STOP
Teaching at Resorts
Don’t misunderstand the title. It doesn’t say stop working at resorts, but says to stop teaching. Read on if you’re wondering where this is heading.
by Joe Dinoffer A PTR International Master Professional, Joe has conducted clinics and exhibitions in 50 countries, personally logging more than 30,000 hours of instruction in English, Spanish and German. He is the author of seven books and more than 20 DVDs. He writes regularly for TennisOne.com and Racquet Sports Industry magazine, and has numerous instructional tips airing on The Tennis Channel. As a member of the
Head/Penn Advisory Staff and National Speaker Bureau, Joe is a frequent speaker at tennis conferences and symposia. He is the founder and president of three companies, www.oncourtoffcourt.com, www.kidfitness101.com and www.preventchildobesity101.com, all dedicated to serving the needs of tennis, fitness and physical education coaches with innovative training aids and educational tools. (continued Page 16)
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STOP Teaching at Resorts As tennis teachers, we can mistakenly think that our primary responsibility during lessons is to teach. As strange as this may sound, focusing on teaching alone, and ignoring other considerations as relatively unimportant, can be a huge mistake, especially when working at a resort. As a young pro years ago, I taught tennis part time at a prominent hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii. One day my student was none other than Lorne Greene, who at the time was a major star with a blockbuster television series. He was about 60 years old and was an average club level player. Needless to say, I was very excited to show him what a good tennis instructor I was and proceeded to start to teach ‘Ben Cartwright’. Well, I had very little experience teaching at a resort and dealing with tourists. As it turns out, the Bonanza star was about to teach me a lesson, rather than the other way around! After a few minutes of insisting Mr. Greene try some tips that I was sure would help him improve, he resolutely stopped the lesson and reprimanded me. “Look, I am not here to take a lesson,” he scolded. “I just want to hit.”
Unmet Expectations
Whoa! Considering he was such a big celebrity, and I was not going to have a chance to impress him with a few top quick fix tricks, I was very disappointed. For the rest of the hour, I hit controlled balls down the middle. Not knowing what to say, I didn’t utter more than a few words. Yes, I admit it. I was frustrated. After all, my attitude was that I was being paid to identify bad technique and try to fix problems as quickly as possible. But the Bonanza star would have none of that and took control of the situation. Let’s analyze what happened. My mind set and the resort player’s mind set were completely different. It created a small conflict. The last thing we want at the end of a lesson is for our student to be frustrated and leave displeased. We want them to leave in a better state of mind than when they arrived, and, of course, they want that too. The sequence of emotions that leads to frustration is as follows:
Frustration
Dissatisfaction/Unhappiness
The following are some tips for teaching at a resort destination to help guarantee that your students become happy customers. Remember, these aren’t really students, they’re players on vacation.
Don’t Judge As a teacher, this can be difficult to do. Evaluate by observing players, but primarily look for the good things each player is doing and try to help them do it better. Compliment and encourage them. Help them have a great day. Remember, they are on vacation and don’t want pressure or stress.
Enjoy Off Court Chatting At a resort, players have more time than normal to sit and talk. If you’re the type of person who enjoys chatting, you’ll love working at a resort. If you aren’t, you may be perceived as aloof and disinterested. Remember, one of the benefits of tennis is making new friends. And working at a resort, you can make friends each and every week. Consider creating a contact list and emailing regular newsletters (with photos!). Your resort manager will love it, as staying in contact with the guests is good for everyone.
Create Clinic Themes To get people out on the courts, free or low cost drop in drills are commonly offered at resorts. With that in mind, here are a couple of drills and lesson topics that may help ensure your success. You want to choose something all of the players can embrace. For example, themes to avoid would include forcing seniors who chip to hit topspin, or putting pressure on them to serve-and-volley in doubles. In other words, select drills that all the players will agree are valuable. The topics below could be useful for players of practically all levels and ages.
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1. Above and Below Volley Drills • Pair players and have them hit controlled volleys back and forth with each calling “Above” or “Below” depending on their ball contact height relative to the top of the net. • Then introduce the idea of calling it out as early as possible. • Finally, have them add a forward step when they call out “Above” so they can finish the point on that shot. There are two reasons not to close in on most low balls when you’re at the net. One is that hitting a winner will be more difficult, and then the risk increases of being too close to the net and getting lobbed. The second reason is that most incoming low balls that you volley are hit faster than higher volleys, and therefore there is less time to close in. Also note that in general, you shouldn’t hit a high volley against a hard hit incoming ball, because it will probably go out!
2. Lobs Rarely do recreational players practice hitting lobs, either back spin (defensive) or topspin (offensive). Help the players see where the highest point of the arc of each of these lobs should be and how to make adjustments. Since the lob is one of the most underused shots at recreational levels, this topic should resonate with most players, especially the ladies who compete in league doubles. They will relate to the effectiveness of players who can lob well and at the right time. Set up numerous drills with players paired. As one hits lobs, the other hits overheads.
3. Dinks and Dropshots
5. Whistle Drills for Readiness
Many players think anyone who dinks and drops is playing ‘old man’s tennis’, but this is far from the truth. The fact is that dinks and drops are for players who are skilled and smart, and they’re not that hard to learn. Introduce the concept at a resort drill session the right way (Federer dinks and drops regularly) and use appropriate progressions to help players get a feel for hitting with backspin. There are countless ways to approach this, but as a clinic theme, it can be a real winner.
One of the biggest indicators of skills that better tennis players have mastered, as compared to their lower playing level friends, is anticipation. We all know that although it helps to be fast to get to balls, it is not essential. The essential skill is anticipation and it can be a challenging skill to teach. Here’s one drill to make it easier. Bring a whistle to the courts. Have two players rally from baseline to baseline. Each player calls out “Forehand” or “Backhand” as soon as they identify which shot they will hit. Observe whether they are calling it out loud before the incoming ball crosses the net or after. Then explain the importance of recognizing and preparing for the correct groundstroke to be hit before the incoming ball crosses the net. Now comes the whistle. To help them speed up their ball recognition and anticipation skills, blow the whistle as the ball clears the net. Their goal should be to call out “Forehand” or “Backhand” before they hear the whistle.
4. Flex and Move vs. Split Steps At most resorts, the players will be older. After all, people who take resort vacations have worked hard to save money for these well earned holidays. This explains why some of them can be demanding at times. Their expectations are high. Keeping them happy is possible, but often with only the right approach. Take split steps, for example. What percentage of recreational players consistently take split steps? Sadly, most players up through the 4.0 level do not split as their opponent hits the ball. So, are we shirking our responsibilities as teachers by not pressuring all of our students to take split steps? Tough question. The good news is that there is an alternative, and older recreational players will have a much easier time accepting and executing it. It’s called ‘flex and move’ and is very similar to the weighting (flexing) and unweighting technique used to turn on snow skis. Just have your older players bend their knees as their opponent hits and then take their first step in the direction their opponent hits the ball.
The bottom line is simple. At a resort, your clientele will be a mix of personalities with a wide variety of expectations. Be prepared for the occasional Lorne Greene, and with the right approach, resort teaching can be a real bonanza!
Ask the Sports Psychologist
Q A
Submit your questions to drmichelle@drmichellecleere.com or peggy@ptrtennis.org Dr. Michelle Cleere What is the most helpful thing I can give my players to keep them out of their head, stay focused and ready to play? All players should have three things: a pre-performance routine, a pre-serve routine, and a way to refocus between each point. For a pre-performance routine to be the most effective, you have to help your player understand how much physical and emotional energy they need prior to a match. If they are jittery’, they probably need to relax; if they appear ‘lazy’, they probably need energy. Other important reasons to have a pre-performance routine include: to focus, get centered, let go of extrinsic motivation and build confidence. A pre-performance routine can include music, stretching, mantras, deep breathing and imagery. A pre-serve routine and refocusing between each point are similar to a pre-performance routine, but they are really designed to distract your players from: should have, what if, worries, doubts, the score... basically thinking too much. That thinking will destroy them. Having routines allows players to have control and be present.
Refocusing between points is the most difficult of the three. Why? An action has just happened and your player’s critical voice wants to immediately speak to them. They have control over that critical voice, but because they've been conditioned to respond critically, it takes a little more practice to change. As soon as the point is over, my 4.0 player looks down and fiddles with his strings while saying his mantra. My professional tennis player uses her mantra over and over until she gets to her towel. Anytime her minds wanders, she gently brings it back to her mantra. She towels off in a certain order and goes back to her mantra. These are the basic three tools necessary for every tennis player. They should be developed specifically for each player and need to be used in practice and matches. Why do you think that's important? Stay focused on the present!
Nadal is infamous for his pre-serve routine. You can check it out on YouTube at FpNw1LuHa5s. It has worked for him!
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