Teaching and Coaching Tennis
Learn from David W. Smith:
- Tennis Coaches: Providing a proven formula for
attracting players, effectively training large numbers of
players and producing Successful Teams, year after year.
- Tennis Parents: Finally, a resource to provide all tennis
parents, regardless of any previous tennis playing or teaching
experience, a clear and proven progression to help your kids
reach their true "Tennis Potential."
- Tennis Teaching Professionals: As we all know
there are good teaching pros and there are GREAT teaching
pros. Coaching Mastery brings a lifetime of tennis teaching
and club-level programming and directing to everyone who
seeks or is currently teaching tennis professionally.
Learn from David W. Smith:
- USPT Certified teaching professional
with P-1 rating;
Senior Editor for the world's top-rated
tennis instructional web site;
Author of the top-selling book, TENNIS
MASTERY;
Prince Elite Advisory Staff member.
| Coaching Mastery David W. Smith Shares his 30-Plus Years of Coaching & Teaching Excellence Available Now in the 1st Edition Printing |
Following the world-wide embrace of David Smith’s first book,
TENNIS MASTERY, Dave now brings his “Advanced Foundation”
to the art of Coaching and Teaching Tennis. COACHING
MASTERY will become every tennis coach, tennis parent and tennis
teaching pro’s tennis-teaching “Bible”…a resource that brings reality to
the world of developing championship teams and successful
individuals.
For the high school Tennis Coach: COACHING
MASTERY will provide EVERY coach, from the highly experienced
to the uninitiated, a “Blueprint” to attracting players, designing effective
and efficient tennis practices, and a guideline for “TEAM” success year
after year.
For the Tennis Parent: Regardless of your tennis playing
experience, COACHING MASTERY will provide you with a clear
and proven method to make sure you are providing your child the right
progression and learning to help them reach their personal best!
And, for the Tennis Professional: As we all know, there are
good pros and there are great pros. The biggest difference between the
two is the passion that such pros bring to the court. With passion
comes the desire to learn new ideas, drills, and philosophies. Pros who
regularly attend teaching or coaching clinics readily understand the
value of experience. Dave Smith brings a lifetime of tennis club
experience that can benefit each and every professional greatly.
TENNIS MASTERY, Dave now brings his “Advanced Foundation”
to the art of Coaching and Teaching Tennis. COACHING
MASTERY will become every tennis coach, tennis parent and tennis
teaching pro’s tennis-teaching “Bible”…a resource that brings reality to
the world of developing championship teams and successful
individuals.
For the high school Tennis Coach: COACHING
MASTERY will provide EVERY coach, from the highly experienced
to the uninitiated, a “Blueprint” to attracting players, designing effective
and efficient tennis practices, and a guideline for “TEAM” success year
after year.
For the Tennis Parent: Regardless of your tennis playing
experience, COACHING MASTERY will provide you with a clear
and proven method to make sure you are providing your child the right
progression and learning to help them reach their personal best!
And, for the Tennis Professional: As we all know, there are
good pros and there are great pros. The biggest difference between the
two is the passion that such pros bring to the court. With passion
comes the desire to learn new ideas, drills, and philosophies. Pros who
regularly attend teaching or coaching clinics readily understand the
value of experience. Dave Smith brings a lifetime of tennis club
experience that can benefit each and every professional greatly.
| Coaching Mastery A Look Inside |
Section One: Page
Defining the Advanced Foundation for Team and Individual Coaches .....................................1
Chapter 1: Coaching and Teaching Tennis: Dynamic Differences; Striking Similarities ....................3
Chapter 2: Defining Each Player’s “True Potential”.....................................................................10
Chapter 3: Attracting Tennis Players: “Build it and they will come.”.............................................27
Chapter 4: Preparing for Practice: Efficient Team Building ..........................................................41
Chapter 5: Keys and Philosophies to Teaching and Coaching Successful Tennis .........................61
Section Two: The Player Development Model: Programming the Progression ..........................75
Chapter 6: Starting Out: An Introduction to the Beginning Tennis Program ..................................77
Chapter 7: Starting the Progression: The Volley ........................................................................111
Chapter 8: Developing a World-Class Serve ............................................................................147
Chapter 9: Groundstrokes and Specialty Shots ........................................................................175
Section Three: Working with Large Groups ........................................................................237
Chapter 10: Designing Your Program ......................................................................................239
Chapter 11: Designing your TEAM Practice ............................................................................261
Chapter 12: The “Club” Professional .......................................................................................281
Chapter 13: Drills and Games .................................................................................................2 97
Chapter 14: Tennis “Strategies”: From Mental to Playing Strategies ..........................................309
Chapter 15: So you want to turn Pro…....................................................................................345
50 Drills by Ken Dehart .....................................................................................................356
Glossary ..................................................................................................................................371
Defining the Advanced Foundation for Team and Individual Coaches .....................................1
Chapter 1: Coaching and Teaching Tennis: Dynamic Differences; Striking Similarities ....................3
Chapter 2: Defining Each Player’s “True Potential”.....................................................................10
Chapter 3: Attracting Tennis Players: “Build it and they will come.”.............................................27
Chapter 4: Preparing for Practice: Efficient Team Building ..........................................................41
Chapter 5: Keys and Philosophies to Teaching and Coaching Successful Tennis .........................61
Section Two: The Player Development Model: Programming the Progression ..........................75
Chapter 6: Starting Out: An Introduction to the Beginning Tennis Program ..................................77
Chapter 7: Starting the Progression: The Volley ........................................................................111
Chapter 8: Developing a World-Class Serve ............................................................................147
Chapter 9: Groundstrokes and Specialty Shots ........................................................................175
Section Three: Working with Large Groups ........................................................................237
Chapter 10: Designing Your Program ......................................................................................239
Chapter 11: Designing your TEAM Practice ............................................................................261
Chapter 12: The “Club” Professional .......................................................................................281
Chapter 13: Drills and Games .................................................................................................2 97
Chapter 14: Tennis “Strategies”: From Mental to Playing Strategies ..........................................309
Chapter 15: So you want to turn Pro…....................................................................................345
50 Drills by Ken Dehart .....................................................................................................356
Glossary ..................................................................................................................................371
Forward
By David Smith
Responsibility and Reward
To the High School Coach
Coaching and teaching tennis, or any sport or activity for that matter, brings with it a sense of responsibility…and with that responsibility, comes a
real understanding of genuine reward.
It is unfortunate that so many coaches do not understand these two concepts, that of responsibility and reward. It is rare to have a staff member in
any high school around the country have as much connection and be as much of a role model as that of being a sporting coach. Having been in
public education for 16 years, I can attest to the phenomenal teachers and faculty members at all of the schools I have taught at. However, while a
student may have a math or English teacher for one school year, it is often the coach who will be influential in an athlete’s life for two, three or
more often, all four years of a teen’s high school career. And, unlike many sports where there are often several coaches, ones that teach specific
teams (as in football where there is an offensive or defensive coach, etc.), or that teach specific levels (such as varsity, J.V. or a freshman team),
tennis coaches usually are the entire coaching staff for all levels and players. Thus, the tennis coach becomes much more involved in seeing his
student-athletes grow, mature, and become more proficient in their sport.
It is not uncommon to have the tennis coach be the one adult that a high school tennis player will see more than any other adult; oftentimes more
than parents, certainly more than school teachers, and for sure, more than any aunt or uncle! During a season, a coach usually sees each player
ten to fifteen hours or more each week for several months. Many tennis coaches are involved in off-season coaching as well, being involved in
many of his or her players year-round. This connection builds a relationship that is often long-lasting—if not lifelong—and certainly one that is
meaningful!
Because tennis is a lifetime sport, one that can be played for a person’s entire life, (barring some handicap or injury), it is the tennis coach who,
hopefully, provides the wisdom for a person to play tennis well for that lifetime. The high school coach is usually responsible for most of his
athletes’ training. While there are a few players who take lessons outside the high school team season, the vast majority of players will learn their
tennis from their high school coach.
Thus, it should be considered by anyone teaching tennis, that what you are going to teach your students will, very well likely, be with them for a
long time!
To the Teaching Pro
In many parts of the country, if not all, a teaching pro at a club or public facility is many times a regular fixture in the life of a young tennis player. I
have had the pleasure of both teaching and coaching, and have had many players be involved, some heavily, in my programs for 5 to 10 years or
more! Perhaps more than the tennis coach, a regular teaching pro can be involved with a player all year for many years. Tennis is a sport that is
mastered in progressive steps (within advanced learning patterns), and it can be rewarding to a pro to see these steps be achieved year after year
by students. We often see kids mature and build character; we get to watch personalities emerge and physical changes take place. Like a parent,
we get to witness so many changes and, often, be an integral part of this growth and development.
I have students who think of me as a parent. I enjoy this. Many teaching pros, I’m sure, enjoy this reflection and adulation. Yet, with such a
reward comes that word again: RESPONISBILITY. Teaching pros must recognize this, both from a role-model aspect, as well as in teaching this
lifelong sport in such a way that the student enjoys and gets the most out of it. It must not be forgotten that anyone who is involved with and has
influence in the lives of any number of young people, has a responsibility to provide optimal learning opportunities, proper and appropriate
learning progressions, and effective and efficient learning methods.
To the Tennis Parent
Remember that you are not to live your life vicariously through your children. However, the desire for your kids to enjoy tennis and play it well—if
not better than you, (if you do play it!)—is a very strong, compelling, and REWARDING aspiration. Not every child will take to tennis. Not
every child can become a nationally ranked junior or an eventual world-class player. For many, tennis might be a fun thing to try but abandon it
for something else for any number of reasons. And then, many of those will often return to tennis for any number of other reasons!
balls on any given day. This is not a bad sign at all. When my daughter was 5, we only spent a few minutes a week working on stop. Ideally, you
fundamentals…yet, we did these in a way that made her want to do more. Always stop working and practicing BEFORE your child wants to to
be too much for your child, is challenging.
stop. Ideally, you will want to stop when your child still wants to hit more. This way, he or she will be looking forward from that point on, to hit
again with you. But, this is a balancing act. Finding out where that point is, that gets the most out of a practice but allows you to stop before it gets
to be too much for your child, is challenging.
There are a wide variety of parents just as there are a wide variety of children. Some parents want to push, push, push, while others are totally
laid back and almost do nothing except provide balls and a hitting partner. Obviously, many children will react negatively to one approach while
others might embrace that same approach with gusto.
In more cases than not, I have watched parents TRY to teach their kids tennis. In most of these cases, while the parent has probably played
tennis, they seldom know how to teach tennis…especially to children. I cringe when I watch such a parent telling their child improper methods or
methods that will severely limit their potential…all because the parent is ignorant and inexperienced in how kids learn and develop. Yet, given the
right tools and information, parents can take this connection with their son or daughter and help them achieve terrific tennis skills. And, that is the
goal of this book!
From a longevity standpoint, pushing too hard at too young of an age can create total burn out in a youngster. However, I have found ways that
can help you keep challenging your child yet keep the game in a constant flux of success and fun…and build a desire in the child (and you!) to
want more.
Remember, as I will mention again later in this book, fun can be defined by many criteria. You can have great fun while challenging your child to
use proper grips, strokes and footwork patterns. It is all in how your child perceives fun…and how you make it that way. Use this book to create
the optimal ways to have your child master this game and then enjoy it through such mastery!
You too have the same responsibilities as the tennis coach and teaching pro. In fact, your responsibilities lie on a greater plane than either of these
instructors: While a player can change coaches or pros, he or she usually can’t change who their mom or dad is! Remember that no sport is worth
damaging your relationship with your child. Done right, tennis can bring parents and children closer together! So, make sure it is the latter and not
the former!
Rewards
You should understand that with all these responsibilities come tremendous rewards. Not just winning team matches or having individuals win
tournaments, or having your child succeed in the sport; the reward from coaching can be found in the joy of knowing these kids will be better
because of you.
Kids, years later, (usually when they have a family themselves), recognize the effect you have had on them. I have enjoyed hearing from many
such students, writing letters, sending me e-mails, telling me how much they learned about life, not just tennis, from their years of being on my team
or taking lessons from me.
A school coach is lucky in that they usually get to teach kids that WANT to be there! Unlike some academic classes, most kids come to tennis
willingly. Yet, a bad coach can turn that desire into displeasure…not by intention, but usually more by poor preparation. It is hoped that this book
prevents a bad experience by you and/or by your students through a better understanding of how you can be ready. Players are more than willing
to work hard for a coach they know cares about them as well as a coach who is going to give them the best shot at reaching high levels of
performance.
My father, nationally recognized tennis Coach Bruce Smith had a poem that I believe can help each coach, teaching pro, and even parent, be far
better. I know it has helped me remember the importance of my position. I hope it helps you, too!
Best wishes in reaching success for you and your tennis-playing students!
David Smith
September 2007
By David Smith
Responsibility and Reward
To the High School Coach
Coaching and teaching tennis, or any sport or activity for that matter, brings with it a sense of responsibility…and with that responsibility, comes a
real understanding of genuine reward.
It is unfortunate that so many coaches do not understand these two concepts, that of responsibility and reward. It is rare to have a staff member in
any high school around the country have as much connection and be as much of a role model as that of being a sporting coach. Having been in
public education for 16 years, I can attest to the phenomenal teachers and faculty members at all of the schools I have taught at. However, while a
student may have a math or English teacher for one school year, it is often the coach who will be influential in an athlete’s life for two, three or
more often, all four years of a teen’s high school career. And, unlike many sports where there are often several coaches, ones that teach specific
teams (as in football where there is an offensive or defensive coach, etc.), or that teach specific levels (such as varsity, J.V. or a freshman team),
tennis coaches usually are the entire coaching staff for all levels and players. Thus, the tennis coach becomes much more involved in seeing his
student-athletes grow, mature, and become more proficient in their sport.
It is not uncommon to have the tennis coach be the one adult that a high school tennis player will see more than any other adult; oftentimes more
than parents, certainly more than school teachers, and for sure, more than any aunt or uncle! During a season, a coach usually sees each player
ten to fifteen hours or more each week for several months. Many tennis coaches are involved in off-season coaching as well, being involved in
many of his or her players year-round. This connection builds a relationship that is often long-lasting—if not lifelong—and certainly one that is
meaningful!
Because tennis is a lifetime sport, one that can be played for a person’s entire life, (barring some handicap or injury), it is the tennis coach who,
hopefully, provides the wisdom for a person to play tennis well for that lifetime. The high school coach is usually responsible for most of his
athletes’ training. While there are a few players who take lessons outside the high school team season, the vast majority of players will learn their
tennis from their high school coach.
Thus, it should be considered by anyone teaching tennis, that what you are going to teach your students will, very well likely, be with them for a
long time!
To the Teaching Pro
In many parts of the country, if not all, a teaching pro at a club or public facility is many times a regular fixture in the life of a young tennis player. I
have had the pleasure of both teaching and coaching, and have had many players be involved, some heavily, in my programs for 5 to 10 years or
more! Perhaps more than the tennis coach, a regular teaching pro can be involved with a player all year for many years. Tennis is a sport that is
mastered in progressive steps (within advanced learning patterns), and it can be rewarding to a pro to see these steps be achieved year after year
by students. We often see kids mature and build character; we get to watch personalities emerge and physical changes take place. Like a parent,
we get to witness so many changes and, often, be an integral part of this growth and development.
I have students who think of me as a parent. I enjoy this. Many teaching pros, I’m sure, enjoy this reflection and adulation. Yet, with such a
reward comes that word again: RESPONISBILITY. Teaching pros must recognize this, both from a role-model aspect, as well as in teaching this
lifelong sport in such a way that the student enjoys and gets the most out of it. It must not be forgotten that anyone who is involved with and has
influence in the lives of any number of young people, has a responsibility to provide optimal learning opportunities, proper and appropriate
learning progressions, and effective and efficient learning methods.
To the Tennis Parent
Remember that you are not to live your life vicariously through your children. However, the desire for your kids to enjoy tennis and play it well—if
not better than you, (if you do play it!)—is a very strong, compelling, and REWARDING aspiration. Not every child will take to tennis. Not
every child can become a nationally ranked junior or an eventual world-class player. For many, tennis might be a fun thing to try but abandon it
for something else for any number of reasons. And then, many of those will often return to tennis for any number of other reasons!
balls on any given day. This is not a bad sign at all. When my daughter was 5, we only spent a few minutes a week working on stop. Ideally, you
fundamentals…yet, we did these in a way that made her want to do more. Always stop working and practicing BEFORE your child wants to to
be too much for your child, is challenging.
stop. Ideally, you will want to stop when your child still wants to hit more. This way, he or she will be looking forward from that point on, to hit
again with you. But, this is a balancing act. Finding out where that point is, that gets the most out of a practice but allows you to stop before it gets
to be too much for your child, is challenging.
There are a wide variety of parents just as there are a wide variety of children. Some parents want to push, push, push, while others are totally
laid back and almost do nothing except provide balls and a hitting partner. Obviously, many children will react negatively to one approach while
others might embrace that same approach with gusto.
In more cases than not, I have watched parents TRY to teach their kids tennis. In most of these cases, while the parent has probably played
tennis, they seldom know how to teach tennis…especially to children. I cringe when I watch such a parent telling their child improper methods or
methods that will severely limit their potential…all because the parent is ignorant and inexperienced in how kids learn and develop. Yet, given the
right tools and information, parents can take this connection with their son or daughter and help them achieve terrific tennis skills. And, that is the
goal of this book!
From a longevity standpoint, pushing too hard at too young of an age can create total burn out in a youngster. However, I have found ways that
can help you keep challenging your child yet keep the game in a constant flux of success and fun…and build a desire in the child (and you!) to
want more.
Remember, as I will mention again later in this book, fun can be defined by many criteria. You can have great fun while challenging your child to
use proper grips, strokes and footwork patterns. It is all in how your child perceives fun…and how you make it that way. Use this book to create
the optimal ways to have your child master this game and then enjoy it through such mastery!
You too have the same responsibilities as the tennis coach and teaching pro. In fact, your responsibilities lie on a greater plane than either of these
instructors: While a player can change coaches or pros, he or she usually can’t change who their mom or dad is! Remember that no sport is worth
damaging your relationship with your child. Done right, tennis can bring parents and children closer together! So, make sure it is the latter and not
the former!
Rewards
You should understand that with all these responsibilities come tremendous rewards. Not just winning team matches or having individuals win
tournaments, or having your child succeed in the sport; the reward from coaching can be found in the joy of knowing these kids will be better
because of you.
Kids, years later, (usually when they have a family themselves), recognize the effect you have had on them. I have enjoyed hearing from many
such students, writing letters, sending me e-mails, telling me how much they learned about life, not just tennis, from their years of being on my team
or taking lessons from me.
A school coach is lucky in that they usually get to teach kids that WANT to be there! Unlike some academic classes, most kids come to tennis
willingly. Yet, a bad coach can turn that desire into displeasure…not by intention, but usually more by poor preparation. It is hoped that this book
prevents a bad experience by you and/or by your students through a better understanding of how you can be ready. Players are more than willing
to work hard for a coach they know cares about them as well as a coach who is going to give them the best shot at reaching high levels of
performance.
My father, nationally recognized tennis Coach Bruce Smith had a poem that I believe can help each coach, teaching pro, and even parent, be far
better. I know it has helped me remember the importance of my position. I hope it helps you, too!
Best wishes in reaching success for you and your tennis-playing students!
David Smith
September 2007
|
| Author Dave W. Smith on the court |
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USPTA certified P-1 Teaching Pro as
your COACH?
USPTA certified P-1 Teaching Pro as
your COACH?
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| USA Purchases ...........Go Here $24.95 + $8.00 S&H Go Here For International $24.95 + $14.00 S&H |