Bigger Better Tennis - Paul Dale

If you’re a junior tennis player or coaching junior players focusing on the right skills can make all the difference. Let’s explore three essentials that can make all the difference to a junior career and set you up for your next step in tennis. 1. The Value of Underspin Underspin is one of the most useful tools in tennis, but it’s often overlooked by young players and their coaches. Underspin keeps it low and controlled. Mastering underspin gives you a significant edge in several parts of the game: Approach Shots:  The art of moving forward in the court and putting pressure on the opponent is missing from a lot of junior games. However, if you can't move forward to the net when the opportunity arises later at the professional level your game will be severely limited. Underspin keeps your approach shot low and forces your opponent to hit up, giving you an easier volley and making it harder for them to pass you at the net. Volleys: When volleying, underspin helps you create fee...

As tennis coaches, we must constantly refine our skills, seek new knowledge, and challenge how we do things . Here are three proven ways to boost your coaching ability , along with insights into why they work and what to watch for. 1. Attend ITF Workshops and Learn from Experts One of the easiest ways to gain knowledge as a tennis coach is by attending International Tennis Federation (ITF) workshops and other similar events. These gatherings offer insights from experienced speakers, access to the latest trends in coaching , and an opportunity to network with other coaches from around the world. However, it’s important to recognize that this form of learning only takes you so far. ITF workshops often focus on foundational principles, which are invaluable but may eventually plateau in their usefulness. As you progress, you’ll need to seek out more specialized sources of inspiration and deeper knowledge tailored to your specific coaching goals. 2. Learn from Mentors and Collaborat...

Tennis is as much a mental game as a physical one, and this truth becomes painfully evident for many junior players when they step onto the court. Mental struggles—stress, pressure, negativity and a lack of confidence—can lead to feelings of helplessness, self-doubt, and frustration.  For these players, and there are many like this, it’s so overwhelming that it affects their results every time they compete. This mental anguish is not limited to junior players; even seasoned competitors struggle with it. So, how do we address this challenge? The Baby Analogy Let’s think about a baby for a moment. When a baby is uncomfortable—hungry, tired, on danger—it cries. Crying is their way of signalling to their caregiver that they need help. It’s instinctive, it’s their only way to communicate that something is wrong. Now, here’s the problem: many people never truly grow out of this stage. Even as they age, their first response to discomfort, failure, or challenge is to seek external help or ...

  Breaking Old Habits and Embracing New Ideas For 64 years, I didn’t drink coffee. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it—I’d just decided at some point that coffee wasn’t for me. It became part of my identity: I was someone who didn’t drink coffee. I never questioned it; it was just the way things were. Then, one day, something changed. I decided to try it. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was the challenge of stepping outside my comfort zone, but I gave coffee a chance. And to my surprise, I loved it. Now, having a cup of coffee is one of my favourite things to do each day. I look forward to it, and I’m genuinely happy that I broke the mold of who I thought I was. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t easy to change. I had to let go of an attachment to my old way of thinking—of the story I’d told myself for so long. I had to open my mind to the idea that I could enjoy something I’d always dismissed. And by doing that, I found something wonderful. What Does This Have to Do with Coaching? As co...

The foundation of great tennis lies in control of the ball. When you can control the ball, you can control the court—and when you can control the court, you dictate the match. Too often, players focus on power or speed without understanding that none of it matters if you can’t place the ball exactly where it needs to go. That’s why mastering ball control is essential. It’s not just about hitting—it’s about precision, strategy, and using every shot to take charge of the game. In this lesson, I’ll share three simple, easy-to-implement techniques that will transform how you think about ball control. These methods will help you develop a deeper understanding of how to command the ball, take control of the court, and ultimately dictate the outcome of your matches. Let’s dive in and start building the control that every great player needs. For any player wanting to make sense of ball control.

The term footwork is meaningless unless a player understands what the feet must do. Once the goal of footwork is understood, players will be much better equipped to execute better court movement, be more balanced in their strokes, and recover faster to the next ball. A tennis mentoring channel for advanced coaches and players: The Competitive Tennis Players Notebook     / @biggerbettertennis