The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
Matchday analysis is a staple for NCAA college athletes and professional tennis players and their entourages. Evaluating performance is essential for growth. I recommend two important steps prior to beginning the process of matchday video analysis:
1) Purchase a High-Speed Video Camera. It is often essential to utilize slow-motion playback to actually catch the hundreds of issues not seen by the human eye. Parents reading this may ask “Isn’t it expensive to purchase high-speed cameras and playback equipment?” The answer is …no if you have a smartphone, it’s as easy as purchasing the “Coaches Eye” App. It costs under $10.00 in most countries. It is a great product.
2) Hire a Well-Trained Teacher. A high tennis IQ coach is essential to quantified data. A well-trained eye can spot dozens of issues that simply pass right by 95% of the parents and players watching the exact same film.
Most coaches do practice court “static” stroke mechanic’s video analysis. Coaches, please take it one step further and begin to apply match play video analysis. It often dispels the confusion over what players believe they are doing and the reality of their performances. It will assist the entourage in discovering a whole new world of improvement opportunities.
