| I recently received an email from a 4.5 tennis player in | | | | match tough. They know how to break down an |
| the USA who proposed the following question: I could | | | | opponents' game. They know how to create a game |
| use some help with a plan to get better. I am a 4.5 | | | | plan that will be successful. They have that ability to |
| rated player in the USA and would like to be a 5.5. For | | | | win the big points. |
| some reason, I can't find a tennis coach that will help | | | | So what you need to do is analyse your own game |
| with an overall plan; they just want to work on strokes. | | | | plan. Do you have one when you step on the court? |
| Any ideas? | | | | Do you have the ability to stick with a winning game |
| After coaching tennis at a big country club in Texas | | | | plan but also change a losing one? This is where you |
| for over five years I often faced the same question | | | | can ask your coach to work with you. Spend a whole |
| from our tournament players who felt as if they had | | | | lesson playing points and have your coach talk to you |
| plateaued and that by just getting out on the court and | | | | about how you construct your points. No stroke |
| working on their strokes was just not taking them to | | | | technique just a "Match Play" lesson. This will give you |
| the next level. As a tennis coach you need to be | | | | a perspective from an opposing player of what they |
| flexible and be able to analyse each player and create | | | | see in your game. |
| a plan for their own specific and individual needs. This | | | | General: |
| means taking into account all of the factors or | | | | Technique: Make sure that you have correct technique |
| variables that make a great player. | | | | on all of your shots. If you have a visible weakness |
| The professional tennis players cover all areas and | | | | then you can count on your opponent exploiting this |
| there is no reason why you can't incorporate some of | | | | shot. |
| their training plans with a club level player. As you will | | | | Matches! Matches! Matches! I can't stress enough how |
| see below I discuss and cover some specific areas | | | | important it is to play matches. You cannot simply |
| from physical, psychological, tactical and so on which | | | | practice or just do lessons and then expect to |
| are often neglected by a coach who only sees their | | | | perform when in a competitive situation. You need to |
| role as working on strokes. | | | | play more matches and as a direct result you will |
| So for our 4.5 player I would talk to him about focusing | | | | become more match tough, more experienced in |
| on some of the following areas that will help him to get | | | | dealing with different players and will also be able to |
| to that next level without working on just strokes. | | | | see what areas you need to improve on when in a |
| Psychological: | | | | match. You could even have a friend use match |
| Game Plan: Work on your game plan. That is; have | | | | evaluation forms to scout your match and then |
| you scouted your next opponent? Do you have your | | | | afterwards you can see what areas exactly you |
| own game plan ready so that you can control the | | | | need to work on. Remember: be a match play and not |
| match how you want to play it? Do you have a | | | | just a practice player! |
| back-up plan in case your first plan is not working? | | | | When I coached competitive ladies teams, I tried to |
| Concentration: Telling yourself to concentrate harder | | | | build a lot of my drills based around "live ball" or "match |
| will not work. However, if you can put into place | | | | like" drills rather than just feeding drills. The more point |
| pre-game, in-game and post-game routines then you | | | | based drills you do the more comfortable you will be in |
| will be able to remain more focused on the task at | | | | a real match as these drills simulate match play that |
| hand. In between points allow you mind to relax and | | | | includes the unpredictability rather than the predictable |
| bring back your focus when you step up to the line to | | | | ball fed by a coach. |
| serve or return. The human mind cannot focus | | | | Practice Partners: Train with players better than you! If |
| continuously so it is pointless to try and do so. | | | | you are a 4.5 - are you always playing with 4.5 |
| Scout Your Opponent: If you are in a tournament then | | | | players? If so and you want to get to a 5.5 then go |
| go and have a look at your next opponent. Analyse | | | | out and play with those better players who will help to |
| and look at how they play, what is their favourite shot, | | | | raise the level of your game. If your practice partner is |
| what are their weaknesses, do they struggle on the | | | | not pushing you hard enough then find a new one. Join |
| big points, do they always go for their favourite shot | | | | a drill session that has these better players. You will |
| on a big point, do they have a big shot and so on. | | | | soon be forced to raise the level of your game in |
| Once you have this information then go away and | | | | order to compete with these guys. |
| create a game plan to beat this player. | | | | Many clubs have a Saturday morning group training |
| Routines: Have a routine for in-between points that will | | | | session for men. You could ask your club coach what |
| help you maintain control and composure when either | | | | other drill sessions you could join. |
| winning or losing. Once again this allows you to have | | | | Variety: If you practice with the same players all the |
| control over how the game is played. | | | | time then you will become one dimensional and |
| Goal Setting: I know, you have all heard this before but | | | | become accustomed to their game styles. |
| I cannot stress enough that as soon as you write | | | | Unfortunately, when you are in a tournament and face |
| down some realistic goals on paper you will | | | | a totally different game style you will not know how to |
| immediately feel that you have direction and something | | | | play them. So, get out there and play as many |
| to train for. It is a great feeling when you achieve a | | | | different players as you can. Some the same level as |
| goal and can move on to the next one. | | | | you and some better at the 5.5 level. |
| Physical: | | | | Consistency: Way too often matches are lost by the |
| Footwork: One of the most common problems I faced | | | | player making too many simple and unforced errors. |
| with club level players was that they had poor | | | | First become a strong consistent player and then work |
| footwork which led to poor execution on their shots. | | | | on the big shots. If you continuously beat yourself with |
| Many coaches spend hours and hours trying to teach | | | | simple errors how do you ever expect to win? Force |
| a player the correct stroke technique when a lot of | | | | your opponent to beat you. Reduce your errors by |
| the time the real issue is that they don't set up properly | | | | making having shot selection. |
| for the shot and then as a result being out of position | | | | Big Shot: once you have developed consistency then |
| causes the player to use bad technique. Incorporate | | | | you may just need a "big shot" to beat those 5.5 |
| some of the tennis specific footwork drills that we | | | | players. Ideally work on a big serve or a big forehand. |
| have provided in our eBooks. | | | | Even developing a great kick serve can be used as a |
| Strength: Maybe you are lacking the physical strength | | | | weapon. A big shot will intimidate your opponent. |
| to gain those few extra miles on your serve. One way | | | | Drills: When training use more live ball or match play |
| to add more power to your serve without just hitting | | | | drills. Set specific goals for each session and then use |
| serves for hours on end is to hit the gym! Have an | | | | our GSC drills to build on your strengths and also |
| experienced gym trainer develop a weight training | | | | improve on those weaker areas. There are hundreds |
| program to increase your strength and watch your | | | | of new drills in our eBooks or on our site so use them! |
| serve become faster and more of a weapon! | | | | If your coach just wants to feed all of the time then |
| Speed: Maybe you are not fast enough on the court. | | | | you will not be reaching your full potential. Choose drills |
| Being too slow will negatively impact your strokes. You | | | | that are based on point play and simulating match play. |
| may not recover fast enough after being out of | | | | The transition into real matches will be much easier for |
| position, maybe you don't get to the ball in time and as | | | | you. |
| a result do not properly execute the shot. Speed is a | | | | Summary: |
| weapon! Just ask Lleyton Hewitt or Rafael Nadal and | | | | Improve on the following areas: |
| you will soon see how speed is used to their | | | | Game plans |
| advantage. | | | | Routines |
| Flexibility: This is often a neglected area. Besides the | | | | Improve on the "mental aspect" of the game |
| known benefits of preventing injuries there are many | | | | Concentration |
| direct benefits to improving on-court performance. One | | | | Goal setting |
| of my friends, Mark Wellington, trained Maria | | | | Play more matches |
| Sharapova for a couple of years and he always | | | | Improve shot technique |
| mentioned how he placed great emphasis on flexibility | | | | Play against various players |
| and teaching Maria how to move on the court. Having | | | | Improve your speed, strength, flexibility, reflexes and |
| greater flexibility will help you to recover after each | | | | footwork |
| shot and get back in position more quickly for the next | | | | Improve consistency |
| shot. | | | | Develop a big shot |
| Endurance: Tennis is often described as an | | | | Join an extra league for more match practice |
| "Anaerobic" sport due to the nature of reasonably | | | | Add more shots to you game (eg. slice backhand, kick |
| short points. However, you need to train your aerobic | | | | serve or drop shot) |
| system so that you can sustain a high level of play | | | | Scout future opponents to get a jump on them |
| right up until the end. Often a player may be losing | | | | Play with better players than you to help raise your |
| matches simply because they fade away. All of those | | | | level |
| hours working on strokes won't help you if you run out | | | | Find a great practice partner with similar goals to you |
| of gas! | | | | The beauty about the game of tennis is that there is |
| Reflexes: By improving your reflexes you can become | | | | always something to work on. The hard part is to |
| more competent at the net as well as improving other | | | | know when you are wasting your time on the wrong |
| areas of your game such as the return of serve. | | | | things. Are you a match player or a practice player? |
| Many players just do not react quickly enough to a | | | | Quite simply, conduct a review of your entire game |
| fast serve. As a result they make errors on the return | | | | and then analyse each area. When I worked with elite |
| of serve or just don't get the ball back into play. | | | | athletes as an Exercise Physiologist I would have to |
| Tactical: Have you ever played against someone who | | | | conduct what we called a "Needs Analysis" which |
| was more technically "inferior" to you in the sense that | | | | was quite simply conducting and reviewing every area |
| their strokes were not very efficient but they just | | | | involved with the athlete and their sport. Then devising |
| always had a knack of wining? We all have at some | | | | a plan to improve every aspect or variable. |
| point in out tennis careers! Some players are just | | | | |