A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership
56 E xtreme circumstances: learning to control the elements, including heat, rain and wind.
58 W here science meets art: using sports science for technical development
60 W hat do you see? Analysing
Victoria Azarenka’s powerful forehand
61 E xceeding expectations: Gary
Stickler’s commitment to success has been transferred to players of every level.
63 Coach talk 64 Coach corner 66 Coach drills
A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership
Extreme Circumstances Use rest breaks wisely while waiting out a rain delay.
Difficult match conditions a player will encounter include heat, wind, humidity and high altitude. But it’s not these uncontrollable circumstances, but the way an athlete acclimatises to them, that has the most significance. By Daniela Toleski
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ost athletes are well-skilled in taking control, but the one factor they can’t influence is weather. Match day may see them encountering everything from heat to wind and humidity – which is why the skills they acquire during lessons are so important. How a player responds will have a considerable impact on their ability to win matches when faced with the varied challenges from Mother Nature. “Students have to learn how to play with the sun in their eyes. They have to learn to play at midday. They have to learn to play in all sorts of conditions,” says Cairns-based Tennis Australia Club Professional coach Adrian O’Sullivan.
The heat is on
MyCoach
Developing routines for your players in extreme heat can help them be better prepared. Teach them how to utilise their rests in between points and make sure they take regular drink breaks. Based in Darwin, Tennis Australia Club Professional coach Pat Coburn is well aware of the benefit in having his athletes experience the heat during training. “When it’s three o’clock and it’s 37 degrees and 95 per cent humidity we try to use the concept of ‘overtraining’. We’re training when it’s really, really hot, so when it’s just hot, you’re going to love it.” 56
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His athletes are also conscious of their afternoon sessions being held in extreme heat, due to the nature of the climate, and as such need to be ready for the task at hand. “From a health perspective, don’t just drink when you get to tennis. Make sure you prepare yourself during the day,” Coburn says. “When you’re thirsty you’re already off panel, you’re already gone.” O’Sullivan also stresses that hydration is the key in being able to play at optimal performance, especially when a tournament is approaching. “They have to start off by being very hydrated first,” he says. “So about probably two or three days from the start of the competition they should be starting to get hydrated and then the big step is not to get dehydrated.” Alternating between water and a sports drink is also recommended by O’Sullivan. “The idea is that at every change of ends taking a few sips of water and also a sip of sports drink but you want to keep the ratio about three to one of water to sports drink.” Eating easily digestible foods like bananas or energy gels is another way to help keep energy levels high. “Avoid the complex carbohydrates. You don’t want to eat sandwiches or
Acclimatisation to heat takes many guises.
Knowing your perspiration level Not only do athletes need to be prepared for the heat, but humidity can also have an effect on the amount of perspiration an athlete experiences. “Take changes of clothes with you on court,” O’Sullivan says. “You’ve got to be mentally prepared to be out there all day.” Wearing clothes that are a loose fit, light in colour and made out of breathable material will help the sweat to evaporate more easily. Many players don’t know how much they sweat during a match, but figuring this out before a tournament should be part of an athlete’s preparation. “Weigh yourself in a practice match. You’ll probably play a couple of practice matches against people a month from the event at the time of day that you
Make sure you:s:
4 Embrace the condition 4 Have a good attitude in the heat 4 Utilise your rest periods 4 Stay hydrated spire 4 Work out how much youn per wind the in pla 4 Have a simple game 4 Stick to routines 4 Don’t underestimate recovery.
think that you will be playing and you weigh yourself before you start and an after an hour,” O’Sullivan says. “You don’t take any fluid in that time. This is how you find out how much you’re sweating in an hour of hard activity. Then it becomes a lot easier to know how much you’ve got to drink.”
Playing against the third opponent
There’s no controlling the weather and when your athlete is competing in a tournament they could find themselves having to wait in between rain delays. Many players have their own routines and this is required to stay focused and centred before a match begins. The player that establishes this and is not affected by the weather is more prone to come out the victor. “You can see with some people in juniors when they try to reject the conditions,” Coburn says. “Basically then you know they’re gone, you know that they haven’t accepted those conditions and understood that the conditions are for both players.” Turning a blind eye to any obstacle that cannot be changed is a must if your athlete wants to put in their best performance. No matter the condition, if it’s not embraced the difficultly is already set before a ball is even hit. “I think the biggest one with adverse conditions is mind over matter. It’s what sort of attitude you step onto court with,” Coburn says.
Have a recovery procedure Quick recovery after matches is integral to an athlete’s training program and should include nutrition, stretching and fluid replenishment. “Make sure that your body has a 20 to 30 minute window where it accepts nutrition very quickly,” O’Sullivan says. “Put the right sort of foods into yourself like fresh vegetables and things which are high in antioxidants.” “Do some stretching straight away. Get some sports drink and some water into you and make sure that you’re urine is clear as soon as possible.” Recovery in many instances is the most underestimated part of an athlete’s training program. “The match doesn’t finish once you’ve shaken hands, the match finishes once your recovery is finished,” O’Sullivan says.
Wind is another element athletes need to contend with at times. By having lessons when it’s extremely windy, athletes can develop consistency and a game plan to use when playing in similar conditions. Most players would prefer playing in the heat rather than in the unpredictable wind. But being emotional stable about the unsatisfactory elements and training in the wind more often is the only way to gain the confidence and be more familiar in that environment. “In heavy wind I try to make sure that the game plan is very simple. They should try not to go for too many winners. Try not to get too complex,” O’Sullivan says. “They’ve just got to make sure they get lots of first serves in, hit Hydration is a a little bit more to the centre of top priority. the court and use a little bit more footwork in the wind.”
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sausage rolls while you’re playing. You want to eat easily digestible simple carbohydrates.”
When the heavens open up
Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
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Where Science Meets Art
There are many aspects of the serve’s technical development that have a scientific base. PRACTICAL RESEARCH UPDATE Effect of physical development on serve technique
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raditionally, biomechanical analyses of the serve have focused on the professional male population; with very little attention afforded to the female tennis serve and, less so, to its evolution in junior players. Not all males, never mind females, can serve like Andy Roddick. With this in mind, the month of March saw more than 20 of the best junior female players in the country, aged between 10–15 years old, participate in biomechanical testing at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. The undertaking is part of a partnership between Tennis Australia and the University of Western Australia and was attended by Tennis Australia Talent Development Mentor, Ian Barclay. Already, reports have been provided to the coaches and players, and preliminary results point to the interaction between physical maturity (strength) and serve performance. For example: n t he first serves of the 14–15 year old girls are hit with approximately 1.5 times the velocity and spin of the serves of the 10–11 year old girls n w hile the 10–11 and 14–15 year old female players are capable of flexing their knees to a similar degree during the serve, the older girls are significantly more effective in driving out of this flexed position.
EVER WONDER...
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ust how consistent your ball toss needs to be? Well, recent work performed with some of Australia’s best young talent shows that players toss to a consistent height but are considerably less consistent elsewhere (i.e. laterally and forward-backwards) – and that’s when they’re serving well and to the same location. This isn’t to say that some stability in the lateral and forwardbackward directions isn’t important (note: we are not suggesting that flicking the ball
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toss so that it threatens to hit the back fence on one serve and the side fence on the next is helpful!); rather it just appears less important than applying a consistent amount of vertical force to the ball. So, this points to the practice of the toss being all-important. Indeed it is ... yet perhaps not in the way that players and coaches are accustomed. That is, practice of the toss separate to the swing appears to see developing players tossing the ball higher and with their
consistency little improved in any direction. Here, remember we’re talking about developing players; players that have already acquired good service rhythm. Implications for the coach are nonetheless two-fold: (a) unless you aim to increase the height of the toss or alter the rhythm of the serve, its independent rehearsal may be counterproductive; and (b) simplifying the skill doesn’t always make it more repeatable – not in relation to how it’s performed in the game anyway.
A question that even the pros ponder
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hould I use an abbreviated or full backswing on my serve? It’s also a popular talking point among coaches. Whilst some coaches laud the rhythm that a full swing offers, others suggest that an abbreviated take-back simplifies the action and improves the consistency of the ball toss (Van der Meer, 2001). The short answer here is that it depends on the player – what will suit one; won’t suit another. From science though, early indications are that the shoulder (muscles) may need to work a little harder throughout the abbreviated delivery, where higher anterior shoulder forces and infraspinatus (a member of the rotator cuff) activity have been reported. Therefore, for players whom suffer from weak or injured rotator cuff muscles, an abbreviated action may prove problematic.
from the stands Why so few players twist like Boris Becker
tech corner Hawk-Eye
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ith the aid of Hawk-Eye, the speeds of the first and second serves of Marcos Baghdatis during his third round match against Lleyton Hewitt at this year’s Australian Open can be compared. The graphic reveals that Hewitt had approximately 50 percent more time to prepare for his second (as compared to his first) serve return. In comparison to the average fast ball pitch in baseball, where batters have about 400ms to respond, Hewitt had it relatively easy! SOURCES:
(1) Reid M, Whiteside D, Elliott B. Task decomposition and the high performance junior tennis serve. ISBS (submitted). Michigan. (2) S eeley M, Uhl T, McCrory J, McGinn P, Kibler W, & Shapiro R. (2008). A comparison of muscle activations during traditional and abbreviated tennis serves. Sport Biomechanics. 7, 2, 248-259. (3) Elliott B, Fleisig G, Nicholls R, & Escamilla R. (2003). Technique effects on upper limb loading in the tennis serve. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 6, 76–87. (4) Van der Meer D. (2001). Short and sweet. Tennis, December 2001/January 2002, 42–43.
Dr Machar Reid, who holds a PhD in tennis biomechanics, is the Sports Science and Medicine Manager for Tennis Australia. He has also worked with the ITF and Chinese Tennis Association, and co-authored several tennis sports science and coaching books. Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
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emember the serves of past greats like Boris Becker and Rod Laver? Following contact with the ball, they all landed on their back foot. Why do we see so few contemporary players land on their back feet when serving? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it simply being out of fashion, rather it’s been brought about by players striving to add more power and variety to their serves as well as by changes in court surface/ equipment design and therefore styles of play. A front foot landing on serve can facilitate segment coordination on kick serves in particular and arguably better accommodates the lateral displacement of the ball toss (to encourage upper arm internal rotation) in the modern professional game.
What do you see? By the Stroke Master
Internal rotation at the shoulder is evident in the forward swing.
Rotation of the shoulders, trunk and hips in the preparation phase allows for greater and more powerful rotation during the forward swing.
Victoria Azarenka possesses one of the most powerful forehands in the women’s game – here you can see how the world No. 9 effectively executes this weapon.
Dynamic balance allows a controlled execution of the shot.
MyCoach
Powerful back leg to front leg weight transfer.
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Exceed Expectations
“I
Pat would’ve worked with, he would’ve been successful,” he says. Stickler’s influence hasn’t gone unnoticed and Tennis Australia recently appointed him to be a Talent Development Mentor, along with Ian Barclay and Bill Bowrey. The aim of the program is to recognise excellent, passionate coaches who specialise in the development of under 12 year olds, which in turn will assist in delivering a targeted approach to developing the next group of champions. “I see coaching as being two important things,” Stickler says. “One is to get your athlete
“Someone’s coming along with a special talent and they’re entrusting you with that talent.” to believe they do have those special qualities and the ability to be better and to provide an environment that motivates them to want to be better.” Therefore the customer is always at the centre of Stickler’s mind. “I want to exceed my customers’ expectations,” he says. “No matter what they want to get out of the sport, if I can exceed that then I think I’ve done my job.”
John Millman, winner of recent Pro Tour events in Berri and Kalgoorlie, is benefiting from Gary Stickler’s vast exp erience.
MyCoach
Stickler takes his role as coach very seriously and understands the importance he holds within the er rts tickl el 3, Spo career of many athletes. S y r v y e: Ga s: Le ersit “Someone’s coming along Nam fication e (Univ e i r l g t a with a special talent and they’re e n u D Q le hing ), Ta entrusting you with that talent. e Coac ensland entor e eTim M It’s probably the greatest asset of Qu opment ness: Lif l i Deve ing Bus they have in their entire life and is h c Tenn a Co it’s a fairly big responsibility and , 2000, l s s i n Tenn ds: Quee ar 1998 , and not to be taken lightly,” e r 6 Awa of the Y 05, 200 of the he says. h 0 h Coac 2003, 2 nis Coac The LifeTime Tennis , n 2001 alian Te 6 programs were developed r 0 t 0 s /2 Au 2005 by Stickler and now r a e Y operate in more than 20 locations around Australia and overseas, with Brisbane his main base. Programs were categorised into two distinct groups from 1997 – one for people who just A car accident at the age of 20 wanted to play tennis or improve their game and another for players who were serious about put a halt on Gary Stickler’s making tennis a career. playing career, but that didn’t “We run a fairly big business. We run a number of centres and a number of schools and run a stop him from becoming a high performance academy,” he says. coach and continuing his love “It’s just a pathway all the way through, so no one’s more important than the other. And you of the sport. go home at night and you get as big a buzz out of someone who’s starting to feel like they’re actually improving as you do out of a high ’ve always enjoyed the game and I just performance player.” had a passion for the game,” says Gary Stickler believes that every player is special Stickler. “I had been playing and had a and it’s fostering their talent vision of playing tennis for a living. But then I that will help the athlete to had a car accident which meant that I wasn’t succeed. able to continue my playing career, so I started “People think someone coaching.” like a Pat Rafter is This year marks Stickler’s 41st year as a coach somebody really special, during which he has had his fair share of talent but he’s no different than under his wing, the most notable being former someone who has a special world No.1 Pat Rafter. talent in the thing they love He’s also worked with Scott Draper, Kerrydoing. It’s no different; it’s Ann Guse, Lisa McShea and players now coming just a normal person who through including John Millman, Jason Kubler has that talent there.” and Ashling Sumner. Over the years Stickler “There are a lot of kids, but I don’t try to single has found that it’s a any of them out as being any better than the privilege to work with others. They’ve all got special qualities,” he says. Millman has experienced some recent success, someone who has special talents and qualities. having won the Futures events in Berri in “I’m not sure if my February this year and Kalgoorlie in late 2009. He impact was greater on was also a finalist at Esperance in 2009. Kubler him or if his impact has won a number of ITF 18’s during 2009 while was greater on me. But Sumner won the Australian 16’s championships I think no matter who also in 2009.
Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
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Taxing Times
Tax time comes around every year and the better prepared you are, the less stress you are likely to face when records need to be handed in to your accountant.
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tennis coaching business is like any other small business, where you have many activities which allow money to flow in and out. Essentially, you have money coming into your business and money going out of it. Money will flow into your business from four main sources, and it will flow out of your business for four main reasons. Money flowing into your business may be: n Income from selling goods or services n Money from selling business assets n Money you have contributed to the business n Money you have borrowed.
MyCoach
Money flowing out of your business may be: n Payments for expenses of carrying on the business n Payments to buy or replace business assets n Payments to you from the business n Money lent to others. “Using an accounting software program will enable coaches to track both their income and expenses,” says Ben Cuttriss finance officer at mpowerdome – Canberra’s largest indoor community sport and recreation centre. Documents including tax invoices, wages records, cheque butts and credit card statements contain the information you need to record including the date of the transaction, the total payment or amount received and the amount of goods and services tax (GST). “Ensure you know what your obligations are, including whether you need to be registered for GST or require an ABN,” Cuttriss says. “It is worthwhile enquiring with an accountant or your local Chamber of Commerce about hobbyist status, which does not incur GST.” Don’t get yourself into the trap of trying to save some money and trying to take care of all of your financial requirements on your own. “Ask a professional. Paying for some advice from a qualified accountant could save you 62
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more time and money in the long run,” he says. There are many different ways to keep track of all your expenses and income, from accounting specific software to something as simple as creating a spreadsheet in excel. “Utilising accounting software will make this process quicker and give you access to a range of reports, giving a clear indication of your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly income and expenses, as well as your PAYG and GST obligations. This will make planning for next year much easier,” Cuttriss says. Most main accounting programs such as MYOB or Banklink come in different levels of packages with the cost depending on the number of capabilities you require. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) website (ato.gov.au) has a list of software programs available and lists the functions each software product provides.
Smart organisation at tax time allows more time to focu s on your core business of coa ching.
“Check the ATO website. The ATO holds introductory sessions for small businesses on record keeping, as well as having a range of publications available.”
Make sure you keep all your receipts and a book keeper can be of great assistance. “If you are short on time, it may be a good investment to hire a book keeper. A book keeper or an accountant may be able to provide full book keeping services, or can look after quarterly activity statements,” he says. The ATO has announced recent changes in tax law. For further information go to ato.gov.au/corporate/ pathway.asp?pc=001/001/029/003/007. Please note that this information is purely some helpful hints for coaches who may not know where to start. We recommend you seek professional advice from your financial adviser or accountant.
Local Advisory Groups (LAGs) 2010
lessons and DVD resource, or if possible the use of a Tennis Australia qualified coach is encouraged. To get involved in MLC Tennis Hot Shots in schools and receive your free DVD resource, contact your Member Association. Details are available at www.tennis.com.au/ mlctennishotshots_contacts.
In schools program
Active after-school communities program (AASC)
Tennis Australia has developed the MLC Tennis Hot Shots in schools program, to assist teachers and coaches who wish to offer tennis in a school setting. MLC Tennis Hot Shots in schools aims to extend the development of fundamental motor skills and build on perceptual motor skills that are central to playing tennis and sport in general. The program focuses on building self sufficient tennis play – being able to rally and play the game. The MLC Tennis Hot Shots in schools program is four weeks in duration; however there is an option to conduct additional sessions/competitions where applicable. The program can be delivered by a teacher using the easy to follow
This is an after-school initiative of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) aimed at getting children involved in sport. Tennis Australia has partnered with AASC to promote MLC Tennis Hot Shots as an endorsed program. More than 3000 schools nationwide deliver the AASC program and approved venues receive grants to purchase equipment and pay coaches to deliver the program. Tennis as part of the AASC program continues to grow momentum with more than 22,000 children taking part to date this year. For further information, please contact your Community Tennis Officer at your Member Association or visit www.tennis.com.au/ mlctennishotshots.
Coach Education update
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he third workshop for the current group of coaches completing the Tennis Australia High Performance Coaching qualification was recently held over five days at the AIS. Topics included: n Physical development program of high performance tennis players n Injury prevention and management n Nutrition n Recovery procedures for high performance tennis players n Equipment at the High Performance level The workshop also included a number of observation and integration sessions with other sports based at the AIS including Basketball and Netball. The Tennis Australia Coach Mentoring program is underway, with each of the coaches undertaking the current High Performance coaching qualification being matched with a mentor. Mentors for these coaches include Nicole Arendt, Troy Ayres,
Bernhard Goerlitz, Chris Kachel, Rob Leeds, Peter Lumsden, Ashley Naumann, Wally Masur, Craig Morris, Michael Robertson, Ray Ruffels, Gary Stickler and Craig Tiley. Coaches will each have access to 27 hours of mentoring over two years. Tennis Australia Coaching qualifications have continued with Junior Development qualifications taking place in Melbourne (17 participants), Sydney (18 participants) and Adelaide (14 participants). An Introduction to MLC Tennis Hot Shots course (formally OTC) was delivered to 20 students participating in the Tennis program at Victoria University. The Master Club Professional qualification, which is a Diploma of Management delivered in conjunction with DeakinPrime, is beginning in Queensland. It is the first time the qualification has been delivered in that state. For further information, go to www. tennis.com.au\coaches
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Professional Development review
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review of the current Tennis Australia Professional Development Program for tennis coaches was conducted late last year. Highlights of this review were: n Coaches want streamlined topics n Mornings are the best time to attend n Time is the major reason for nonattendance, followed by location n Complete an online learning unit? – Yes 92% n Complete PD workshops online every 2–4 weeks? – Yes 41% n Time spent completing an online unit – 30–60 mins – Yes 44% n Topics of interest – drills/activities, match analysis/tactics and video analysis. The months of December, January and February has been very busy and successful in Professional Development with more than 394 coaches involved in workshops over Australia. The focus of linking professional development workshops to all major tennis events in Australia, namely the December Showdown, Brisbane International, Fed Cup and the Australian Open has been well received. Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
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LC Tennis Hot Shots is Tennis Australia’s official starter program aimed at children aged 5–12 years. It uses smaller courts and low compression balls to get children playing tennis in a fun and easy environment. MLC Tennis Hot Shots can easily be delivered in schools as part of the curriculum or as an after-school activity.
MLC Tennis Hot Shots in schools
he Local Advisory Group (LAG) forums for 2010 will focus on how Tennis Australia and the Member Associations have addressed and continue to address the issues raised at the 2009 LAG forums. The main focus will be developing strong and healthy club and coach relationships and review of the Your tennis toolkit resource and also the marketing initiatives in the pipeline with the emphasis on Local Area Marketing for clubs and coaches. Club volunteers and coaches are invited to attend the 2010 LAGs. Based on the feedback from the LAG participants, Professional Development workshops will be linked to the LAG forums in 2010. The proposed LAG forum dates are as follows: WA – 14 April NSW – 18 April ACT – 27 May Vic – 5 June Qld – 29 June SA – 18 Sept NT – Oct (TBC) Tas – Oct (TBC)
Coaches’ corner Team focus creating individual opportunities
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he topic of player development within Australia and in fact worldwide, always generates a variety of opinions and ideas. While it’s not an exact science, the one certainty is that it’s more than just hitting tennis balls. The growth and development of athletes is extremely influenced by their environment and the people they are surrounded by in their younger years. A coaching program plays a vital role in both a player’s tennis life as well as a player’s personal development as an individual. Creating a team environment during training inspires an open, energetic and creative atmosphere. This has proven to be very successful in developing a great training and learning environment at the Vida Tennis Academy. In developing a team environment we have found there is always something to learn from another coach, a different voice, but a constant message. When a player walks into a venue and prepares to step on court they feel welcome,
Junior players are shaped by a variety of sources.
Young athletes, such as junior Fed Cup players Molly Polak, Vik torija Rajicic and Alex Nancarrow (with Alicia Molik), thrive in the team environment.
Creating a team environment during training inspires an open, energetic and creative atmosphere. comfortable, motivated and inspired to achieve their personal best in each performance. This attitude can then be transferred from the training court to tournaments or competitions. A coach should never underestimate the role they play in the athlete’s life, not just in their tennis life. A strong player-coach relationship makes developing the individual’s game much easier as there is mutual respect, honesty and trust. As with all people, not just juniors, mental baggage is often brought onto the court from their school, home or personal
life. Having a strong relationship and understanding the individual, means you can continually get the most of each session and help guide the player. Watching and helping a young player grow and develop into an elite player is a great opportunity for the coach and player to share the ride. As a coach I see all levels of players, who are all playing for different reasons. Helping each individual achieve their own goals and personal best is the primary reason I coach and why the Vida Tennis Academy mission “create life opportunities for each individual through the sport of tennis” was established. Kane Dewhurst, Master Club Professional/ Tennis Australia Talent Development coach, Vida Tennis Academy (Vic)
Dynamite Day Target audience: juniors. Age group/gender: six to 15 years, both genders. Details of program: Dynamite Day is another name for a Fun Day. It was held at the local courts where I coach on a Saturday afternoon for a two hour session with free entry.
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How the program was promoted: flyers were provided to the children after their schools had played tennis for the term. Coaches explained how the Dynamite Day would run with every player who participates having the chance to win a free racquet. Positive outcomes of the program: a
large number of children were engaged with tennis at the local courts and kids had fun therefore enrolling in some coaching lessons or competitions after the insight to tennis. Craig Louis Tennis Australia Club Professional coach Louis Tennis Academy, NSW
Personal development contributing to player development
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ith the belief my purpose as a coach is to use tennis as a tool to develop the many skills necessary for success in life, I include basic personal development techniques with my private lesson clientele. Elite junior tennis players have a small chance to make it as a professional tennis player however it’s important to look at the journey’s rewards rather than the destination. This is similar to a match when a player is 5-3 up in the third set and suddenly starts to think about the end result and losing concentration. The journey of a junior tennis player should be an ongoing path of goal setting, desire, motivation and gratitude rather than having the ‘make it’ or ‘don’t make it’ mentality of some junior players, parents and sometimes coaches. The learning patterns and success principles which can be obtained through tennis are fantastic. There are many different ‘personal development techniques’ which I use in conjunction with a traditional technical, tactical and physical program to boost a player’s confidence from the inside out, rather than outside in. Firstly, I take a look at the benefits of goal setting.
Goal setting Goal setting can be very vague, but without being broken down into small steps will not serve as a motivating factor for the junior tennis player. An example would be that the average tournament tennis player probably
Rankings (AR) points chart and asking your athlete to draw in the ‘future ranking’ onto the chart and link them together. Process goals are different as they do not rely on other people’s results to achieve them. For example the ‘amount of chin-ups in the gym’ or ‘percentage of first serves’ are type of goals that are far more achievable and when balanced with outcome goals can find the right blend of motivation.
Be specific I aim to serve 75 per cent of first serves in and reach No.15 in Australia for my age group by 12 September 2010.
Juniors can follow the lead of players like AIS scholarship holder Isabella Holland In establishing milestones for their development.
Record and review Have your goals somewhere visible, perhaps in your room where your subconscious can be constantly fed with this ambition. Review your goals and be prepared to change them at any moment. Remember it’s the journey, not the destination.
Realistic and achievable You are perhaps not ready to reach the top 100 on the ATP or WTA tour, so set goals which are challenging but achievable.
Pictures
Although ‘starting with the end in mind’ is a great goal setting factor, these goals must be broken up into smaller chunks to ensure that success and accomplishment of these goals can be reached as fast as possible.
Use pictures to help aid your goal setting. The study of Neuro Linguistic Programming recognises that our body responds far better to mental images than dialogue. Print and cut out pictures of role models, ranking graphs and create your own victory wall with
An important thing to remember with goal setting is to get a balance of outcome goals and process goals. An outcome may be a particular ranking that you want to achieve and a great way to look at rankings is in a visual sense by printing out the Australian
Once your athlete has learned how to set and achieve goals they have a
There are various acronyms to encourage correct goal setting but I believe the most important aspects are:
Goals into bite sized pieces
Outcome v process goals
Learning the goal setting skill
Focused goal setting
The journey of a junior tennis player should be an ongoing path of goal-setting, motivation and gratitude. wants to be a professional tennis player, in the loose sense of the term, but without more measurable steps this will just become a dream which doesn’t seem achievable.
your accomplishments such as tournament results, local newspaper editorials or simply photographs of you playing tennis that may have been taken by friends or family.
skill for life. This will continue to contribute to their tennis career but also positively impact on their studies, career, business, relationships and every other facet of life. As tennis coaches we are paid to teach tennis first and foremost but personally I find it far more rewarding to educate my pupils on areas which are far more powerful than just tennis. These skills will boost tennis results but also help them throughout their adult life in areas such as study, career, business and relationships. Rick Willsmore, Tennis Australia Club Professional coach and Tennis Australia Talent Development coach, Scarborough Tennis Academy (WA) Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
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Shake and bake By Doug Hamilton, Tennis Australia Club Professional Coach Stage: encourage (10–12 years), enhance (12–15 years) Focus: forward movement to the net, grip change from ground stroke to volley and quick hands at the net Equipment: spot markers, modified balls Doug20Hamilton, TA Club Professional Time: mins Focus: Forward movement to the net, grip change from groundstroke to volley and quick hands at the net
Shake & Bake! Stage: Equipment:
encourage (10-12 years), enhance (12-15 years) spot markers, modified balls
Objective
Time:
20 mins To take a high ball early with a drive volley and transition into a normal volley.
Objective
To take a high ball early with a drive volley and transition Description 1 into a normal volley.
A
A
B
• Coach feeds high ball to Player A. • Player A drives ball back at coach and moves forward. Description 1 changes to volley with quick hands • Player A quickly • and Coach feeds highB.ball to Player A. volleys to Player • • OPlayer ball Coach and moves forwar ne pointAisdrives awarded perback rally. at First to six points • wins, Player Athe quickly to volley with quick hands then playerschanges change ends.
and volleys to Player B.
• One point is awarded per rally. First to six points win then players change ends. Description 2
• Coach feeds a high ball to Player A. • Player A must nominate forehand or backhand side and use a drive volley approach. • Player B must try to pass down the line only, to Description 2 encourage Player A to make most volleys.
• Coach feeds a high ball to Player A. • Player A must nominate forehand or backhand side
A
and use a drive volley approach.
• Description Player B must 3 try to pass down the line only, to encourage Player A to make volleys. • Similiar to previous progression but most with no rules. • Player A can approach without nominating a side and Player B can pass down either side.
MyCoach
B
Description 3 • Similiar to previous progression but with no rules. • Player A can approach without nominating a side an
A
Key
66
Coach
Coach feed
Ball direction
Player
Thrower/Catcher
Player movement
Australian Tennis Magazine | May 2010
B
Spot markers
Player B can pass down either side. Buckets
Drop down lines
Hoops
Pop crush Popand and Crush! By Glen Popovsky, Tennis Australia Club Professional Coach Glen Popovsky, TA Club Professional Focus: volley, drive volley and approach shot Focus: (7–10 volley,years), drive volley and approach Stage: develop encourage (10–12 shot years), enhance (12–15 years) Equipment: spotdevelop markers, modified balls Stage: (7-10 years), encourage (10-12 years), enhance (12-15 years) Time: 15 mins Equipment: spot markers, modified balls
www.gptennispro.com.au
Time:
15 mins
Objective Objective
Attacking the net off a short ball either on the bounce
Attacking the net off a short ball either on the bounce or or on the full. on the full.
Description 1 Description 1 • Players play points out against each other down the •
Players play points out against each other down the line, trying to keep the ball deep. line, trying to keep ball deep. • If the ball lands short or players receive a high • Iffloating ball lands short or receive a high floating ball, ball, they can then attack, play the shot deep players then attack, play shot deep down the line, down the line, attack the net and play the point out. attack net and play point out.
Description 2 • Description Feed is a short 2 ball mid court where player hits down •
come split the stepplayer and hits play either a • the Feedline is a then short must ball mid courtin,where forehand or backhand volley. down the line then must come in, split step and play Next is a floating feed, volley. when player uses a eitherfeed a forehand or backhand forehand drive volley to approach downuses thealine • Next feed is a floating feed, when the player and then come in, split step then volley. After forehand drive volley to approach down the line andtwo rotations player then comeeach in, split step switch and thenends. volley. After two rotations each player switches ends.
• •
Key
to player in forehand • forehand Players in doubles formation. Coachcorner. feeds a short Player must hit short ball cross court and approach forehand to player in forehand corner. then play pointball out.cross court and approach • and Player must hit short Next feedplay is athe high floating and then point out. ball, where player hits volley court and in andhits plays • drive Next feed is across high floating ball,comes where player a out. Players rotate after having a goin atand both types drive volley cross court and comes plays out.of feed twice. Players rotate after experiencing both types of feed twice.
Coach
Coach feed
Ball direction
Player
Thrower/Catcher
Player movement
Australian 2010 Spot markers Tennis Magazine | May Buckets Drop down lines
Hoops
67
MyCoach
Description 3 • Description Players in doubles formation. Coach feeds a short 3