The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Decreasing Unforced Errors -Part One
If the most common cause of errors in competitive tennis is shot selection, can you share some examples?
Shot selection starts with understanding that in between each shot in a rally, there are only approximately 2 milliseconds of actual decision making time. So, how much can you analyze in that small amount of time? The answer is not much. This means that most shot selection options are learned behaviors acquired in sparring session, under the watch of a high IQ coach on the practice court.
To explain the importance of shot selection, we will use two of my students, Jack and Jason (brothers that couldn’t be more different). Jason has chosen to focus on the mental/emotional sides of tennis early in his development, while Jack was and still is too cool to listen to this silly stuff and enjoys grooving back and forth to the pro for his entire lesson.
Strength and Weaknesses
Situation: It is add-in. Holding serve means a comfortable 5-2 lead.
Jason: Selects to serve a big kick serve wide to the opponent’s weaker side; He runs the same old boring, Winning pattern to close out the game.
Jack: Selects to go for a huge ace down the center (the one that he made once in a tornado back in 2010); He misses, gets angry and rushes into a double fault.
Broad Vision
Situation: Our player just hit an offensive shot and has the opponent on the dead run; the opponent is stretching and lunging at a low slice backhand.
Jason: Spots the visual clues like the defensive court position, body language, open racket face and defensive strike zone of the opponent. He moves in, takes away the opponent’s recovery time and steals an easy volley winner.
Jack: Didn’t bother to learn to spot these clues, so he stands at the baseline and lets the opponent float the ball back and he then re- starts the rally. Jack just missed an important opportunity to win the point.
Offense, Neutral Defensive Options
Situation: The brothers are in a vulnerable position running fifteen feet behind the baseline retrieving the opponents terrific shot.
Jason: Throws up a deep, high, defensive lob to push the opponent back and gain valuable recovery time.
Jack: Goes for an offensive, down the line pass that lands near the back fence…Then screams…AAAHHHH!
Movement, Balance and Strike Zones
Situation: Our player gets to the ball late. He is off balance and ends up striking the ball down by his socks.
Jason: Quickly dials his offensive shot selection down to neutral and elects to simply keep the opponent from taking an offensive position.
Jack: Is still in full flight and goes for a topspin rip off of his shoe laces. The ball rips into the net. Then yells “Geez!!!”
Winning Score Dynamics
Situation: Our player is winning comfortably 6-3, 4- 1.
Jason: Continues to do the exact same, boring shot selections. He closes out the match in routine fashion. He realizes the importance of saving physical and emotional energy for the next round.
Jack: Gets bored with such a lead. He begins to throw in a bunch of more exciting, yet low percentage new things. In essence, Jack has changed the shot selections that have gained him a comfortable lead. Now the set is 5-5; Jack is so angry that he is acting like a Crazy Person; throwing his racquet and yelling, “I Hate Tennis.” His situation is a result of his wandering mind.
Losing Score Modifications
Situation: Our player is down 1-4 but is actually controlling the court and the points. His hard hitting baseline style is working, but he is simply missing the put away balls by a few inches.
Jason: Spots that the style is working. He adapts by staying with the hard hitting style of play and chooses to apply more top spin to his shots and simply aim three feet inside the lines.
Jack: Is so upset that he is missing, that he does not spot that fact that he is actually controlling the points with his hard hitting baseline style of play. So, he changes his hard hitting style and stands flat footed and pushes every shot. Jack’s slow, short balls are now “Sitting Ducks” and the opponent has a field day hitting winner after winner. After the match, Jack says, “He was too good.”
In summary, thinking, reacting, adjusting and problem solving are critical dimensions in top level tennis. Without it, the physical and technical sides of the athlete tend to drift off course. The key tools needed to compete at higher are developed by training the mental and emotional components of the game. If your child is more like crazy Jack, it may be time to organize their developmental plan before another critical year is wasted away.
Contact Frank Giampaolo
Cell: (949)933-1272
Web Site: www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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