Multi Court Tennis Drills

Tennis teachers usually have a great number of tennis drills to use for a single tennis court. Since most tennis coaches start their career by teaching private lessons or smaller groups, they soon become quite comfortable teaching their tennis drills on one court. However, under certain circumstances, teaching pros have to adjust to using multiple tennis courts. Such instances are teaching high school or college tennis teams, tennis camps, or a league team. Many tennis coaches freeze up when it comes to dealing with large groups on multiple courts. Here are three tennis drills to use on multiple tennis courts to help struggling tennis coaches.

The first tennis drill is called "Baseline Battle". Players form teams of two. Each team starts at the baseline on each court in the middle. The courts are ranked from high to low. The first players on each team play out the point on the singles court. The winning player stays in and the losing player switches with his partner. Players can not play more than three points in a row. Once a team reaches 15 points, everyone stops play. The teams with more points are the winners. Winning teams move up higher a full court; losing teams move down a full court. The drill is repeated two or three more times. Winners can be worth two points. This tennis drill is very popular among high school tennis teams.

The next drill is called the "21 Point Drill". The drill is played on two tennis courts. One player starts at each baseline on both courts. The rest of the players line up between the courts at the net post. The players on both courts play out the point against each other. The winning players stay in and the losing players go to the end of the line in the middle. The first player in line replaces the losing player. Players collect points individually. The first player to reach 21 points is the winner. This tennis drill can be used even with different level players.

The last tennis drill is called Baseline Defender. The drill is played on two courts. The players form two teams. One player on each team starts at the baseline on side B. They are the defenders. The rest of the players line up behind the baseline on side A on different courts facing the defender from the other team. The first player in each line feeds the ball in and plays out the point against the defender. The players go to the end of the line after each point, and the next player in line comes in. The points are played simultaneously on both courts. Once a team beats the defender seven times, the round ends and the team scores a point. A different player selected from each team to be the defender. The round is then repeated. The drill ends when every player has played as defender. The team with the most points wins the game.

These are just a few tennis drills that help to accommodate a large number of tennis players on multiple courts. Tennis professionals have to be flexible to be able to adapt to unexpected circumstances. They have to know a great number of tennis drills to be able to improvise in any situation. This knowledge of tennis drills separates the best coaches from the good ones.

The author is a tennis professional with over 20 years of teaching experience. Find out more at www.protennisdrills.net which is the best resource online to find new tennis drills.

10 Top Tennis Tips For Coaching Junior Tennis Players

Mini Tennis, Pee Wee Tennis, Tiny Tots Tennis, Little Mozzies! Coaching Junior Beginners has been called everything. The bottom line for tennis coaches is that having a strong beginner tennis coaching program is the key to a long term sustainable business operation.

Putting together an exciting and challenging tennis coaching program for the young player should be a priority for any serious coach. These young beginners also need some special coaching methods to teach them to love tennis and stay in the game.

Tip 1 - Success equals Confidence equals Fun! Tennis is in the recreation business and coaches are fighting to attract young athletes to the sport so that grass roots programs flourish and we produce players at the elite level. Be constantly positive; play fun games which all players can succeed; create an atmosphere at your club that parents and children can enjoy. Do your best to keep children in tennis for life.

Tip 2 - Use modified tennis equipment. This relates to tip number one because by using lower nets, softer tennis balls, lighter tennis racquets and fun equipment we can help our students succeed and therefore enjoy tennis.

Tip 3 - Use cones to position players. Use cones or spots to position students for games and activities. This will give them a reference point and prevent them from wondering off.

Tip 4 - Refer to the names of lines and areas of the court. Use the names of lines and parts of the court when giving directions. This will provide a "full" tennis education and help when playing matches later on.

Tip 5 - Demonstrate before you explain the drill. Young children are fantastic learners. They learn best from observing and copying; as well as experimenting and feeling how something works. In your tennis lessons give the players lots of visual coaching and have them shadow swing so they can feel the correct stroke. This will be far more effective than explaining to a child with a very short attention span who may not fully understand the meaning of your words.

Tip 6 - Don't get too technical! This relates to tip number five. Technical instruction is wasted on young children but they do understand simple distinctions. For instance using higher or lower; softer or harder; to the left or right are effective words to guide a young player. This is one reason why the use of targets and cones can be a very valuable coaching tool.

Tip 7 - Use targets for students to aim at. The reason for using targets is to compel the players to use control over power. Many young players will associate success with how fast and far they can hit the ball. Studies have shown that in sports that require both speed and precision (like tennis) it is far better to learn slow, controlled moves and then make them faster; than learn fast uncontrolled moves and them slow them down. By hitting accurate controlled shots our players will become better at rallying (which should be foremost goal of any program.)

Tip 8 - Don't take private lessons too early. While some parents will expect us to dress up in a clown suit and entertain a 4 or 5 year old in a private lesson it is inappropriate at this age. The children at this age enjoy the excitement of playing with their friends and social interaction - the coach will soon become weary and lose passion for their job.

Tip 9 - Progress the program. Keep giving the students a reason to come back to the game. Progress from a mini court to full court; a mini racquet to a graduate racquet; low compression balls to championship balls; a 30 minute lesson to a 45 minute lesson. Keep challenging the students or they will feel they are not improving and find another sports which offers a pathway.

Tip 10 - Let them play the game. As coaches we are trying to teach players the game of tennis. Once the fundamentals have been taught modified game play should become an emphasis. While at a young age hitting the ball over the net seems miraculous, and returning an impossible dream; let the students experiment with a modified rally. The coach can help or make special rules so it remains enjoyable and the students can experience some success.

Follow these tennis tips to success in your own junior tennis program!

By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
Co-founder http://www.globalsportscoaching.com
The global website for tennis coaches and players with 1000's of tennis drills, tennis articles, tennis tips and tennis lesson plans.

Remember, Everyone Can Use Tips Or Occasional Reminders For That Perfect Tennis Game

It is often said, in not only tennis but also other sports, that you have to "think it" -- but what does that mean? In other words - follow the technique in your mind or aloud, step by step. Concentrate on the muscles you will use and the placement of each movement.

FIVE MENTAL TENNIS TIPS:

1. "Nothing but the Ball":

a) Remember that phrase "nothing but the ball" or "only the ball"--this conscious mantra of sorts can really improve your game. This phrase (whichever you choose) can solve many of the problems you may be having with your game.

b) When you miss a shot that you know you should have not missed because you forgot to keep full concentration on the game, remember these tennis tips. Do not brood. Remember to use the phrase: "only the ball" or "nothing but the ball." In addition, tell yourself that you will not do that again--and tell yourself with confidence!

2. Versatility:

a) Have more than on playing style. Perhaps you may always prefer one particular style, but if it is not working during the game--you need to try a different approach.

b) You have less confidence when you have less technique. So practice, practice, practice are always the most common and you will not have to be disappointed when everything you try seems to fail. Many tennis players in this situation will, more often than not, lose the game because at least a part of them secretly gives up. All of this can be avoided though, when you know two or more tennis techniques

3. Look energetic, smile, and show no worry on the court:

a) When you follow our tennis tips, and decide to look and act confident your attitude will become more confident in yourself, it can make you more relaxed, happy, and full of energy.

b) Your opponent will not be encouraged by the apparent confidence in you. As if you already know you are going to win the match.

4. Power in your forehands:

In the forth of my five tennis tips I recommend ding isometric exercises. These will help you develop the muscles of your forehands, which will produce in you the ability to unveil the speed you really want for your technique.

5. Self speech, find the rhythm of the game:

a) Often, as you will notice, a tennis match develops a certain rhythm. To keep the beat in your head, (sort of like a dancer would) will improve your chances to win.

b) Your opponent will toss the ball. So you are thinking: "baaaall" then he or she will hit it, think: "swack" followed by "bounce" on your return swing. The rhythm becomes established. The "baaall" method has been proven to be one of the very best tennis tips for many people.

c) Just be warned, that the tennis tips of this type of self-speech does not always work for a tennis player. So you will want to practice doing it first.

Remember, any sport is also a mental competition. Confidence plays a huge role in your tennis tips--it is never all about technique and skill no matter what sport you play. If you are a serious tennis player, concentrate on form, technique and any other physical tennis tips you can get. However, mental preparation is truly a part of your most essential tennis tips.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education, home d?cor, fashion and more. Her background includes teaching and gardening. To read more of her articles about tennis training please visit Tennis Tips.

Counting Down the Many Benefits of Tennis for Kids

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world today. Every kid, while growing up, dreamed of becoming a sport personality, and being a tennis star in one of them. Tennis as a fitness could change the lifestyle of any kid. More parents nowadays are considering tennis as a good sport for their kids. Any tennis trainer or coach can testify the long list of benefits the sport of tennis could give to a child. Aside from fitness the obvious, the sport of tennis has much to offer including valuable lessons that can be used in our daily lives.

Developing the mental aspect

A child, who plays tennis at an early age, shows amazing energy levels in their everyday activity. Improved self esteem is mostly associated with young tennis players, the sports might not be team oriented but most of these players have a lot of respect towards each other. Tennis teaches the child how to handle pressure not only in the tennis court, but could also be applied in real life situations. Mental development is enhanced while playing tennis. The sport does not only require physical skills, but also needs mental aspect as well. In tennis, you cannot just beat opponents via skills; kids could develop their mental alertness through tactics and strategies coaches and trainers share to them.

Let's get physical

We all talk about how tennis could improve the fitness of children. So what exactly does the sport of tennis contribute to the physical aspect of the child?

Flexibility is an important physical attribute in playing tennis. At a tender age, the child can develop his or her flexibility. Playing tennis improves many muscles in the body; swinging the racket back and forth is very beneficial to hand muscles; constant movement in the court could develop the child's leg muscles. Fitness experts also believe that while playing tennis, back muscles are strengthened. Tennis could also improve the well being of the heart, and the bones of young children are strengthened lowering the risk of osteoporosis as they get older. Weight loss can be easily be achieved while playing tennis.

Going social and emotional

Tennis demands discipline, a kid must have this trait in order to be good in tennis. Coaches and trainers don't want to see their players practice regularly. The value of hard work is greatly emphasized in the sport of tennis, a player might be as talented as other players but due to hard work he or she can surpass expectations. Tennis sharpens the rational thinking of the child through formulating strategies and tactics against opposing opponents. Sportsmanship is learned by the child at a young age through tennis, in this way the child learn s how to accept defeat, and by doing so he or she is motivated to work harder in order to achieve goals.

The most important aspect of tennis to a kid is that playing the game is fun. Learning the sport of tennis is difficult, but parents should not forget that kids are entitled to have fun. After all tennis is a game.

Sandra Chaser has helped a lot of people over the years with everything from www.kidshelmet.co.uk, to Flip Front Helmets, and other baby, kids and teens topics.

What Makes Tennis Drills Great?

What are the characteristics of great tennis drills? What makes one tennis drill boring and flat and the other one is exciting and fun? Players sometimes practice one kind of exercise time and time again and realize that their skills are not improving. Other times, players try every new tennis drill they hear about and still don't get the desired results. How do we know that the drills we are practicing are effective?

The best tennis drills display certain qualities that are necessary for tennis players to improve. We can find these core characteristics in every single great tennis drill. If tennis coaches can apply these qualities to their own drills, they are well on their way to improve their players' performance. So what are these very important properties that tennis drills have to display?

The first goal of every great drill is focus on a certain area. Tennis players have to know what skill they want to improve in order to deploy the proper exercises. First, players have to identify weaknesses in their game. Naturally, tennis instructors can be a great help in this matter. Players need to ask themselves if they want to be better net players or they rather have a big serve. Of course, all of us want to improve everything at the same time. This, however, is not realistic. You should only focus on one thing at a time. Second, the tennis instructor has to pick the kind of exercises that focus on that given area or skill. If you don't know what you want to improve, no tennis drill can be helpful.

The second important characteristic is simulating match situations. Tennis is a competitive game after all where players want to win. Practicing forehand cross courts for two hours is not very effective and it's also boring. In match situations, the ball never comes at you the same way twice. Tennis players who practice one type of shot will struggle in match situations. There is no replacement for good situational tennis practice.

Finally, it is essential for tennis players to have fun while they are practicing. All of us will burn out if practice becomes a chore. Tennis practice should provide excitement and fun. The way good tennis coaches accomplish this is by allowing players to work towards a goal. Whether players cooperate or compete against each other to achieve this goal doesn't really matter. What's important is that players feel satisfied when they accomplish this goal.

There are very few places where you can find quality tennis exercises. Protennisdrills.net is the best resource online to find quality tennis drills. This site has the largest growing collection of drills.

The author is a tennis professional with over 20 years of experience. He's an expert on tennis drills.

The Inner Game of Tennis - How to Master Your Mental Game

The inner game of tennis is very important to your success. Timothy Gallwey wrote the "Inner Game of Tennis" many years ago and it was a groundbreaking book at the time. You should read the inner game of tennis if you have not.

Tim says that players must achieve skill mastery first, which means you must learn the fundamentals of your sport. When you play your best tennis, he would say your mind is quiet with no interference caused by self-criticism or over-analysis, such as "keep your eyes on the ball" or "bend your knees."

The inner game of tennis theory states that two opposing mindsets battle for supremacy. A quite tennis mind allows your performance to flow from creativity. However, when your tennis mind is overactive, you force your game.

Gallwey sums up his theory the inner game of tennis:

Self One: The "teller" tennis mind filled with self-judgments and criticism. This mindset wants to over-control your performance.

Self Two: The "doer" mindset is the best mindset for peak performance in tennis and happens when you are free and react with your game. This mindset allows you to let it happen.

Gallwey's goal was to help students stop the attack of self one so self two can be free to hit shots freely. He used an example in "The Inner Game of Tennis." He would have his students repeat cue words, such as "back-hit" to suspend the trying/analytical mind (self 1) so the creative mind (self 2) could do the job without restrictions.

"The key to better tennis--or better anything--lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the unconscious, automatic doer, Self 2."

~Tim Gallwey

Most tennis players will perform their very best when the mind is quiet (not overactive) and focused. You'll both excel in this mindset and have the most fun. I apply the Inner Game of Tennis principles with my students. I teach my students about two important mindsets: a learning mindset and a performance mindset.

When in a learning or practice mindset, you are trying to improve your strokes, which is necessary to improve your game. Here is one big problem with this mindset: perfectionistic tennis players get "stuck" in the practice mindset and fall in love with perfecting their technique.

When you are playing with a trusting or performance mindset, you allow your skills to "happen" instinctively based on what you've learned in practice. The performance mindset is the quiet mind that Gallwey talks about as self 2, which allows you to perform instinctively. When playing in the trusting mode, your performance is on automatic pilot.

With your inner game of tennis during tournaments, the take away lesson is you have to play in the performance mindset. Don't get trapped by the practice mindset during tennis matches. You'll spend more time coaching yourself and analyzing your strokes, which will slow you down on the court. You want to have a good balance between the performance and practice mindsets to set the foundation for a good inner game of tennis!

Tennis psychology and mental game expert Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is the founder of Sports Psychology for Tennis by Peak Performance Sports. Dr. Cohn is devoted to helping tennis players and their parents improve confidence, focus, and success in tournaments. Get free sports psychology for tennis articles, podcasts and videos by visiting Dr. Cohn's tennis psychology website at: http://www.sportspsychologytennis.com

Improve your mental game of tennis quickly by picking up Dr. Cohn's free report, "Six 'Unforced' Mental Game Errors Tennis Players Make Between Points" by visiting http://www.peaksports.com/tennis_confidence.php

Things That You Should Consider While You Purchase the Tennis Racquets

Do you play tennis? In that case, you must have the necessary tennis equipment with you. However, the most basic tennis equipment is the tennis racquets. Without the racquets, the game cannot be played. Apart from the racquets, necessary tennis equipment are not many though you would need a tennis court to play the game. However, in this article, we will tell you about the tennis racquets.

Purchasing the tennis racquets is a huge investment. Therefore when you purchase, you must make sure that you buy the perfect one so that it can help you to improve in your game.

If you are serious about the purchase of a good racquet, you must consider few factors.

? Make sure that you buy the tennis racquets in accordance with the size of your grip. You should choose the size which goes well from the middle crease of your palm to the tip of your ring finger. The grip size should not be either too large or too small in size.

? You should then consider the size of the head of the tennis racquets. This will however, depend on your playing standard. You can go for a larger head which permits more spin on the ball.

? The length of the racquet is also an important factor for enhancing your performance in the game. You should remember that longer the length of the racquet, greater would be the leverage on the swing. Consequently, you would be able to give more power to a shot.

? Then you should consider the weight of the tennis racquets and the materials with which it is made. Try to go for a light weight racquet especially if you are a beginner in this game. The racquets which are made of graphite are generally light in weight and at the same time also provide good power and control. Some light weight tennis racquets are also made of aluminum or titanium. You can also consider those materials because they also serve more or less the same function as that of graphite. You would also find other materials of tennis racquets.

? Consider the beam width. If the beam is wide, you would be able to give a powerful shot because the trampoline effect of the strings would get enhanced.

In a similar way, you should consider several things while purchasing any other tennis equipment. Tennis is a rich game. Therefore the tennis equipment is also quite costly. Therefore you should make investments carefully and properly so that your tennis equipment is really worth the value of your money.

If you want to purchase Tennis raquets or any other kind of tennis equipment, you can blindly log on to thetennisshop.com.au. Here you would get all varieties of materials and sizes at the best prices. This is an authorized dealer which will best look after your needs and you can expect to get immediate delivery as soon as you place the order.

Tennis Racket String - 4 Factors to Consider

Your tennis racket strings are just as important as your racket. But all too often we spend way too little time researching tennis strings. Many tennis players spend hours upon hours researching rackets to find the best tennis racket. They may even spend hours playing with a demo racket before purchasing it. Once they find the best tennis racket, many players go for the cheaper string or the string that they had in their old racket.

This can be a big mistake. If you used a demo tennis racket, it most likely had the best all around string put in it for that racket. For example, if it was a very stiff racket, chances are it had softer string in it or it might even have had natural gut in it, which is one of the top playing strings. It has been said that the strings are the "heart of the racket" or "the soul of the racket". This is so true. Your tennis racket string is what gives you the "feel of the racket" or playability. If you put the wrong string in your racket, you will wonder why you ever bought the racket to begin with. Put in the right string, and it will be hard to get you off the court! Of course, the "right" string is different for everyone. It all depends on what the tennis player likes and needs. Some tennis players like the firm crisp string, while other players prefer the softer tennis string. You need to find the string that you like and works for your type of game and tennis racket.

Playability is subjective and depends on the tennis player. There are several factors that give a string playability and should be considered when deciding on tennis racket string. The next time you replace your string, please take time to considering the following factors:

String Gauge - Gauge refers to the thickness of the tennis string. The most common gauges are 15-18 gauge. Each gauge has a half size which is referred to by an "L", which means light. Lower numbers are thick string while higher numbers indicate a thinner string. So a 16L gauge string is thicker than a 17 gauge but thinner than a 16 gauge tennis string. A thicker string generally provides durability so it lasts longer. A thinner string gives you better playability but sacrifices some durability.

String Tension - Tension refers to how tight you string your racket. Tennis rackets typically come with a recommended stringing range. The rule of thumb is that tighter strings give you more control, while a lower tension provides more power. If you have no preference, it is generally best to use the mid-range.

String Materials - Tennis racket strings are made up of many different types of materials. The materials include natural gut, synthetic gut or nylon, polyester, Kevlar, and there are even hybrid string sets which come with two different types of material. The choice really is a personal preference. It is said that natural gut offers the optimum in playability and feel. It has been and continues to be the number 1 pick on the pro circuit. Kevlar is known for its durability while synthetic gut offers a good combination of durability and playability.

String Construction - There are several different types of string construction that play a part in the string's make-up and playability. I will not go into detail but there are solid core strings with one outer wrap, solid core strings with multi-outer wraps and then there are those strings with no solid core, they are just multi-filaments. There are also multi-filament strings with outer-wraps, textured strings, and composite strings made up of a combination of materials. All of these different types of construction provide the string with a different feel and performance benefits.

As you can see, there is a lot more to tennis racket string than meets the eye. The intention of this article was to hopefully encourage you as a tennis player to pay more attention to the string that goes into your tennis racket and to do a little bit of research next time your racket needs stringing. Get the most out of your racket and your tennis racket strings!

Chris is an advid tennis player with over 25 years experience in stringing tennis rackets. For more information on tennis racket strings or where to find tennis strings at a discount, please check out the blog dedicated to tennis racket strings. Don't miss out on all the great information there!

Tennis Scoring Made Easy

The tennis scoring system can seem overly complicated when you're first starting out. There's Love, Deuce, Ad In and Ad Out. And what on earth does No Ad mean?

The good news, it's really not so bad. You just have to learn the language. The concepts behind the tennis scoring rules are very simple.

The General Tennis Scoring System Framework

A player accumulates:

Points to win a Game....

Games to win a Set...

And Sets to win a Match.

In tennis, there are two basic scoring systems. There is the No-Ad system, which is basically a simplified version of the regular scoring system. In either system, the general framework is identical. They really only differ in one major way.

Winning Points to Win a Game

Basically, a player must win 4 points to win a game. However, it is here that the only difference between Regular and No-Ad scoring occurs.

In No-Ad scoring, 4 points equals 1 Game. That's it.

To play with regular scoring, you must use a different sort of language:

1 point = 15

2 points = 30

3 points = 40

4 points = GAME

Here is the big difference between the two scoring systems and where most people get confused... If the score in any Game is tied at 40 - 40 (Deuce), that Game is considered to be at a stalemate. At that point (Deuce) a player must win 2 points consecutively to win that Game.

If the person serving wins the Deuce point, the score is called Ad-In because the server has the advantage in that Game. If the server wins the the next point, he/she wins that Game. If the server loses the next point, the score goes Back to Deuce.

If the returner wins the Deuce point, the score is called Ad-Out because the returner has the advantage in that Game. If the returner wins the next point, he/she wins that Game. If the returner loses the next point, the score goes Back to Deuce again.

You can see how if two players are very closely matched, this could take awhile. That's why tennis has no time limit. A match is played as long as it takes for it to be completed.

Winning Games to Win a Set

In tennis scoring, when a player accumulates 6 games he/ she has won the Set. At this point a new set is started, unless of course that was the winning set of the match.

The only exception to this rule is that the player must be winning by at least 2 games. Therefore...

6 - 0 means the set is over...

6 - 1 means the set is over...

6 - 2 means the set is over...

6 - 3 means the set is over...

6 - 4 means the set is over...

6 - 5 means the set is NOT over...

- One more game must be played. If the score advances to 7 - 5, then the set is over...

- If the score goes to 6 - 6, then a Tiebreaker is played. (That's another lesson!)

Winning Sets to Win a Match

All sets are created equal, so there are no special rules in this part of the tennis scoring system.

There are "best out of 3 set matches" and "best out of 5 set match"

In best of 3 set matches, the first player to win 2 sets wins the match. This is the most typical scoring format in tennis.

In best of 5 set matches, the first player to win 3 sets wins the match. These usually take much longer and involve a much higher level of concentration and fitness. That's why this format is usually reserved for the biggest tournaments.

Love and All

Tennis seems to have a language all its own, Here is a quick explanation of two of the most often used terms in the tennis scoring system:

Love - simply means "0". As in 15-love, 30-love, I won the set 6 games to love.

All - simply means even score. As in 15-all, 30-all, 3 games all.

Andreas Radermacher
http://www.InstantTennis.com

Learn how to play tennis at Instant Tennis! It's the internet's hottest tennis newsletter designed especially for people who want to improve their tennis skills. Published by USPTA Tennis Professional Andreas Radermacher, It's full of tennis tips for anyone who wants to improve their tennis form, expand their tennis knowledge, and just plain learn to play tennis! Subscribe now to receive the latest updates including how-to videos, expert audios, and other high quality content from Andreas and other top tennis teaching experts.

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