TRAINING X-FACTOR IN 3 STEPS

I recently worked with a group of strong ITF-level juniors. Each player had a solid game; my task was to take these accomplished juniors and prepare them for the next tournament.

Because ground strokes are essential to a player’s competitive success, I focused on improving their existing ground-stroke game.  Many players at this level have good groundstrokes but lack the X-factor that separates promising juniors from those who transition successfully into the professional ranks. I wanted to remove them from their "consistent, safety first" mindset and add some "X-Factor" to their games.

During the week of training, I brought together 3 different teaching theories. I created a much stronger, more effective game that would continue to develop far into the future.

The 3 Theories I worked with them on were:

    1. THE 7 TARGET ZONES: Knowing where to hit the Ball and Why

There are 7 target zones on the court. They are…

(1)                Deep Baseline Corner (right side)

(2)                Deep Baseline Corner (left side)

(3)                Side “T” (right side)

(4)                Side “T” (left side)

(5)                Drop Shot Corner (right side)

(6)                Drop Shot Corner (left side)

(7)                Centre Baseline (middle rectangular area)

The best players don’t just hit the ball to “get it in”.  Accomplished players use targets to assist in attacking and defending the point.  Playing with a “one shot” mindset at the tournament level will not work against an experienced opponent.

Tennis is a form of chess, the 7 target zones on the court taking the place of the squares on the chessboard, and the ball replacing the chess pieces.  Like chess, you must coordinate a series of on-court target zones to outmanoeuvre your opponent and gain an advantage.  

Drills to help familiarise yourself and develop a “7 Target Zone” mindset:

Throwing Drill:

To create a “target zone” mindset, I first show players the 7 zones on the court and then have them rally together by hand, throwing the ball to the 7 target areas (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7) instead of using their racquets.

Create games with this drill by setting rules that require the player to throw the ball from a stationary position.

Hitting Slow

I then repeat the same drill, but this time, have the players use their racquets to find the 7 target zones.  This step should be done slowly, emphasising accuracy, not speed and finishing. 

“No Winner” Game

The No Winner game is played to work the “opponent” around the court using the 7 target zones.  The goal is to run the opponent off their feet. Don’t try to finish the rally quickly, but instead concentrate on applying pressure on your opponent's shot selection mistakes and their court coverage. It will also develop your responses to creating and defending positional pressure from your opponent.

2.  'THE DIRECTIONALS': Playing the Percentages

“The Directionals” were developed by Paul Wardlaw to create a high-percentage shot selection template for players. There are 3 types of balls to consider:

§  The Outside Ball

This cross-court ball comes from one side of the body (i.e., the left) and travels to the outer side (right).

We refer to the line of the shoulders; if a ball travelling crosscourt passes one shoulder of a player and makes its way past the outside shoulder, it's an “Outside Ball”. 

Hitting an Outside Ball is considered the best way to create offence and the best way to defend when under pressure at the baseline.

§  Inside Ball

If the ball doesn’t reach the outer shoulder, it’s an “Inside Ball”.  Inside Balls are considered the best balls to change direction on and to create the most effective offence.

§  90 Degree Ball

This is the ball hit down the line.  When hitting down the line, the ball must cross the far baseline at 90 degrees. Therefore, the down-the-line ball is used mainly to outmanoeuvre the opponent.

When you are playing at the baseline, the high percentage option is to dominate the cross-court exchanges.  When at net, the high percentage option is to volley mainly down the line.

We worked on the correct options throughout the week and tried eliminating low-percentage options from their games.

Drills to develop “Directionals”:

Cross Court & Change

Two players start a cross-court rally and try to dominate the exchange by hitting heavier or deeper.  If one of the players has an opportunity on a short ball, they can change down the line at 90 degrees and finish the “point”.

This drill helps the player recognise the correct type of ball to change down the line and gain confidence in creating inside balls.

No Winner Game

I have already described the No Winner game. When used to develop the Directionals, the player will have many opportunities to build a solid outside ball, become mentally stronger in long rallies, and learn to respond correctly in various situations.

Basket Feed & “Outside” targets

Place two cone targets on the court, each representing the outside shoulder.  Feed 6 balls side to side (FH & BH) and have the player practice hitting a crosscourt outer ball beyond the “cone shoulder”.

3.  The DNO Theory: DEFENSE, NEUTRAL & OFFENSE TEMPLATE

I have outlined the DNO Theory in a previous blog: http://thetenniswhisperer.blogspot.sg/2012/04/dno-theory-shot-selection-template.html.

Drills to develop the DNO Theory:

Cross-court & change DTL

Similar to the previous drill, both players start by hitting crosscourt. On the correct ball, one of the players can change the direction down the line, and the two players play the point out until one player wins.

Combining these three theories, all the players received training on targeting, playing the percentages and correct shot selection.