Bigger Better Tennis - Paul Dale

We all desire Control, Understanding, and Predictability in our lives and feel uncomfortable with anything that is out of our control, not understood, or unpredictable. Unknowingly, this need for predictable outcomes may have led us to train for tennis incorrectly. Many training venues use repetition as their 'go-to' method of teaching players the game. Coaches prefer it, and players enjoy it. It makes them feel good!  The repetition method of training involves someone feeding hundreds of balls from a basket.  The balls being fed from the basket will have the same flight, bounce in the same position on the court, arrive at the same speed, will bounce up to the same height, and will each have the same identical spin.  Hitting hundreds of balls like this gives us the predictability that we enjoy. Also, because we eventually begin to hit the ball fairly well ( after hundreds of balls who wouldn't begin to start feeling better with their stroke?), w...

Having a lot of tennis talent can sometimes be a problem for some players because at the beginning of your tennis career talent goes a long way. At lower levels, talent alone can win matches. It’s only when you get higher up the rankings and play the bigger events that your reliance on talent alone will really hurt you. I was at a group 1 ITF Junior event last week and the standard of tennis was very high. Certainly, much higher than the level just a few years ago. Techniques and physical conditioning were exceptional. However, there was one area that was almost invisible, strategic intelligence! Many of the young players on display last week were the best in the world. Many will be participating in the Grand Slam events this year. I can imagine that in their early years many of these top juniors dominated the junior events in their countries. And there lies the problem. Most of the players last week are so gifted, tactics were never needed. They won on talent alone! ...