The following post is an excerpt from Championship Tennis. For more information: The Tennis Parents’ Bible.

The first step in strategizing is being able to identify the four styles of play, aggressive baseliner, retriever, net-rusher or finesse player.   A player can practice spotting these styles by visiting the courts and taking the time to observe every player there. While observing, the player should mentally categorize those players into their preferred approach to the game.

When performing this exercise, I often ask students questions such as, “OK Kelly, what did you notice about Zoe over on court6?” This training exercise helps players begin to learn the process of opponent classification.

Opponent match-ups are fascinating. How can Michael easily beat Steve, but Steve handles Mark, yet Mark whip Michael? Like the childhood game of rock-paper-scissors, a particular style of play in tennis often matches up more favorably against a specific opposing style.

• Just as rock is beaten by paper, an aggressive baseliner’s nemesis is the steady retriever.

• Just as paper is destroyed by scissors, a steady retriever is overwhelmed by a solid net-rusher.

• Just as scissors is defeated by rock, a net-rusher is often conquered by the aggressive baseliner.

A player who wins the first set handily should be on the lookout for a probable shift in the opponent’s style of play. If the opponent is well schooled, she will likely go to plan B. The best players are comfortable with the strategies and tactics needed to dismantle any of the four common opponents. Establishing a basic protocol for each style in order to deprive opponents of their favorite weapons assists greatly in the physical, mental, and emotional battle.

The following post is an excerpt from my book, Championship Tennis.  Thank you for visiting, Frank

Unfortunately, tennis is full of stock teaching methodology that should be banished—well-intentioned, catchy phrases that have become dated or, worse yet, were never even correct to begin with. Here are a few of the bigger culprits concerning groundstrokes. Roll over the ball for topspin. This is a favorite among TV commentators. Sadly, countless teaching pros are still using this phrase, too. Players try to time the racket roll at contact, resulting in shots that spray all over the court.

Groundstrokes

Here are the facts: Depending on the type of shot, the ball is on the strings for about 2 to 4 milliseconds. It takes another 150 to 200 milliseconds for an electrical signal to travel from a player’s hand back to the brain. The brain then sends a new motor program back to the muscle group to begin the wrist roll. This takes an additional 150 to 200 milliseconds, by which time the ball is now 8 to 10 feet off the racket face toward the opponent’s side of the court. In other words, it’s impossible to roll over the ball for topspin. The spin comes from the brushing motion of a low-to-high swing path.

Watch the ball hit the strings

As mentioned earlier, the human eye cannot register a two-millisecond event. No one has ever seen a ball hit the strings. It’s simply a blur. Keeping the head down and still through contact is the best recipe for a steady racket path through the strike zone. Watch film of the best baseliners, and it’s easy to see how quiet they keep their head during their groundstrokes.

Skim the net

 On television, it appears that professionals barely clear the net on their groundstrokes. This is rarely the case. The deception occurs because the television cameras at pro tour events are often placed high in the stadium. This angle offers a clear view of match play, but it distorts the trajectory of the ball flight.

In actuality, players use a variety of heights, generally dictated by their court positioning. This is often the result of managing the time between hits. When players are on the defensive, they generally hit higher to buy more time for recovery. Conversely, they move forward and hit harder and lower to take time away from a vulnerable opponent. At the club level, a ball that barely clears the net lands midcourt and bounces perfectly into an opponent’s primary strike zone; this is not recommended unless losing is the main objective. The net skimmer only becomes a smart choice when the opponent is transitioning to or established at the net and a passing shot is in order, or when an opponent is well behind the baseline and the player wants to bring her in, specifically if the opponent is weak at the net.

Stay down on groundstrokes

 A player’s center of gravity plays an important role in generating power and depth on groundstrokes. Three critical elements lift up on world-class strokes: the knees, the backside, and the racket face. Even on slice backhands, all three critical elements rise at completion of the stroke. If not, the resulting shot will lack pace and penetration. Players who prematurely lift their head before contact do indeed need to “keep their head down” through the shot. But it’s a fallacy to apply the principle to the entire body.

Keep your eye on the ball

This is correct . . . half the time. Vision control plays various functions over the course of a point that are critical for consistent ball striking and court coverage. Narrow vision is applied on an incoming ball: watching it leave the opponent’s racket, cross the net, and bounce up and into the strike zone. In this regard, a player should absolutely be keeping an eye on the ball.

Broad vision, on the other hand, is used to spot the dozens of visual clues after the ball leaves the racket toward the opponent’s side of the court. Such clues include an opponent’s court position, body language, strike zones, swing speed, and swing length. Broad vision is a crucial component of anticipatory speed. The best movers know how to assimilate the information from their broad vision and instinctively adjust their positioning accordingly.

The following is an excerpt from CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS and The Tennis Parent’s Bible. The right coach can save you emotional, mental and physical conflict.

Here are some tips to consider when selecting a coach:

• Realize that only a handful of coaches actually teach the top players.

What should be of interest is not whom the coach says he has coached, but whom

the coach has trained under.

• Look for coaches who love what they do. This kind of attitude is contagious.

Players can’t help but be further drawn into the sport when they train with

coaches who are passionate.

• Seek out pros who are so busy that they don’t need more business. As

the old saying goes, there’s safety in numbers. These coaches must be doing

something right if their court time is continually booked.

• Remember that being a master coach is a learned experience. Just as it

takes thousands of hours of practice for athletes to hone their skills, the same is

true for teachers.

• Seek out a pro who understands genetic predisposition. A one-size-fitsall

approach should be unacceptable. A coach has to embrace the unique brain

and body type of each individual in order to customize the lessons.

• Contact tournament directors in your area. These people know which

coaches are producing champions. Contacting these people is an important

step for players who have the goal of winning tournaments and achieving a

high ranking.

• Observe the coach. Ask coaches if you can see them in action. This provides

a much better way to understand their style. A player could also pay coaches to

watch and chart one of his matches and then devise a game plan for improvement.

This helps the player evaluate how much knowledge the coaches have

and their eye for the game, as well as determine if the player’s and coaches’

developmental plans match.

• Realize that being a great player doesn’t always translate into being

a great coach. Just because someone enjoyed success as a player at a top college,

in the challenger circuit, or even on the pro tours doesn’t mean that the

person knows how to coach. Some of the game’s most accomplished coaches

were marginal players.

• Avoid coaches who discourage working with other coaches, hitters, or

trainers. This shows a lack of confidence and a lack of interest in the growth of

their students. Coaches should encourage independent, not dependent, thinking

from their students.

The following excerpt is from my new book Championship Tennis. For more information see The Tennis Parent’s Bible and/or Championship
Tennis. Please read on…Frank

Although equipment and improved technique can help increase the power of strokes, the greatest gains are brought about by physical
improvements.  Resistance training is an excellent training method for tennis players because the sport of tennis forces players to control their body through space, just as an athlete would during competition. This is not to say that free weights such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells have no value. Far from it.- they are great for building strong muscles and developing power.

Tennis players need their fitness to mirror what they need on the court (once again, practicing in the manner in which they are expected
to perform). For this reason, the most practical and valuable tool for developing massive power for tennis-specific movements is the weighted medicine ball. Medicine ball exercises work the five regions necessary for massive power: the core, legs, chest, arms, and shoulders.

Special Note: Indian Well Tennis Garden in California has a large grassy area near the tennis courts that the professional use to off-court
train while playing the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open.  The public can watch the pros off court training with their coaches- It is a great learning tool for your player to watch the players train on the lawn- you will see the Pros perform medicine ball and resistance band drills as wellas  speed and agility exercises on the lawn.

Be sure your player includes the medicine ball inn their tennis development.  Your player has an off court training regime- right? Fitness is key to a successful tennis career!

Frank

See ChampionshipTennis for tennis specific medicine ball workouts.

SCENARIO ONE:

Molly is a strong starter. She routinely performs her
aggressive baseline style of play as she opens the set with a 4-1 lead. Once a
lead is established, the trouble sinks in. Molly gains the lead by keeping her
foot firmly on the gas pedal with a “play to win” attitude. As she
begins to see the finish line, she takes her foot off the gas and unknowingly
slips into a “play not to lose” mentality. Her amazing ground strokes
dramatically change from 80 mph with extreme depth to 50 mph, sitting up in the
center of the court.

Her thoughts race from “Ok, you got the lead.
Now just don’t give it back.” to “The last 5 times you had a 4-1 lead
you choked ….So be safe and don’t choke another one away.” Molly
unknowingly gets tight, begins to push and once again, blows the lead and hands
the seed the match.

SOLUTION ONE:

The system of “playing to win” with
Molly’s foot heavy on the gas was working brilliantly. She was winning 65% of
the points and controlling the match. Taking her foot off the gas to be safe
actually changed the exact winning style that earned her the lead. The answer
for Molly is learning not to be afraid to lose with her A game plan. If her A
game plan is winning 2 out 3 points- it is a winner! Playing to win for the
entire match would earn Molly approximately 80% of her sets. But she doesn’t.

Why? Because Molly doesn’t yet trust her attacking
style of play.

She repeats her reoccurring nightmare – which is
switching to playing it safe after gaining a lead. With this mentality, she is
earning a 30% winning record. Molly has to have the guts to play to win.  So why does she play so safe? In the lower
levels of the game, Molly could push her way to victory as the under developed
opponents simply self destructed.

However, at the higher levels of the game, top
seeds have not earned their high ranking by choking against a lesser player.
Molly needs to believe in her game and play to win – essentially wrestle the
trophy away from the top seed. It would serve Molly well to “over
cook” under stress versus “under cook” her shots.

Molly should play 6 sets and rehearse over cooking
in the later stages of each set.

Nature versus nurture is one of the oldest debates in sports: Are great athletes born or

made? Are innate physical qualities—size, speed, and coordination—more important

than learned behaviors? It would be foolish to boil it down to an either–or conclusion.

Plenty of evidence supports the belief that both factors play an integral part in an athlete’s

development. The influence of either factor generally depends on the athlete. From

this perspective, every player’s profile is unique. To maximize the player’s potential,

the player and coach must understand the player’s genetic predisposition along with

personal life experiences.

Once players are fully attuned to their personality, body type, and athletic foundation,

they can more effectively adapt their playing style. Having an innate stylistic preference

leads to numerous advantages.

Playing Styles Include:

• The knowledge to hire coaches and trainers who possess personalities best suited

to accelerate her learning curve;

• The confidence that comes with knowing exactly how she performs best;

• The ability to lure opponents out of their preferred style and force them to play

out of their comfort zones;

• Is able to impose her best style, strategies, and tactics on the most important points;

• Improves her ability to reach the goal of mastering a minimum of three playing

styles—called A, B, and C game plans—which adds depth and variation to the

player’s game; and

• Can select a stylistically complementary doubles partner to help form a winning

team.

Though there are subtle variations, six basic playing styles are seen in tennis. Let’s

review each of these styles and how the styles match with a player’s personality.

1. Net-Rusher
2. All-Court Player
3. Baseline Counterpuncher
4. Aggressive Baseliner
5. Retriever
6. Finesse Player

Accelerate your child’s tennis game by identifying their playing style (which is based on their preferred learning preference.)

For  more information of player see CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS  and/or The Tennis Parent’s Bible. 

Thank you for visiting, Frank

Tournament play is a terrific way to document your player’s strengths and weaknesses. The best way to improve is to strengthen strengths and eliminate weaknesses. Lack of knowledge of match play strengths and weaknesses is a huge wasting time, money and emotion.  Be pro-active and chart your player’s matches or hire your coach to chart the match.

Event:

Date:

Opponent:             

Ranking:

Conditions:                

Match Time:

Pre-Match Preparation:

For each of the above Pre-Match Preparation details, identify the degree of accomplishment.  Such as Didn’t Bother, Gave a Little Effort or Gave 100% Effort;

• 30 Minute Warm Up
• Proper Nutrition/Hydration     
• Stretching
• 20 Minute Visualization          
• Equipment Preparation           
• Scouting (Live or Internet)  
• Short Run Before Check In    

Pre-Match Performance Goals:

Match Score:

Parent/Coach Assistance:

1. Did they video the match for video analysis? Yes/No
2. Did they chart the match? Yes/No
3. Which type of chart was used?
4. Did they de-stress or add stress to the day?
   

Post Match Analysis:
Personally grade your satisfaction of your performance in the following 20 areas:
(Worst rated 1 through the best rated 10)

1.  Attitude
2. Effort/Fight
3. Calmness
4. Stroke mechanics
5. Shot Selection
6. Focus Control
7. Reading Notes (if Losing)
8. Use of patterns
9. Applying Offense, Neutral, Defense Properly
10. Limiting unforced Errors
11. Spotting Mega Points
12. Attaining Performance Goals
13. Enjoying the Battle
14. Spotting Tendencies (Yours and Theirs)
15. Self-Charting
16. Between Point Rituals
17. Mistake Management
18. Anger Management
19. Focusing on the Here and Now
20. Relaxing Under Stress

Dissecting the Opponent: (List your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and tendencies.)

1. Strokes
2. Patterns
3. Style of Play
4. Emotions/Fitness

My Top 3 Areas to Improve:

Post Match Performance (Your Perception):

(These Post match Rituals should be completed, especially if you just won and you are still in the event.)

1. Scouting Next Opponent
2. Proper Nutrition and Hydration
3. Stretching
4. Attend to Injury (ice, heat etc.)
5. Hit my Performance Goals

Additional Match Notes:

Thank you for visiting.  For more information on improving your child’stennis game The Tennis Parent’s Bible or Championship Tennis.  Thanks, Frank Giampaolo  FGSA@earthlink.net

My son says I’m negative. How do I push him nicely?

Frequently, parents get fixated on what our junior “world beater” is doing wrong, what they need to change, need to learn or need to improve! Because we are so focused on our child’s success, we often become preoccupied with only seeing their faults.

Focus on putting a positive spin in your approach as you gently guide your child through the “wars” of junior tennis.
Here are three ways you can apply your positive influence:

1. Say 5 Positive comments for every  Negative comment
The fact is many youngsters only hear their parent’s negative comments and ignore positive comments. It is important to acknowledge your child’s efforts to improve.
SPECIAL NOTE: Here’s an eye opening or I should say “ear” opening trick. Place a recorder in your pocket.
Record a few training sessions and self chart your positive to negative remarks!

2. Celebrate the Positive: Reinforce what you want to see more!
The following is an example of this rule. Your son’s ball toss is still too high on his serve. Instead of saying “Come on Mike…You are still tossing too high…How many stinking times do I have to tell you!” say “Hey, this is great, your toss is a lot lower. I knew you could make this easy change! Keep working and you will see your consistency really grow!”The positive approach actually gets results as you keep your relationship from getting negative and jaded.

3. Teach Gratitude: A more positive attitude will lead to more positive behavior.
Assist your child in focusing on the good things about their life. Problems and difficulties will always be present. It is very important for your child to feel grateful about their life opportunities.

FUN FACT: There is a world of difference between “I have to play tennis today” and “I get to play tennis today.” By showing gratitude, both of you will be calmer, happier and more appreciative of each other and others will want to be around you because of your positive attitudes.

To summarize, replace criticisms with a more positive approach. Hard work doesn’t have to be a painful, drudgery. Yes, tennis is hard. Yes, it is a “dog-eat-dog world”, but it doesn’t have to be negative.

Thank you for visiting, Frank

CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS is now available!  Here is a peek at the Table of Contents. Thanks for visiting, Frank 

Part I Athlete Assessment .

Chapter 1 Player Profiles

Chapter 2 Stroke and Tactical Evaluations .

Chapter 3 Physical Fitness and

Emotional Stability Evaluations .

Part II Skill Development . . .

Chapter 4 Groundstrokes .

Chapter 5 Volleys .

Chapter 6 Serves

Chapter 7 Returns of Serve .

Chapter 8 Specialty Shots

Part III The Mental Factor

Chapter 9 Tactical and Strategic Execution .

Chapter 10 Environmental Intangibles

Part IV Emotional, Physical, and Mental

Preparation .

Chapter 11 Emotional Factors .

Chapter 12 Movement and Fitness Factors .

Part V Practice and Planning

Chapter 13 Organization and Scheduling

Chapter 14 Match Preparation

Chapter 15 Video Analysis and Match Charting

Terrific children, wonderful adults and tennis champions aren’t born, they are developed. It’s not simply heredity. It is an organized plan. No one becomes extraordinary on their own. The Williams sisters are an actual example of a parent with a plan!  The story goes; Richard Williams planned to have more children for the sole purpose of developing them into professional tennis players. Wayne Bryan also had a plan with his twin boys, the Bryan brothers.  Without an actual plan, you’ll never know your child’s true capability.   

Preparing an organizational blue print will save you thousands of dollars annually. It will also save your child thousands of wasted, unproductive hours, sweat and tears.  Applying this book’s comprehensive guide will assist you, the tennis parent, in having a world class plan! 

Your child is born with a unique genetic predisposition. Your child is pre-wired with a specific brain and body type. Consider it carefully as you and your coaches (your team) nurture your child’s talent. This is an important consideration at all levels of the game.

So, what’s the key to maximizing success in the shortest period of time? Is it purchase the latest equipment? Maybe it’s hiring a great local pro?  What if I said neither? The first and most important tool you will ever apply is discovering your child’s personality and brain design.

Old school tennis teaching looks a lot like this. The local pro Jose Gonzales came to the United States from Chile. He was a terrific collegiate player earning a full scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth. Jose even played a few ATP pro challenger events. He found success by being extremely patient. He had a natural gift with his quick feet and he enjoyed running. He took delight in being a steady counter puncher. Jose’s shot tolerance was a 20-ball rally!  As a teaching professional, he demands that each of his students abide by his playing style, disciplines and logic.

Your thinking, boy that guy sounds pretty experienced, let’s hire him as our child’s coach! So, is this the right mentor for your child? 

The answer is, not likely.  Why? Because Jose demands that each student plays his style. The style of tennis that your child needs in order to thrive is based on his or hers own unique design. AKA: brain and body type.

Asking your child to play tennis in a style that opposes their skill sets, beliefs and temperament is a recipe for disaster. This is especially true at the beginning levels of player development. One of the quickest ways to ensure that your child will quit the sport is to demand that they play a style that opposes their brain and body type.

Understanding brain and body types is one of the first steps to becoming a world class parent. For more information see The Championship Tennis- available soon in print and as an eBook!  Thank you for visiting, Frank