Coaching Tennis

I. Teaching vs. Coaching
......Teachers focus on hitting (strokes), coaches focus on playing (strategies, tactics, mental toughness)

II. Coaching is long-term
.....AA) Individual Plan
.....A........Develop a style of play
.....A........Determine the strategies and tactics for that style
.....A........Determine the shots necessary to effect those strategies and tactics
.....A........Determine the strokes necessary to make those shots

.....AB) Goal setting
.....A........Short-term, mid-range, long-term
.....A........Performance vs. outcome
.....A........Measurements

III. Mental Toughness
........Primarily related to motor learning -- not psychology
........Practice like you play
........Goal setting with measurements

IV. Technical Work
........Strokes changes should only be made to solve a tactical problem
........Use problem solving
........Work backwards
........Dead-ball vs. live ball (blocked, variable, random feeds = learning, retention, recall)

V. Planning a Season
........Pre-season phase, pre-competitive phase, in-season phase
........Technical to tactical work, dead-ball to live-ball, cooperative to competitive
........Practices can/should be relevant to each player
.....A........Singles and doubles
.....A........Baseline and all-court
.....A........Ranked players and intermediates .....A
........Practices can/should include stroke work, but should focus on specific match-play skills

VI. Team Building
........Team Rules
........Outside Activities
........Games/Competitions
........Charting
........Conditioning
........Charts
........Awards

At the end of the season, you should have developed better players, not simply better hitters. This means focusing on strategies, tactics and mental toughness, not forehands and backhands.