THE CRITICAL AGE WINDOW: What You Must Teach Before They Turn 14
.webp)
Join 700+ coaches and competitive players getting advanced tennis insights. Get my FREE 'INSIGHTS' Newsletter THE CRITICAL AGE WINDOW: What You Must Teach Before They Turn 14 By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method After 50 years of coaching competitive juniors internationally, I've noticed something troubling: most 11-13-year-olds arrive at my court with games and strokes but crumble under match pressure. They've spent hundreds of hours perfecting their swing mechanics while missing the important fundamentals that actually determine match outcomes. Here are my four non-negotiables for this critical development age. These aren't suggestions—they're the foundation every competitive junior needs to succeed and be in place before they turn 14. Non-Negotiable #1: TIMING (The Ground Fundamental) The Swing Myth That's Destroying Young Players Every coach obsesses over swing mechanics. Back swing early. Follow-through high. Racquet head speed. But here's what I ha...