Creating “Likeable” Tennis Lessons

Make your tennis lessons “likeable” by avoiding these 4 undesirables.

1. Lines – avoid having your students stand in lines and waiting for their next turn to play.  Make it a “moving experience” by using cones, donuts and games so the players are purposefully moving.
2. Yelling – don’t yell from across the net.  Learn to coach from the same side of the net they are on by using ball machines, other feeders and games.
3. Picking up balls – don’t make them pick up balls.  Use that time to teach them how to exercise their hamstrings, quads, glutes, groin and learning how to do a split step.  These are the 2 exercises a personal trainer would use to get them in shape: lunges and squats.  We don’t even charge extra for the personal training during our lessons.
4. Shadowing – they hate to “shadow” – it’s not real tennis.  It’s not shadowing, its free practice time.  It takes 10,000 to 12,000 hours to become a high level player.  The more swings you get in during this hour the closer you are to being good.  Besides, if you can’t do  the skill without the ball – how can you do it when the ball coming to you?

A masterful tennis professional will make learning fun by using these  “4 Undesirables” in a positive way so students will learn tennis in a fun environment. They will make lesson time “likeable” by doing the following “4 Desirable” things with their students:

1. Be organized – so time passes quickly and is used efficiently so they get true value.
2. Teamwork – use games and competitions where students learn to cooperate to improve.
3. Play – give them a game situation so they can see the progress of their skills they have worked on in the lessons.  They take lessons so they can become better players not lesson-takers.
4. Learning – they want to improve.  Remind them of what they worked on during the lesson and how much they have improved. Also point out how to practice so they will improve faster for the next lesson or their next big match.

Photo Credits: Joe Shlabotnik

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This post involves:

coaching tennis, free practice time, game situation, hamstrings, how to do a split, learning how to do a split, lesson time, lunges and squats, personal trainer, personal training, teaching tennis, tennis, tennis exercises, tennis lessons, tennis professional, value teamwork

... and focuses on:

Coaching, Tennis Tips

Posted by Ken DeHart on May 11, 2010 in Coaching, Tennis Tips. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.