The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!
QUESTION: What does a top player’s weekly training schedule look like?
Frank: A player’s training schedule is one of the most important aspects of the tennis parent’s job description. Managing each component of a player’s organizational plan will provide accountability to all members of the player’s team. Remember, the tennis parent is the CEO of the organization and ultimately in charge of their child’s life development.
I encourage parents to customize the training to their player’s needs. The training requirements of younger players will vary dramatically based on their physical, mental and maturity levels. Additional factors to consider include the player’s personal growth development schedule and how well they digest information. (An experienced coach can help to identify your child’s levels.)
“There is no one-size-fits-all formula to maximizing potential at the quickest rate.”
Assisting your child in organizing their weekly schedule will help them to develop time-management skills that will prepare them for life on and off the courts. I highly recommend holding a meeting with your athlete’s coaches to get updates from them in regard to your child’s progress. Their opinions will help you to better manage your player’s schedule. It’s important to remember that the estimated success formula to becoming world class at any talent is about twenty hours a week for about ten years.
Following is a sample week of one of my top nationally ranked U.S. Juniors. His long-term goal is to play Division I college tennis and then progress onto the pro tour. His weekly schedule shifts between 20 and 30 hours a week depending on his tournament schedule.
Sample Training Week
Practice Sets/Tournament Matches: 4 Hours
It’s important to schedule different styles and different ability levels of opponents.
Technical Stroke Lessons: 4 Hours
Correct flaws in their primary strokes and begin to build their secondary strokes.
Mental & Emotional Training: 4 Hours
During live ball sessions, focus on between point rituals as well as proactive patterns to beat the 3 styles of opponents.
Video Analysis: 1 Hour
Video tape a tournament match, then have a pro do a video analysis lesson. Chart to spot tendencies. (This will be covered in great depth later in this book.)
Off-Court Gym: 3 Hours
Core and upper body strength is more important than ever. Hit the gym to prevent injuries as well as build muscle mass.
Off-Court Cardio: 4 Hours
Cross train with short sprints, up hills. Use a random directional approach to clean up hesitation.
Watching Tennis on TV: 2 Hours
Chart the pros, spot styles of play, analyze footwork, and decipher patterns and tendencies of players.
Total Training in One Week: 22 Hours
