a natural one.

“i tried to be a player for few years and realised the Ferrari wasn’t going to appear in the driveway, but i still wanted to be involved in the game,” he says.

As tennis Australia’s Wheelchair tennis national coach, the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic games were his first, and he has attended each Paralympic games since.

in Melbourne he coaches Dobbie, Daniela

Di toro, Matt ingram and luba Josevski.Both Di toro and Dobbie represented

Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic games and Crump believes Melbourne Park inspire his athletes.

“the surrounds of tennis Australia and Melbourne Park, along with the potential to represent Australia seems to be plenty of motivation,” Crump says.

Di toro claimed the French Open women’s wheelchair doubles title at roland garros and being a women’s wheelchair doubles finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2010.

Crump has also coached Australian teams to success in the invacare World team Cup five times, winning four titles with the men’s team and one with the women’s. He has now been to a remarkable 18 invacare World team Cups.

the invacare World team Cup was created in 1985 and has been staged in 15 different countries, attracting more than 300 participants each year.

Crump is a great believer in allowing his athletes have some control of their tennis pathway and is excited at the prospect of making a difference.

“i make sure the players have some buy in and can input to their own pathway rather than always being told what to do,” he says.

“With the game evolving every few years, it is exciting as a coach to keep up with current trends and even try to set a couple as well.”

if wheelchair tennis has evolved in recent years, so too has the career of greg Crump, who is determined to continue his contribution as tennis Australia’s Wheelchair tennis national coach.

name: greg Crump

Qualifications: tennis Australia

Club Professional coach,

currently completing the tennis

Australia High Performance

coaching course, usA (Ptr)

qualification

role: tennis Australia

Wheelchair tennis national

coach

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MAking A DiFFerenCe

Working with Australia’s Michael Dobbie to help Vanuatu players prepare for the 2011 Oceania Paralympic Championships highlights the growth of wheelchair tennis.


A commitment to continuous improvement

Success is a moving target: winning this year is no guarantee of success next year. Great coaches continue to pursue excellence and relentlessly chase personal and professional improvement. They may be number one but they think, act and strive to win like they are number two. They’re not afraid to ask hard questions of themselves or to invite honest, hard, direct and uncompromising criticism from colleagues and competitors.

A belief that anything is possibleBelief has to come before excellence is

possible. Great coaches believe in themselves and back themselves. They understand that belief is the foundation of success. They possess a belief which is able to withstand negatives and setbacks and obstacles and failures. Their belief gives them confidence and provides them with composure. The only thing greater than their self-belief is the belief they have in their athletes.

An understanding of where your sport has been (history of the sport), where it is now and most importantly a vision for where it is going

Great coaches are students of their sport. They have insight and understanding about the physical, mental, technical, tactical, strategic and cultural aspects of their sport that is second to none. But more importantly they have a clear vision for where the sport is going and strive every day to get there first. They set the standard and challenge everyone else to try and match it. They determine the future of their profession and they become the benchmark for future generations.

The confidence to be yourself – to be unique

The essence of greatness is uniqueness. It is uniqueness and daring to be different that sets the great coaches apart from the rest. It is their courage in being innovative and creative, as well as the capacity to be futurist in their thinking that helps them achieve special things – and importantly to achieve

them before their competitors.

The energy to work hard consistently

Greatness is not free. Excellence is not easy. World-class coaches have an enthusiasm which is infectious. They are often the first ones to arrive at the training environment and the last to leave. Their attention to detail and level of understanding about the sport, team, each individual player and staff member comes from spending more time working on being the best of the best. They inspire not with words, but with actions and the consistency and passion and professionalism they demonstrate. They do not ask for respect: they earn it as a consequence of living the highest possible standards – consistently, when fatigued and under pressure, every day of their lives.

The strength and courage to not compromise on the important things

Compromise kills performance. It is a disease which rots the performance potential of athletes, teams and organisations from the inside. Great coaches create systems, structures, processes and people who do not compromise on the things that matter. They are uncompromising when it comes to honesty and seek out athletes, coaches and staff who similarly embrace honesty as a core value.

Outstanding communication abilitiesCoaching is communicating and not just

screaming instructions from the sidelines. Coaching is understanding communication and all its subtleties. It’s about understanding how to communicate with Generation X,

Generation Y, and every Generation because you take an interest in everything about every person you coach. It’s about listening. It’s about teaching when you need to and learning more from the people you coach than they learn from you.

An understanding of who you are, what you value and what motivates you

To coach someone to achieve their best requires you to know as much as you can about them: who they are, what they value and what motivates them. And you can’t coach anyone else unless you understand yourself, what you really value and what motivates you.

A passion for winning – a desire to be the best

Great coaches are fighters. Their commitment, their desire, their passion and their self-belief fuels their capacity to fight for what they believe in. They know that no one will make their life easy or their path to greatness simple.

Read the full version of this blog at sportscoachingbrain.com/great-coaching or sign up for regular email posts from Wayne Goldsmith at sportscoachingbrain.com.

Coaches’ cornerM

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Great coaches: how to be the best of the best

While all great coaches are unique and very special individuals, there are some common factors – some common championship coaching

characteristics that they all share.

Coaching is understanding communication and all its subtleties.


CoaCh Talk

What is the NCAG?Tennis Australia developed the NCAG to

act as the independent voice for the coach.

The key objectives and strategies of the NCAG include:Responsibility to meet to discuss the coaching issues within the states/territories (national voice)Providing advice on tennis industry issuesMaking recommendations regarding current coaching policies and procedures, particularly coaching development pathwaysProviding advice on the development of tennis resources and communicationsFocusing on coal face coaching issues related to committees/coaches/clubs/centres/associations

Reporting on any other coach/coaching issues or different programs which affect coachingRaising important coaching issues to the Tennis Australia Coach Development team when requiredProviding feedback on national program/initiatives i.e. Coach Development, Athlete Development or Community Tennis initiatives that impact on the coach at all levels.Providing feedback on the effectiveness of current coaching courses through their experience with graduates.

NCAG e-ballot:The Western Australian and Queensland

catchments are up for re-election. The

nominations are Jamie Venerys or Jason Roberts for Western Australia and Glenn Hamilton or Michael Parker for Queensland.

Voting – terms and conditionsOnly financial qualified Tennis Australia

coach members may vote.It is not compulsory to vote.

n One vote per qualified Tennis Australia coach member.

n Tennis Australia coach members vote for the nominee in the state/territory which they reside.

n Tennis Australia coach members will vote via the e-ballot voting process.

Go to tennis.com.au/voiceofthecoach to vote. Voting closes at 5 pm on 1 October 2010.

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NCAG e-ballotTennis Australia is conducting the National Coaching Advisory Group (NCAG) e-ballot,

providing Tennis Australia coach members with an opportunity to vote.

Melbourne, Australia 13–15 JanuaryOn site at Melbourne Park prior to Australian Open 2011

Australia’s premier professional development event for coaches

2011 AUSTRALIAN GRAND SLAM

COACHES’ CONFERENCE

For further information contact:T: +61 3 9914 4191E: [email protected]: tennis.com.au/coachesconference

Australian Grand SlamCoaches’ Conference

Mike Barrell, Director of UK based Evolve 9 and world renowned expert in the area of children’s tennis,

has recently completed a tour of Australian capital cities delivering the ‘demands of red, orange and green, it’s not just about smaller courts and slower balls’. The workshops were a huge success with approximately 400 people attending the five workshops.

“We were all inspired by Mike’s insight and enthusiasm into children’s tennis. Thank you to Mike and all who were involved in the successful running of the workshops. We hope all who attended have been able to take away some valuable concepts to implement into your MLC Tennis Hot Shots programs.”

– Belinda Kleverlaan, National Programs Manager

MLC Tennis Hot Shots is Tennis Australia’s official starter program aimed at children aged 5–12 years. There are currently 360 registered deliverers including a total of 750 venues located throughout Australia.

To find out more information on the program or how to become a registered deliverer go to tennis.com.au/mlctennishotshots.

Mike Barrell australian Workshops tour


Objective Work on net coverage and high percentage volley

tactics.

Description 1• Coach feeds the ball to mid-court for player A to hit

an approach shot.

• Player A approaches up the line on the forehand side,

then moves to cover the net.

Description 2• Player B plays their best option e.g. angle, lob, pass

or dip at player A to gain the advantage in the rally.

• Player A moves to play out the point. Working on

court position and recovery.

Description 3• After the point is played out Player A runs backwards

to the start and approaches on the backhand down

the line.

• Play first team to 11 points.

Description 4• Variation.

• Cross court approach.

• No lobs.

• No drop shots.

1 v 2 approach shotsBy Dylan Edgley, Tennis Australia Club Professional coachFocus: approach shot, first volley and short volley, net coverageStage: enhance (12–15 years), cultivate (15–17 years), performance (17+ years)Equipment: flat markersTime: 20 mins

CB

A

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CB

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CB

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Coach Coach feed Ball direction Spot markers Buckets

Player Thrower/Catcher Player movement Drop down lines HoopsKey

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My Coach - October 2010 issue

Documents

components of development

stage of development

player development map

game of tennis

long term player development

area of development

australian tennis magazine

tennisspecific components