Tennis Drill: Improve Tennis Action Flow
First published on 9-09-2009. Bookmark & share
by Randy Lynn Rutledge - a previously certified USPTA Tennis Teaching Professional
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
This is a drill to Improve Tennis Action Flow (Mindfulness) and Block out Distractions
Singles Version - Use at least three players per court for the singles version.
Two players rally with or without using a serve to begin. The extra person is required to stand out of the play area and within 6 feet of either net post to observe the action on the court. Free play is allowed to take place without consequences when any person who is supposed to be at the pole is not within six feet of either one of the two net posts for the court being used.
The waiting person at the pole takes the place of the drill participant who makes an error or fails to respond to a successful ball which could have been played; before taking the court to replace the person who was obviously to blame for the last error, the pole person must state how the point ended and make a suggestion to the new pole person about how to fix the error which was made. The pole person is required to accurately accomplish this task before being allowed to take the court. If unsuccessful, more points are observed until this task is accurately accomplished.
Note: If the pole person does not notice the end of a point, then the on-court players continue to play. The object is to get everyone more involved in paying attention to the details of the tennis action in the present moment. Paying attention is a very valuable tennis ability for any tennis player to possess.
Tennis coaches: Feel free to engage the person at the pole in conversation or point out other happenings in the immediate area in an effort to distract that person from accomplishing the assigned task. If the pole person does not catch on to what you are doing, then, after you have caused some failure, let them know what you have been doing. This should help them to stay focused on the tennis action in the present moment for longer periods of time; also, using this tactic can alert your student to the types of change-of-side distraction tactics that opponents might try to use against them.
Doubles Version - 5 players: Use at least five players per court for the doubles version. This version is played with four players are on the court, so a player rotates out when he or she is responsible for not successfully returning an incoming tennis ball.
Doubles Version - 6 or more players: This version is played the same as the singles version with the exception that four players are on the court, so a team rotates out when they are responsible for not successfully returning an incoming tennis ball.
Two players rally with or without using a serve to begin. The extra person is required to stand out of the play area and within 6 feet of either net post to observe the action on the court. Free play is allowed to take place without consequences when any person who is supposed to be at the pole is not within six feet of either one of the two net posts for the court being used.
The waiting person at the pole takes the place of the drill participant who makes an error or fails to respond to a successful ball which could have been played; before taking the court to replace the person who was obviously to blame for the last error, the pole person must state how the point ended and make a suggestion to the new pole person about how to fix the error which was made. The pole person is required to accurately accomplish this task before being allowed to take the court. If unsuccessful, more points are observed until this task is accurately accomplished.
Note: If the pole person does not notice the end of a point, then the on-court players continue to play. The object is to get everyone more involved in paying attention to the details of the tennis action in the present moment. Paying attention is a very valuable tennis ability for any tennis player to possess.
Tennis coaches: Feel free to engage the person at the pole in conversation or point out other happenings in the immediate area in an effort to distract that person from accomplishing the assigned task. If the pole person does not catch on to what you are doing, then, after you have caused some failure, let them know what you have been doing. This should help them to stay focused on the tennis action in the present moment for longer periods of time; also, using this tactic can alert your student to the types of change-of-side distraction tactics that opponents might try to use against them.
Doubles Version - 5 players: Use at least five players per court for the doubles version. This version is played with four players are on the court, so a player rotates out when he or she is responsible for not successfully returning an incoming tennis ball.
Doubles Version - 6 or more players: This version is played the same as the singles version with the exception that four players are on the court, so a team rotates out when they are responsible for not successfully returning an incoming tennis ball.