TENNIS PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Tennis Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Tennis Programme.
This programme not only celebrates your accomplishments in tennis but also recognises the incredible potential you have for future success. As tennis at LWC continues to thrive, you will play a vital role in its growth. We are excited to support you every step of the way as you grow and excel as an athlete
This two-year programme is designed to map your journey toward tennis excellence:
• Refine your technical, physical, tactical and mental skills specific to tennis.
• Nurture a lifelong passion for the sport.
• Prepare you for competitive play at local, regional, and national levels, while exploring potential career opportunities within tennis and related fields.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in tennis matches and other sports.
• Mentor and coach younger pupils in tennis.
• Engage fully with your tennis mentor.
• Participate in the annual tennis tour and training camps at leading facilities.
• Help raise the profile of tennis within LWC and the broader community.
Programme Overview
This specialised programme is designed to offer elite tennis training while ensuring a balanced approach to academic and extracurricular commitments. It focuses on developing every aspect of your game—from refining technical skills and enhancing physical fitness to building mental resilience, tactical awareness, and competitive readiness. Through a comprehensive approach, the programme aims to equip you for success on the court and a well-rounded athletic and academic experience.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Develop core skills: groundstrokes serves and volleys with a focus on shot placement and consistency. Incorporate video analysis in training and match play to review and optimise techniques.
2. Physical Fitness
Build agility, speed, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance specific to tennis. Emphasise recovery and injury prevention strategies.
3. Mental Skills
Build confidence, enhance focus, and strengthen resilience under pressure. Incorporate mental techniques like visualisation and breathing exercises to
improve performance.
4. Tactical Skills
Improve match-play strategies, including shot selection and court positioning.
Analyse opponent patterns and adapt strategies based on the opponent. Examine match scenarios to improve decision-making skills.
5. Competition Preparation
Tailor training to optimise peak performance for tournaments. Replicate match conditions during practice sessions.
Analyse performance metrics after each match to identify areas for targeted improvement.
6. Academic Balance
Balance tennis commitments with academic and other extracurricular priorities.
Work with your mentor to develop effective time management strategies.
7. Leadership Guide and mentor younger players (Years 7-9) to help develop their skills. Serve as a representative of LWC tennis at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore pathways in professional tennis, coaching, sports science, or management with support from LWC and our connections.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Stroke Development
Improve the accuracy of the serve, topspin, slice, and strengthen groundstroke consistency.
• Match Play Practice
Practice under competitive scenarios, to enhance technical performance.
• Video Analysis
Review match footage to identify technical improvements and make key strategic adjustments.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength and Power
2-3 sessions per week focusing on core stability, explosive movements, and rotational strength.
Key exercises: Medicine ball throws, lunges, plyometrics, and resistance band drills.
• Speed and Agility
Incorporate ladder drills, court sprints, change of direction exercises and reaction training.
• Endurance and Flexibility
Include on-court conditioning drills, long rallies, cardiovascular exercises and dynamic stretches.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Practice pre-match routines, goal setting, and focus exercises.
Set short and long-term goals for tennis performance and journey.
• Logbook
Track performance, mental state, and match reflections.
4. Tactical Awareness and Preparation
• Match Strategy
Develop plans and strategies for specific opponents, focusing on exploiting weaknesses.
• Match Simulation
Practice match conditions, including tie-break scenarios and pressure points.
• Post-Match Review
Evaluate performance with coaches to refine tactics and identify growth areas.
5. Academic Integration
• Plan training schedules around academic deadlines. Use educational resources to manage training, fitness, competitions and revision sessions.
• Prioritise rest and recovery during busy periods.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season (November - February)
Goals: Build physical fitness, refine technical skills, and set season goals.
Weekly Breakdown
1. Physical Conditioning (2x /week): Focus on endurance, agility, strength, and flexibility. Include drills like sprints, agility ladder work, and resistance training.
2. Technical Training (3x /week): Groundstrokes, volleys, serves, and returns.
Incorporate match simulations and situational play.
3. Tactical Development (1x/week): Develop strategies for singles and doubles. Analyse game footage of self and top players.
4. Mental Training (1x/week): Goal setting and visualisation exercises. Work on focus and handling match pressure.
5. Recovery (1x/week): Include yoga, stretching, or light swimming. Emphasise nutrition and hydration.
Competition Season (March- October) Goals: Peak performance during matches, maintain fitness, and manage academic balance.
1. Match Play (2x/week): School matches, tournaments, and league fixtures.
2. Technical/Tactical Training (3x /week): Short, high-intensity sessions focusing on specific match-related skills.
3. Physical Conditioning (2x/week): Maintenance sessions for strength, agility, and injury prevention.
4. Recovery (2x/week): Stretching, and sports massage from LWC sports therapist.
5. Mental Training (1x/week): Focus on post-match analysis, resilience, and goal adjustments.
Post-Season (October-December)
Goals: Recovery, reflection, and light training.
Activities
1. Rest: Yoga and recovery exercises
2. Light Training (1 x week): Focus on enjoyable, low-intensity sessions. Play other sports to improve overall athleticism.
3. Reflecting (1x week): Reflect on performance during the season.
Meet with coaches to discuss strengths, areas for improvement, and goals for the next season.
Evaluation and Tracking
• Monthly Assessments: Monitor stroke mechanics, fitness levels, and mental focus. Use of VEO
• Competition Metrics: Track win percentages, unforced errors, serve accuracy, and rally statistics.
• Feedback: Regular reviews with your tennis coach, strength and conditioning trainer, and mentor.
Example Weekly Schedule
Day
Monday Aspire tennis training with other A team tennis players 1 hour
Tuesday Individual lesson with mentor to focus on personal goals. 30 minutes
Wednesday Morning gym session led by sport therapist 1 hour Training drills/ match play situations/ technique exercises 2 hours Cup/league/ national fixtures and tournaments
Thursday Access to sports therapist to support injury management and recovery plans. A Team training- drills/ technique analysis/ video analysis
Friday Light exercise training- cardiovascular training/ agility/ balance and flexibility 1 hour
Saturday Access to sport therapist for pre-match treatment 1 hour Match/ tournament day
Sunday Recovery day OR
Club, county or regional matches and tournaments
This programme is designed to ensure your growth as a tennis player while maintaining balance with your academics and other responsibilities, setting you up for long-term success in the sport.
