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TennisOne Lessons 
Training a 9-Year Old: 19 Months In to It David W. Smith, Senior Editor TennisOne
Training—and the subsequent documentation—of my 9-year old daughter Kyla over the past year and a half has been revealing to many of our readers as well as generating many e-mails and general discussions. While having taught over 30 years of tennis, this was the first time I was able to, (or had the foresight to), document in real time, the improvements made by a student from the start. Many have witnessed the results of training players; seeing a junior or an adult as an advanced player. However, it is rare indeed to see the actual progressions of a student as they go through the sometimes frustrating, uncomfortable, and challenging aspects associated with learning the game of tennis. I don’t know—and don’t really worry about—how far Kyla will take her tennis. My goal, as it is with any student, is not to create a tour player but rather to give her the foundation to reach what ever level she chooses. Instead of trying to achieve some level of instant gratification, (through training players to simply get balls over the net in ways that are simple or rudimentary), my approach to teaching tennis is built on a foundation of reaching specific technical mastery and rewarding these achievements. This approach (called the Advanced Foundation), does not base success on winning or losing matches. Instead, the focus is on achieving first the understanding of stroke use and mechanics and then the execution of such strokes. Notice, I didn’t say the success of such execution because the tendency of beginners and even many intermediate players is to sacrifice technique for a perception of shot success. This is where many players actually learn to “choke,” because the fear of shot failure cause many players to tense up, to change a stroke, or worse, revert to more rudimentary or comfortable stroke patterns. Ironically, such strategic or technical changes (those associated with hitting safe or less challenging ways that they perceive they can win a point with), usually don’t result in a player winning more points. The reality is that such actions generally prohibit a player’s progression to higher levels of play and achievement. Next Phase
Understand that there are many ways to hit a tennis ball over the net. Unfortunately, most ways don’t provide for the opportunity to hit more effective shots more consistently. The reality is that many players, especially those who are “self-taught,” tend to play tennis within what I call “Gravity Reliance”…that is, they hit the majority of shots hard enough to clear the net, but not so hard that gravity can’t bring the ball down into the court. Few beginners will introduce themselves to stroke patterns that are based on the generation of spin. It is almost foreign to most individuals to hit “up” to make a ball go “down.” For most beginners, directional control is usually “linear." They start out “pushing” the ball (or dinking, bunting, slapping, or flicking balls) in the direction they want. In training my daughter Kyla, the first concept was for her to understand how spin works on a moving tennis ball and then understand how to impart spin on the ball. Her understanding of this concept was the key to understanding why we use certain techniques. From hitting a slice serve to stroking a topspin forehand to hitting under-spin on volleys, approach shots, and drop shots, Kyla was able to connect the “why” with the “how,” increasing the speed of her learning. Kyla's training has progressed to playing points and rallying using the techniques she has mastered. She is also learning to maintain focus and intent. This is the part that is based not just on her mastery of stroke and footwork patterns, but also based on her level of coordination and experience
There are two schools of thought here: do we teach footwork patterns and foot-speed before establishing strokes; or, do we establish strokes first and then apply them within various footwork-specific situations? In my experience, it is far easier to teach players to move appropriately once their stroke patterns are firmly established. Many players who learn to get to balls first find themselves unable to hit the ball with desired form or consistency. Worse yet, many such players develop poor stroke habits and that is far more difficult, (if not impossible for many), to change later to accommodate the situation. Instead of learning to move to accommodate a learned stroke, many players compromise the swing technique for the position they find themselves in. Such patterns, repeated often enough (especially if the player was “successful” in getting the ball over the net), will tend to ingrain an undesirable stroke pattern and inhibit long-term improvement. Many players and coaches reward the player for the result instead of the technique. This form of “instant gratification” is at best a short-lived sense of success. When players employ rudimentary methods, while they may indeed win points or matches at lower levels, (especially against those who are working on more advanced patterns), they create a perpetual cycle of stagnation. In many cases these players, usually years later after they have long stopped improving and, after seeing other players (those they may have beaten early on) passing them up, try over and over to learn new techniques only to find such changes frustratingly difficult—if not nearly impossible. Amount of Time Spent; What kind of Lessons With Kyla, her athleticism is certainly what I would call very “average” in terms of hand-eye coordination, footwork and movement, balance, and overall strength. In addition, tennis is not her main activity - she spends as much or more time in Karate and playing the piano.
The amount of time Kyla averages each week on tennis is about three to four hours a week. That’s it. Yet, because she is being taught an “Advanced Foundation,” she is advancing faster than many kids more athletically-inclined than her, and faster than those who play far more often. Also of note, the vast majority of her time on the court is in group lessons. While I have had a number of one-on-one lessons with her, I would say the total amount of time in the 18 months she has been playing is less than 15 hours total. This should encourage those who don’t have the financial means to have their kids take countless private lessons. These children still can achieve skilled tennis even within a minimal exposure to one-on-one opportunities. Obviously, I feel we are very productive and efficient in how we train our juniors and adults in our group lessons. I believe that in a well-run and effective group program, juniors can improve and reach very high levels of play. Ideally, some private lessons can provide clear guidance in making sure the student is developing the right techniques and not evolving bad habits or poor technique as they are learning. Granted, I was able to insure that Kyla was learning the right foundation and there was no guesswork in this. Obviously, my experience in training hundreds of state, national and/or world-ranked players helped me know what works and what doesn’t. And this one aspect, (a proper foundation), I would have to say is one of the most defining criteria as to whether or not a player will reach their true tennis potential. When players are taught within the philosophy of an “advanced foundation,” they tend to exceed any and all expectations. With more athletically gifted players, the advancement is even more rapid. However, there is no substitute for experience, and regardless of any natural abilities a player may have, there is a period of time that all players will need to connect proper techniques with actual game-situations so that the player executes the right shots at the right time without much conscious thought. This is the ultimate goal of all who seek high levels of play in anything: Letting themselves play well without having to think a great deal about their techniques is the pinnacle or ‘definition’ of advanced, accomplished, and generally skilled play.
With Kyla, I am setting her up with a practice partner of similar level and age. We have played two doubles tournaments together, one which we won and in the other, we finished second. Playing doubles with your student is probably one of the best ways to teach: since you are partners, you can discuss (during changeovers or between sets) what was good or bad about a particular shot or rally and offer strategies and advice. In regular tournaments, you can’t talk to your student until the match is over and this can be way too late in terms of addressing things while they are fresh in the student’s mind. In addition, emotions caused by winning or losing can prevent a student from actually “hearing” your advice or remembering situations in the match. Our plan is to have Kyla playing singles tournaments beginning this coming fall, 2008. What I have really enjoyed seeing is her desire to hit well in every situation she is faced with, regardless of the potential outcome. This desire will help her master the more advanced form she is implementing and eventually succeed in in competition without resorting to more remedial strokes in an attempt to “win.” Stroke Summary With Kyla, here is a summary of where she is after 19 months of playing tennis.
Conclusion For the amount of time Kyla is spending on her tennis, she is quickly mastering strokes that will allow her to play at skilled levels for a lifetime. If she decides she wants to pursue tennis more aggressively, she will have the foundation to reach more advanced levels, as well as play high school and college tennis should she decide she wants to. Right now, tennis is something she gets to do with Dad and something she feels good about since she knows she is getting good at it. It helps build her confidence. We will periodically revisit Kyla and show her progressions throughout this year. It will be interesting to many to observe this real-time progression of a typical youngster, one who is not the most gifted, nor is pushed too hard to reach high levels of tennis too soon. I hope this provides many of you with a “blueprint” to help you train your own kids or students. Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Smith's article by emailing us here at TennisOne .
COACHING MASTERY
David has taught over 3000 players including many top national and world ranked players. He can be reached at acrpres1@email.msn.com. |
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