The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!
SAMPLE WEEKLY TRAINING SCHEDULE
Just as a player’s tournament schedule will vary based on their short and long term goals, a players training schedule must also be customized. Your youngster’s requirements will dramatically vary from age divisions, maturity levels, and how well they digest information.
Training regiments also vary depending on the upcoming tournament schedule (called periodization). Obviously a player in the semi-finals of a big event would train radically different than a player four weeks away from their next tournament/team match.
Time management skill will prepare your athlete for life on and off the courts. It’s important to remember the estimated success formula to becoming world class: Approximately twenty hours a week of applying a deliberate customized developmental plan for about ten years.
The following is a sample week of one of my top nationally ranked U.S. Juniors. His long term goal was to play division 1 college tennis and then progress to the pro tours.
|
SAMPLE Training Week |
|
|
Training Component |
Time Per Week |
| Practice Sets/Tournament Matches:
He schedules different styles and different ability levels of opponents. |
4 Hours |
| Technical/Mechanical Stroke Lessons:
He corrects flaws in their primary strokes and builds upon his secondary strokes. |
2 Hours |
| Mental Training:
He focuses on pattern repetition. Being sure to practice his Top 7 patterns and the patterns to run to beat retrievers. |
4 Hours |
| Emotional Training:
He focuses on applying his between point rituals as well as his protocols to overcome performance anxieties. |
4 Hours |
| Video Analysis:
After videotaping a tournament match, we analyzed patterns, lapses in focus and opponent profiling. |
1 Hours |
| Off-Court Gym
He hits the gym to improve explosive speed and power, and to prevent injuries. |
3 Hours |
| Off-Court Cardio
He cross trains with a random directional approach to clean up foot speed and brain speed (hesitation). |
4 Hours |
| Watching Tennis on TV:
He charts the pros, spot styles of play, analyze footwork, and decipher patterns. |
2 Hours |
| Total Weekly Training:
(Non-Tournament Schedule) |
24 Hours |
For more information, investigate how a successful athlete’ family got them there. Invite them out to lunch. Ask process oriented questions. Take notes about their developmental plan, scheduling and obstacles. Parents who have been through the wars are often eager to help.
