Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Learning & Teaching Tennis

The foundation of learning and teaching tennis is based on the progression of six components: physical, technical, tactical, strategic, mental/emotional and environmental. Each one of these components has seven or more subcomponents. While each component is important, success in tennis depends on a shifting balance of all six components to create a well-rounded player.
The physical component is the basis of any player's ability to play the game. It includes motor skills, conditioning, along with speed, agility, quickness, strength, nutrition, flexibility and medical aspects.
The technical component describes the stroke mechanics, or how a player hits a shot. It includes tracking and racquet skills, shot fundamentals, ball control, movement and footwork, modern shot technique, developing weapons and game styles.
The tactical component is the shot-by-shot choice, using the shots in a predetermined way. It includes consistency, placement, patterns, spins, power, shot selection and game situations.
The strategic component refers to putting the tactics together into a game plan. The plan of action includes repetition, recognizing strengths, game style, adapting to various surfaces, and handling game, match and tournament situations.
The mental/emotional component describes the maturity of a player and the ability to handle competitive situations. It includes self-esteem, confidence, independence, discipline, temperament, concentration, goal setting, sportsmanship and competitive readiness.
The environmental component includes any off-court aspect that can affect a player's game. It refers to fun, home, social, economic and competitive environments.
A player must balance all of these components in order to be successful in tennis.

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