Mythbusters Not All Coaching Advice is Based on Facts, But You Should Certainly Believe In Your Coach ... Part Two By Ricky Becker
T
here’s a saying in coaching that even the best coaches don’t invent anything new. Coaches take the experience of what they have heard, seen and played against, and form their own coaching preferences based on what they think is best. There are many coaching opinions that are just that: opinions. While good coaches feel strong in their convictions, there are many instances where top players have taken different paths on a myriad of topics. In the last issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine, I discussed: 1. Should the net player look back in doubles? 2. When should junior players start to learn a continental serve? 3. Is it better to play Orange Ball USTA tournaments, or wait until the age you are allowed to play fullcourt tournaments? 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 These are not facts though, and no level of confidence by any
70
coach makes them so. Below are three more items that I have heard coaches differ on and have seen great players do 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 think differently than I do on some of these issues. Additionally, many, if not all, the answers to the below topics depend on the student. In future articles I will address more of these “debatable topics.” As hard as it is, to admit…they are debatable.
get lazy on the open stance with spacing and not placing as much importance on the proper height to take a shot because it is easier to “wing it” in open stance. In my experience, I have found that students who learn open stance first have a harder time getting competency in closed stance rather than vice-versa. With that said, if the coach/player knows that the junior player will be using a western grip and intends on being a running, counter-puncher then I am ok with open stance first since almost all shots will be hit with that grip down the road.
When to learn open stance This probably depends on the child’s grip and focus but I would say as a rule of thumb it is better to teach closed stance first. Transferring weight forward into shots is certainly an important component to understand early and this is easier to understand right off the bat in closed stance. It is also a bit more precise as far as spacing, will require better footwork downthe-road and helps students understand the importance of rotating the shoulders. It is easier to
How much technique is important for the volley, and how much is just confidence? I’m not saying technique on the volley is unimportant, and hand-eye coordination/athleticism probably is the most important, but what I truly believe is that attitude, confidence and enjoyment of being at the net is the most important. At the club level, I have seen countless times where the non-tennis playing spouses dominate net play against their lesson-playing, proper-form volleying wives. Meanwhile, the husbands cannot
Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2021 • LITennisMag.com
