“If you’re a parent who thinks you already know all there is to know…hold on, because you’re in for a bumpy ride. This book is like turning a light on in a darkened room. I highly recommend it to any parent or coach serious about maximizing player potential.”
Angel Lopez, USPTA Master Professional, PTR Certified, Angel Lopez Tennis Academy
The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailer! Click Here to Order
QUESTION: What is quality practice? You’ve said quality of practice trumps the quantity of practice. Can you give me an example?
Frank: Is your child getting the results they deserve? If not, they may be on the tennis court a ton, yet not practicing efficiently. I’ve witness’s super athletes wasting their time day after day on the practice court. Why? Sadly, the uneducated parents and intermediate coaches were to blame.
Having terrific fundamental form and winning events are two very different sets of skills. Ask your child and coach to apply these advanced training principles and they’ll soon stop wasting precious time, money and tears.
1) Vary Strike Zones
Exchange having your child’s teaching pro feeding balls right to your little darling’s perfect strike zone. Instead, ask the pro to mix in different spins, speeds and trajectories to your athletes low, medium and high strike zones. Thus, practicing in the manner they are expected to perform.
2) Hit on the Run
Replace the hours of rallying back and forth to each other with hitting on the move. Winning isn’t a game of catch, it’s a game of keep away. Thus, practicing in the manner in which they are expected to perform.
3) Practice Playing Best 2 out of 3 Sets
Replace rallying for a 20 minutes and then playing one practice set with the rehearsal of actually closing out set after set. Simply start the sets at 2-2 or every game at 30-30. Practice closing out the critical ending stages of each game and set. Thus practicing in the manner in which they are expected to perform.
4) Practice Drilling with Patterns
Exchange consistent skills training with flexible skills training. Instead of separately hitting 100 forehands, 100 backhands followed by 50 serves, begin to rehearse running actual patterns. Have the athlete hit one serve (kick wide on the ad side for example) followed by two change of direction ground strokes immediately following the serve.
Apply negative scoring to each skill set (Make all 3 balls in the court = 1 point, miss a shot and deduct 1 point from the score. Get to 10 and then move on to another serving pattern). This replicates the flexible skills and stress management needed to win matches. Thus, practicing in the manner in which you are expected to perform.
5) Rehearse Playing Matches
Split a 2 hour lesson and do live ball play. Ask your coach to assist you in rehearsing spotting the cause of errors. Most juniors focus on perfecting their form day in and day out. The most common errors in high level match play is shot selection followed by movement and spacing errors. Spotting the actual cause of the errors is the first step.
A great saying to motivate your athlete:
“Let’s not simply GO through your junior tennis career; let’s GROW through your junior tennis career.”
CONTACT Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
