Mythbusters Not All Coaching Advice is Based on Facts, But You Should Certainly Believe In Your Coach ... Part Four By Ricky Becker
present to you the final part of my four part series on tennis coaching topics that there is not necessarily a right or a wrong. There are many tennis strategies, techniques and theories that are debatable, presented as fact by coaches but are in fact opinion. While good coaches feel strong in their convictions, there are many instances where topplayers have taken different paths on a myriad of topics. In previous issues of Long Island Tennis Magazine, I discussed: 1. Should the net player look back in doubles? 2. When should a junior player learn a continental serve? 3. Is it better to play Orange Ball USTA tournaments, or wait until the age you are allowed to play full-court tournaments? 4. When to teach open stance forehands? 5. The importance of confidence vs. technique on volleys. 6. Is it better to slide the back foot up (pinpoint), or keep it back (platform) on the serve? 7. What side should a lefty/righty team return from in doubles? 8. How important is it to play “up” in tournaments and/or practice?
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9. What’s the best forehand grip to teach at a young age? My opinions are: 1. Yes. 2. Once the player can get 75 percent of their serves in with their natural grip. 3. Play Orange Ball. 4. After understanding weight transfer in a closed stance position. 5. Physically and comfort is as important as technique on the volley to a large extent. 6. Whatever the student is more comfortable with, but present both. 7. In high-performance level, the lefty should play ad-side, and at the club level, the lefty should play deuce side. 8. Not as much as people think. 9. The child’s dedication and athleticism play a part in the decision. These are not facts though and no level of confidence by any coach makes them so. Below are three more items that I have heard coaches differ on and have seen great players do
Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2022 • LITennisMag.com
differently. While I will give my personal opinion and communicate how strongly I feel about it, I realize there are other good coaches out there who believe differently (and the same) as I do. Balance of Building Technique vs. Athleticism at a Young Age Of course both technique and athleticism are important, however, I do think building athleticism is extremely overlooked at a young age. I even admit, I am sometimes afraid to work on athleticism instead of technique at times because I don’t want to give the impression that I am not teaching my student tennis. The fact is there are some non-negotiables to teaching strokes and there are a lot of stylistic differences in successful shots. Andy Roddick started his unorthodox service motion when he was 14-years-old by showing his coach that by pretty much throwing the ball up and whacking it with a short motion he could generate a ton of power. That change did Andy very well in life, but on paper, it’s not good technique. While technique
