Quantcast
Channel: Championship Productions Newest Tennis Items!
Viewing all 188 articles
Browse latest View live

Competitive Match Play Drills and Strategy

0
0

with Mike Perez,
Lynn University Men's & Women's Head Coach;
7x National Championship Coach; over 1,000 career wins;
3x NAIA National Coach of the Year; 2006 ITA National Coach of the Year (Men's);
14x Sunshine State Conference Champions; 10x Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
Named the NAIA Coach of the Decade (1990-2000)

Tennis players are becoming more athletic and more aggressive in their play. Coaches need to develop aggressive match play strategies that take advantage of this change in mindset and player ability to reflect the more modern game.

Coach Perez welcomes you into one of his practices where after a dynamic and match style warm-up, he runs his players through six competitive match play drills for developing an aggressive mindset. The practice includes 2-on-2 and 2-on-1 offense/defense doubles drills, 1-on-1 and 2-on-1 ground sequence drills, first serve competitions, and live points. Coach Perez demonstrates how he incorporates each of these drills into a practice 1-2 days before a match and gives detailed instruction into the purpose of each drill, as well as strategy tips for each technique as he coaches his own players.

Competitive Doubles Drills

Learn two offense/defense drills that will help you attack your opponents more frequently and effectively, while also improving your defense against similar attacking teams. Coach Perez explains his philosophy behind this style of play and demonstrates how he works to accomplish this through competitive practice drills, such as:

  • 2-on-2 offense/defense drill that allows you to work on both doubles partners playing the net at the same time.
  • A progression of the 2-on-2 offense/defense drill that's a 2-on-1 drill with two players at the net and one at the baseline.
  • Attacking the net 35-40% of the time.

Ground Sequence

Learn a sequence of two partner drills on the baseline that focuses on identifying your opponent's weakness and exploiting it. Coach Perez explains his philosophy on singles play from the baseline, which include:

  • Every player has a weak side and players need to look to exploit that weak side on every shot.
  • Players must look to move their opponent around the court.
  • Players must be able to develop accuracy and always look to get balls in play to become a more consistent baseline player.
  • Playing balls that are out in practice to allow players to get more reps and improve their ability to return tough shots.

First Serve Competition Drill

Coach Perez ties everything together in the last third of his practice with live points from solid ground play to aggressively attacking the net. He modifies the rules to his live points, only allowing one serve, to emphasize specific areas of match play for his players:

  • Putting more pressure on their 2nd serve ability, as Coach Perez believes a player is only as good as their second serve.
  • Attacking weak second serves and getting to the net with regularity.
  • Attacking an opponent's weakness from the baseline.
  • Utilizing "sudden victory" scoring to put more pressure and a sense of urgency on his players.

Coach Perez gives you an extensive look at how to run a competitive practice that allows you to develop your players while teaching them an aggressive attacking style of play. This video gives you a practice that can be utilized at any time during your season, and is great as you prepare for match play.

57 minutes. 2017.


Attacking Tennis in the Modern Game

0
0

with Mike Perez,
Lynn University Men's & Women's Head Coach;
7x National Championship Coach; over 1,000 career wins;
3x NAIA National Coach of the Year; 2006 ITA National Coach of the Year (Men's);
14x Sunshine State Conference Champions; 10x Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
Named the NAIA Coach of the Decade (1990-2000)

In today's tennis, most of the points are won from the baseline, often after long and energy-demanding rallies. The serious and highly competitive player knows that to increase their chance of success, they must have a complete arsenal and the ability to play well in any area of the court.

In this video, seven-time National Championship coach Mike Perez explains drills and patterns through which to play attacking tennis in the modern game, and the benefits that result from this style of play. He divides the video into three main sections, with each section filmed on court:

  • Approach Shot / Passing Shot
  • Set Plays
  • Team Tennis

Coach Perez presents clear ideas on the vulnerability that players have to being attacked and pressured, including tall players, players who have exceptional quickness and players who have a weaker groundstroke or extreme grip on the racquet. You'll have the chance to learn the coaching strategies that prove most effective in both live ball drills and in competitive tiebreakers within team practice.

Approach Shot / Passing Shot

Under the supervision of Coach Perez, players execute approach patterns designed to exploit the opponent's weaknesses and build the opportunity to finish the point with a solid and efficient net game. This includes:

  • How to approach the net, where to hit the first volley and where to hit the second and definitive volley
  • Knowing how and where to direct the approach shot and the subsequent volley to successfully end points sooner

Set Plays

To win the decisive points and become a stronger player, you must execute a plan already trained several times previously. Coach Perez gives you pre-planned ideas on what to do in pressure situations. This gives your athletes a clear decision-making process and eliminates doubt in crucial situations. You'll see six set plays where six possible scenarios of crucial points are shown. These drills are useful to train a player's mindset and technique and get used to playing decisive points with more consistent success.

Team Tennis

In this part of the video, all the concepts explained in previous sections are applied together in realistic points played while Coach Perez offers more insights and strategies.

Fitness and Strength Drills

See a structured way to implement footwork drills at the beginning of your practice sessions to prepare athletes to move well and stay injury-free on the tennis court. The use of agility ladders and cones to enhance player movement warms up both the body and the mind in preparation for a practice session. Coach Perez also provides a series of core exercises, including many variations of planks and crunches, in order to keep your players strong and fit in the vital trunk area of the body.

Coach Perez does an excellent job of showing how you can adapt attacking tennis into today's game. His positivity and attention to detail within points and drills brings the best out in his players and will help you do the same for yours as well!

50 minutes. 2017.

Competition-Based Tennis Games & Drills

0
0

with Kris Kwinta,
University of Southern California Associate Head Men's Tennis Coach;
2x ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year; All-American player at UCLA;
former member of the Polish National Team; represented Poland at the Davis Cup in doubles

At USC, a key component of tennis practice is having drills that are competitive in nature. When drills are competitive and pressure situations are created, tennis players will be more serious and more intense in their approach.

In this video, USC Associate Head Coach Kris Kwinta shows his favorite drills for tennis practice. You'll get 16 competitive warm-up, fed, and live ball drills that will add variety to your practices while building skills within a highly competitive structure.

Warm-Up Drills with Competitive Focus

Coach Kwinta guides USC players through a series of unique games and drills that emphasize balance, footwork and touch - all with a competitive angle - that will have your players laughing and sweating at the same time. These drills require the honing of tennis-specific movements out of context, which engages and motivates players. Kwinta includes several non-traditional methods, such as:

  • Utilizing medicine balls in competitive games, which simulates good stroke production
  • A soccer-style game on the court that emphasizes control, balance, movement, and getting behind the ball

By using these drills, players develop good footwork, movement and touch.

Tennis Practice Drills

Coach Kwinta introduces a series of drills using cones and targets to improve accuracy with the ball. Again, all drills are competitive and will keep your players engaged while providing specific objectives. Drills include:

  • Short court drills that develop movement
  • Full court drills for both two and four players that focus on movement and maintaining high intensity
  • Cross-court and down the line cone drills to train court positioning and contact points
  • Game-play drills that simulate pressure situations in a real match
  • Serve and return of serve drills that are fun and competitive

Additionally, Kwinta provides you with different end-of practice set and game scenarios in which players will be placed under pressure and required to use and develop decision-making skills while fatigued.

Coach Kwinta will help you install a competitive focus in your tennis drills. This video is sure to help your players be more focused when the match is on the line.

81 minutes. 2017.

Peter Smith: Competitive Doubles Tennis Drills & Games

0
0

with Peter Smith,
University of Southern California Men's Tennis Coach; over 500 career wins;
2014 NCAA Champions; 5x NCAA Champions, including Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back (2009/2010/2011/2012) titles;
5x Pac-10 Coach of the Year; 2011 USPTA National College "Coach of the Year"; 2x Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) "Coach of the Year" (2010 & 2012)

Teaching doubles technique and strategy has become a vital component for team success, from high school up through college. In this video, five-time NCAA championship coach Peter Smith demonstrates the same progression of competitive drills and match play situations that he uses with his team that have allowed them to continue their dominance of the Pac-12.

Coach Smith walks through a warm up, doubles-specific drills, and three-player drills. Each of these drills have variations and progressions to improve doubles play tactically and technically. The video focuses on isolating parts of the court to help players develop skills of serving, returning, volleying and ground strokes. Using a combination of instruction, competition and repetition, Coach Smith's methods will help players at all levels improve their game.

Dynamic Warm-Up

Coach Smith stresses the importance of getting the body warm with a sequence of dynamic stretches that target the legs, hips, and shoulders. Special attention is given to warming up the shoulders and rotator cuff using a resistance band to reduce the chance of injury. This dynamic routine will ensure that your team is prepared physically to hit the court running.

The USC Warm-Up

In this segment, Coach Smith reinforces the importance of shot selection and the smaller details in doubles tennis during their warm-up. He puts his team through a sequence of the following shots:

  • Bounce overheads
  • Defensive lobs
  • Offensive top spin lobs
  • Slice backhands
  • Volleys

Coach Smith stresses hitting a variety of shots as a doubles player, noting that this sequence has helped his players throughout the years learn how to mix it up during match play. Each shot is only hit for 1-2 minutes.

Doubles Drills Series

Practice progresses into a 2-on-2 doubles series - the same series Coach Smith uses with his team immediately before they begin match play. Continually stressing the importance of making each drill competitive (games to 5 or 7), Coach Smith puts his team through the following drills:

  • Poaching - With all four players at the service line, Coach Smith feeds through the middle to emphasize the importance of stepping in. Coach Smith prioritizes moving with the feet (not lunging with the arms) and the importance of keeping the ball out of the net.
  • Poaching, Crossing - This drill simulates the return and the returner's partner crossing. Coach Smith feeds the return to the oncoming server, who returns cross court to get Coach Smith's partner to poach. Coach Smith stresses the importance of moving on an `L', not on a diagonal.
  • Two Up, Two Back - This drill stresses the importance of closing the net and taking away the middle.

Match Play Drills

Moving from the Doubles Drills Series, Coach Smith takes you through a series of drills that help isolate, focus, and emphasize the importance of the first four shots in a doubles point. As Coach Smith states, 80% or more of doubles points will be decided in these first shots. Each drill gives opportunity for team work, communication, poaching, defending and attacking the ball.

  • Serve and Volley Cross Court - This drill isolates the serve, the return, and the third ball. Every ball is played cross court in a 1-on-1 situation. Coach Smith emphasizes the importance of serving to the body in doubles. Learn the signaling system Coach Smith incorporates with his doubles teams to stress the importance of serve placement and net movement.
  • One Up, One Back - This drill focuses on the importance of, again, stepping in and through the middle. It alternates from the coach feeding the serve to the coach feeding the return.
  • Offense, Defense - This 1-on-1 competitive drill emphasizes the importance of closing the net, as points can only be won at the net.

Group Games

Most tennis coaches deal with managing a large amount of players on one court at the same time. Coach Smith takes you through drills he uses at his academy and during practice play that can help you through large-number situations:

  • Overheads
  • Overheads/Poach
  • Poach Drill
  • Forehand Poaches
  • Approach Shots
  • Live Ball

Three Man Doubles Drills

Learn an innovative approach to working with your doubles teams. By taking away the fourth player, Coach Smith shows you a sequence of drills that again focus on the first shots, which are crucial to doubles success:

  • Serve and Volley
  • Straight Up
  • Modern I
  • Traditional I
  • Straight Up with a Poach or Fake
  • Coach is the Returner
  • Isolation Drill

Tennis coaches of all levels are always looking for new and innovative methods for teaching doubles play. After viewing this video, you will have more than enough tools to help take your doubles teams to the next level!

"I have been looking for a doubles video that gives an intense and efficient way to focus on what really matters in doubles match play, this video is it. Players keep pace and challenge each other to make it pay off on match day." - Customer Review

69 minutes. 2017.

Peter Smith: Games & Drills for Tennis 2-Pack

0
0
TND-05132A:

with Peter Smith,
University of Southern California Men's Tennis Coach; over 500 career wins;
2014 NCAA Champions; 5x NCAA Champions, including Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back (2009/2010/2011/2012) titles;
5x Pac-10 Coach of the Year; 2011 USPTA National College "Coach of the Year"; 2x Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) "Coach of the Year" (2010 & 2012)

Teaching doubles technique and strategy has become a vital component for team success, from high school up through college. In this video, five-time NCAA championship coach Peter Smith demonstrates the same progression of competitive drills and match play situations that he uses with his team that have allowed them to continue their dominance of the Pac-12.

Coach Smith walks through a warm up, doubles-specific drills, and three-player drills. Each of these drills have variations and progressions to improve doubles play tactically and technically. The video focuses on isolating parts of the court to help players develop skills of serving, returning, volleying and ground strokes. Using a combination of instruction, competition and repetition, Coach Smith's methods will help players at all levels improve their game.

Dynamic Warm-Up

Coach Smith stresses the importance of getting the body warm with a sequence of dynamic stretches that target the legs, hips, and shoulders. Special attention is given to warming up the shoulders and rotator cuff using a resistance band to reduce the chance of injury. This dynamic routine will ensure that your team is prepared physically to hit the court running.

The USC Warm-Up

In this segment, Coach Smith reinforces the importance of shot selection and the smaller details in doubles tennis during their warm-up. He puts his team through a sequence of the following shots:

  • Bounce overheads
  • Defensive lobs
  • Offensive top spin lobs
  • Slice backhands
  • Volleys

Coach Smith stresses hitting a variety of shots as a doubles player, noting that this sequence has helped his players throughout the years learn how to mix it up during match play. Each shot is only hit for 1-2 minutes.

Doubles Drills Series

Practice progresses into a 2-on-2 doubles series - the same series Coach Smith uses with his team immediately before they begin match play. Continually stressing the importance of making each drill competitive (games to 5 or 7), Coach Smith puts his team through the following drills:

  • Poaching - With all four players at the service line, Coach Smith feeds through the middle to emphasize the importance of stepping in. Coach Smith prioritizes moving with the feet (not lunging with the arms) and the importance of keeping the ball out of the net.
  • Poaching, Crossing - This drill simulates the return and the returner's partner crossing. Coach Smith feeds the return to the oncoming server, who returns cross court to get Coach Smith's partner to poach. Coach Smith stresses the importance of moving on an `L', not on a diagonal.
  • Two Up, Two Back - This drill stresses the importance of closing the net and taking away the middle.

Match Play Drills

Moving from the Doubles Drills Series, Coach Smith takes you through a series of drills that help isolate, focus, and emphasize the importance of the first four shots in a doubles point. As Coach Smith states, 80% or more of doubles points will be decided in these first shots. Each drill gives opportunity for team work, communication, poaching, defending and attacking the ball.

  • Serve and Volley Cross Court - This drill isolates the serve, the return, and the third ball. Every ball is played cross court in a 1-on-1 situation. Coach Smith emphasizes the importance of serving to the body in doubles. Learn the signaling system Coach Smith incorporates with his doubles teams to stress the importance of serve placement and net movement.
  • One Up, One Back - This drill focuses on the importance of, again, stepping in and through the middle. It alternates from the coach feeding the serve to the coach feeding the return.
  • Offense, Defense - This 1-on-1 competitive drill emphasizes the importance of closing the net, as points can only be won at the net.

Group Games

Most tennis coaches deal with managing a large amount of players on one court at the same time. Coach Smith takes you through drills he uses at his academy and during practice play that can help you through large-number situations:

  • Overheads
  • Overheads/Poach
  • Poach Drill
  • Forehand Poaches
  • Approach Shots
  • Live Ball

Three Man Doubles Drills

Learn an innovative approach to working with your doubles teams. By taking away the fourth player, Coach Smith shows you a sequence of drills that again focus on the first shots, which are crucial to doubles success:

  • Serve and Volley
  • Straight Up
  • Modern I
  • Traditional I
  • Straight Up with a Poach or Fake
  • Coach is the Returner
  • Isolation Drill

Tennis coaches of all levels are always looking for new and innovative methods for teaching doubles play. After viewing this video, you will have more than enough tools to help take your doubles teams to the next level!

"I have been looking for a doubles video that gives an intense and efficient way to focus on what really matters in doubles match play, this video is it. Players keep pace and challenge each other to make it pay off on match day." - Customer Review

69 minutes. 2017.



TND-05132B:

with Kris Kwinta,
University of Southern California Associate Head Men's Tennis Coach;
2x ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year; All-American player at UCLA;
former member of the Polish National Team; represented Poland at the Davis Cup in doubles

At USC, a key component of tennis practice is having drills that are competitive in nature. When drills are competitive and pressure situations are created, tennis players will be more serious and more intense in their approach.

In this video, USC Associate Head Coach Kris Kwinta shows his favorite drills for tennis practice. You'll get 16 competitive warm-up, fed, and live ball drills that will add variety to your practices while building skills within a highly competitive structure.

Warm-Up Drills with Competitive Focus

Coach Kwinta guides USC players through a series of unique games and drills that emphasize balance, footwork and touch - all with a competitive angle - that will have your players laughing and sweating at the same time. These drills require the honing of tennis-specific movements out of context, which engages and motivates players. Kwinta includes several non-traditional methods, such as:

  • Utilizing medicine balls in competitive games, which simulates good stroke production
  • A soccer-style game on the court that emphasizes control, balance, movement, and getting behind the ball

By using these drills, players develop good footwork, movement and touch.

Tennis Practice Drills

Coach Kwinta introduces a series of drills using cones and targets to improve accuracy with the ball. Again, all drills are competitive and will keep your players engaged while providing specific objectives. Drills include:

  • Short court drills that develop movement
  • Full court drills for both two and four players that focus on movement and maintaining high intensity
  • Cross-court and down the line cone drills to train court positioning and contact points
  • Game-play drills that simulate pressure situations in a real match
  • Serve and return of serve drills that are fun and competitive

Additionally, Kwinta provides you with different end-of practice set and game scenarios in which players will be placed under pressure and required to use and develop decision-making skills while fatigued.

Coach Kwinta will help you install a competitive focus in your tennis drills. This video is sure to help your players be more focused when the match is on the line.

81 minutes. 2017.



Team Tennis Practice Principles & Drills

0
0

with David Roditi,
TCU Head Men's Tennis Coach;
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - 3x Big 12 Coach of the Year;
Back-to-Back Big 12 Champions (2016-17);
2015 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year;
3x All-American at TCU - holds the school record for combined career victories

Working with a team or a large group of tennis players can be a challenge for a coach. In this video, David Roditi shows you how to incorporate various warm-up drills and competitive games that can help coaches utilize court space more effectively and efficiently.

Tennis Warm-up

Coach Roditi demonstrates the value of mentally engaging your players as soon as they are on the court. Beginning with slice games, players immediately focus on proper grip and technique as they get their minds and bodies ready for practice. Roditi emphasizes the importance of the Continental grip during both the slice games and volley progression component of the warm-up, as these shots are under-practiced and under-utilized by most coaches.

Tennis Practice Games

After warming up, Roditi continues to engage his players mentally with the Bounce and Hit drill, a drill that requires his players to use their voice and mind to stay mentally engaged with their groundstrokes. Combined with baseline target practice and shot combination sequences, Roditi ensures his athletes are every bit as focused on the mental component as the physical.

Tennis Control Drills

Many times, players are concerned with how hard they hit the ball and not where they hit it. In this section, Coach Roditi shows the value of shot placement with the 2 Cross, 1 Down the Line drill. As his athletes demonstrate the drill, you will learn specific shot selection patterns and techniques - a must for more experienced singles player.

Court Coverage

At the end of the video, you will learn two games - 3 vs. 3 and Speed Singles, both of which will help your athletes understand the value of court coverage, shot selection, and racket speed - all while having fun competing! This is a great way to close practice and will have an immediate impact on the movement and competitive spirit of your team.

Coach Roditi provides a series of drills, technique demonstrations, and games that will allow coaches of all levels the opportunity to improve their team. His energy, enthusiasm, and passion for teaching the game are felt through every second of this video.

70 minutes. 2018.

Individual Progression Drills

0
0

with David Roditi,
TCU Head Men's Tennis Coach;
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - 3x Big 12 Coach of the Year;
Back-to-Back Big 12 Champions (2016-17);
2015 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year;
3x All-American at TCU - holds the school record for combined career victories

Developing an all-court game is more valuable than ever, as today's athletes are becoming stronger and more athletic. Learning the finer points of the fundamentals that are essential for the groundstroke, volley, and serve are vital for today's modern player!

TCU head coach David Roditi shows detailed and easy-to-follow progressions for groundstrokes, volleys, transition shots, and the serve that build solid fundamentals on all strokes. No matter what level a student is at, they can quickly build their skills on the court by following Coach Roditi's progressions. Roditi has developed a practice plan that is fun and has a mix of cooperative and competitive drills.

Along the way, Roditi provides several insightful tips that he has learned both in his playing career and as a coach. He gives valuable instruction on hitting balls with more power and spin, as well as his favorite strategies for match play.

Swing Progression - Groundstrokes

Roditi demonstrates the importance of knowing when to hit the right shot, depending on the shot you get from your opponent. By stressing the values of 'lifting' and 'driving,' Roditi allows his players to learn how to control points during match play. Starting first with simple ball feeds and then progressing to live ball drills, a player works on emphasizing drive and power when the ball is rising and then works on lifting the ball when the ball is falling.

Along the way, Roditi provides several valuable tips on how to adjust stroke technique based on your intent. By emphasizing shot selection, Roditi is able to reinforce proper head and body movement as well. Roditi applies these concepts both in isolation and live ball drills, allowing the player to learn as they play. The structure of the drills is such that there are both cooperative and competitive play.

Hitting Progression - Racket Speed

Coach Roditi explains and shows how to work on racquet head speed. Starting with the key concept to aim for different parts of the ball depending on whether the player gets a high or low ball, Roditi outlines a progressive system to build racquet head speed.

  • Hand feeds - Players start with very simple feeds and work on hitting outside or inside of ball.
  • Cooperative drills - Players work on hitting versus faster paced balls with a variety of spins and heights.
  • Competitive hitting games - Once students have mastered a feel for hitting inside or outside of the ball based on height, they progress to point play to develop more advanced strategy in matches.
  • Teaching your players when to hit outside vs. inside will have them more focused on how the ball is not only coming off their racket, but how it finishes on the other side of the net. Roditi applies these concepts from the baseline and transitions seamlessly into the approach and net game fundamentals as well.

    Volley Progressions

    Coach Roditi shows how to handle two different volley types:

    • Deeper volleys that are typically hit from behind the service line and require more power.
    • Softer volleys when athletes are closer to the net and need to be more focused more on spin, feel, and touch with the hands.

    Roditi explains optimal positioning based on where the ball is on opponent's side, and provides training for the approach shot. You'll see an effective use of the slice as an approach shot to set up an easy volley winner, as well as drills to fix common errors made when hitting approach shots.

    Service Motion

    Are your players using the correct grip? When they miss a serve, is it in the net or deep in the court? In this section, Roditi demonstrates how to get your players to use the appropriate Continental grip, along with emphasizing the 12 o'clock contact point. You will learn the techniques and fundamentals necessary to get your players to hit up (not out) on their motion - ultimately resulting in higher serving percentages for your team. He provides drills to develop more use of the legs and the core to maximize power and spin, which are critical components for the kick serve.

    Coach Roditi provides a framework that allows you to help improve every player's skills from beginners up to your most advanced tennis players. He provides extensive detail with the types of shots necessary for today's modern athlete. You will learn fundamentals, progression teaching, and an overall philosophy for player development that will pay immediate dividends for you and your athletes!

    "I have been to many clinics and seen many instructional videos and can say without hesitation that this was one of the best. As a coach, I am always looking for advanced techniques, drills, and strategies to give to my more advanced players. In this video, Coach Roditi gives me in-depth analysis for all the shots required to be successful in today's game. A must-view for every high school or collegiate coach!" - Karl Buck, Head Boys' & Girls' Tennis Coach, Mountain Range High School

    86 minutes. 2018.

David Roditi's Tennis Training Series

0
0
TND-05311A:

with David Roditi,
TCU Head Men's Tennis Coach;
2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - 3x Big 12 Coach of the Year;
Back-to-Back Big 12 Champions (2016-17);
2015 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year;
3x All-American at TCU - holds the school record for combined career victories

Developing an all-court game is more valuable than ever, as today's athletes are becoming stronger and more athletic. Learning the finer points of the fundamentals that are essential for the groundstroke, volley, and serve are vital for today's modern player!

TCU head coach David Roditi shows detailed and easy-to-follow progressions for groundstrokes, volleys, transition shots, and the serve that build solid fundamentals on all strokes. No matter what level a student is at, they can quickly build their skills on the court by following Coach Roditi's progressions. Roditi has developed a practice plan that is fun and has a mix of cooperative and competitive drills.

Along the way, Roditi provides several insightful tips that he has learned both in his playing career and as a coach. He gives valuable instruction on hitting balls with more power and spin, as well as his favorite strategies for match play.

Swing Progression - Groundstrokes

Roditi demonstrates the importance of knowing when to hit the right shot, depending on the shot you get from your opponent. By stressing the values of 'lifting' and 'driving,' Roditi allows his players to learn how to control points during match play. Starting first with simple ball feeds and then progressing to live ball drills, a player works on emphasizing drive and power when the ball is rising and then works on lifting the ball when the ball is falling.

Along the way, Roditi provides several valuable tips on how to adjust stroke technique based on your intent. By emphasizing shot selection, Roditi is able to reinforce proper head and body movement as well. Roditi applies these concepts both in isolation and live ball drills, allowing the player to learn as they play. The structure of the drills is such that there are both cooperative and competitive play.

Hitting Progression - Racket Speed

Coach Roditi explains and shows how to work on racquet head speed. Starting with the key concept to aim for different parts of the ball depending on whether the player gets a high or low ball, Roditi outlines a progressive system to build racquet head speed.

  • Hand feeds - Players start with very simple feeds and work on hitting outside or inside of ball.
  • Cooperative drills - Players work on hitting versus faster paced balls with a variety of spins and heights.
  • Competitive hitting games - Once students have mastered a feel for hitting inside or outside of the ball based on height, they progress to point play to develop more advanced strategy in matches.
  • Teaching your players when to hit outside vs. inside will have them more focused on how the ball is not only coming off their racket, but how it finishes on the other side of the net. Roditi applies these concepts from the baseline and transitions seamlessly into the approach and net game fundamentals as well.

    Volley Progressions

    Coach Roditi shows how to handle two different volley types:

    • Deeper volleys that are typically hit from behind the service line and require more power.
    • Softer volleys when athletes are closer to the net and need to be more focused more on spin, feel, and touch with the hands.

    Roditi explains optimal positioning based on where the ball is on opponent's side, and provides training for the approach shot. You'll see an effective use of the slice as an approach shot to set up an easy volley winner, as well as drills to fix common errors made when hitting approach shots.

    Service Motion

    Are your players using the correct grip? When they miss a serve, is it in the net or deep in the court? In this section, Roditi demonstrates how to get your players to use the appropriate Continental grip, along with emphasizing the 12 o'clock contact point. You will learn the techniques and fundamentals necessary to get your players to hit up (not out) on their motion - ultimately resulting in higher serving percentages for your team. He provides drills to develop more use of the legs and the core to maximize power and spin, which are critical components for the kick serve.

    Coach Roditi provides a framework that allows you to help improve every player's skills from beginners up to your most advanced tennis players. He provides extensive detail with the types of shots necessary for today's modern athlete. You will learn fundamentals, progression teaching, and an overall philosophy for player development that will pay immediate dividends for you and your athletes!

    "I have been to many clinics and seen many instructional videos and can say without hesitation that this was one of the best. As a coach, I am always looking for advanced techniques, drills, and strategies to give to my more advanced players. In this video, Coach Roditi gives me in-depth analysis for all the shots required to be successful in today's game. A must-view for every high school or collegiate coach!" - Karl Buck, Head Boys' & Girls' Tennis Coach, Mountain Range High School

    86 minutes. 2018.



    TND-05311B:

    with David Roditi,
    TCU Head Men's Tennis Coach;
    2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year - 3x Big 12 Coach of the Year;
    Back-to-Back Big 12 Champions (2016-17);
    2015 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year;
    3x All-American at TCU - holds the school record for combined career victories

    Working with a team or a large group of tennis players can be a challenge for a coach. In this video, David Roditi shows you how to incorporate various warm-up drills and competitive games that can help coaches utilize court space more effectively and efficiently.

    Tennis Warm-up

    Coach Roditi demonstrates the value of mentally engaging your players as soon as they are on the court. Beginning with slice games, players immediately focus on proper grip and technique as they get their minds and bodies ready for practice. Roditi emphasizes the importance of the Continental grip during both the slice games and volley progression component of the warm-up, as these shots are under-practiced and under-utilized by most coaches.

    Tennis Practice Games

    After warming up, Roditi continues to engage his players mentally with the Bounce and Hit drill, a drill that requires his players to use their voice and mind to stay mentally engaged with their groundstrokes. Combined with baseline target practice and shot combination sequences, Roditi ensures his athletes are every bit as focused on the mental component as the physical.

    Tennis Control Drills

    Many times, players are concerned with how hard they hit the ball and not where they hit it. In this section, Coach Roditi shows the value of shot placement with the 2 Cross, 1 Down the Line drill. As his athletes demonstrate the drill, you will learn specific shot selection patterns and techniques - a must for more experienced singles player.

    Court Coverage

    At the end of the video, you will learn two games - 3 vs. 3 and Speed Singles, both of which will help your athletes understand the value of court coverage, shot selection, and racket speed - all while having fun competing! This is a great way to close practice and will have an immediate impact on the movement and competitive spirit of your team.

    Coach Roditi provides a series of drills, technique demonstrations, and games that will allow coaches of all levels the opportunity to improve their team. His energy, enthusiasm, and passion for teaching the game are felt through every second of this video.

    70 minutes. 2018.




Peter Smith: Serving Techniques & Drills

0
0

with Peter Smith,
University of Southern California Men's Tennis Coach;
over 500 career wins;
2014 NCAA Champions;
5x NCAA Champions, including Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back (2009/2010/2011/2012) titles;
5x Pac-10 Coach of the Year;
2011 & 2014 USPTA National College "Coach of the Year";
2x Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) "Coach of the Year" (2010 & 2012)

Decorated USC head coach Peter Smith teaches you about the most important shot in tennis: the serve. The serve is the only shot that you have 100% control over during a given point. This video is greatly beneficial for individuals and teams looking to improve their game by learning tips and drills that are used by one of the best collegiate programs in the country.

Breaking Down the Serve

Coach Smith breaks down the basic fundamentals and techniques needed to maximize your serve's potential. You'll see him explain the analogy of how a serve is closely related to throwing a football or baseball. Smith also covers two types of stance, the continental grip, placement of the toss, how to generate power, and finishing the swing.

Types of Serves

While power is important, Smith places a higher priority on the placement and the spin of the serve. He has his players demonstrate three types of serves and the keys to each of them.

Serves covered include:

  • Flat - When you're trying to beat someone with pure speed.
  • Slice - Ideal for doubles, when you're trying to generate some movement.
  • Kick - When you want height, security, and movement.

Smith ends the segment by talking about common mistakes that players make on each serve and how to fix them on the court.

Serving Drills

The last portion of this video includes different drills that individuals and teams can use that are fun, competitive, and will provide repetitions for each type of serve. You'll learn the following drills:

  • Target Serving
  • Target Serving Competition
  • Towel Hop Drill
  • Kneeling Serves
  • Coil Serves
  • Wall Taps

The serve is the most important shot in the game and USC's Peter Smith breaks down all of the different parts of the serve that are essential to achieve mastery. This video features great breakdowns and drills for players of all skill levels!

46 minutes. 2018.

Open Practice: Individual Instruction with Claire Pollard

0
0
with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

Taking a practice day and dedicating it to individual instruction is hard work for the coach, but it's incredibly rewarding for the players on your team. It also helps break up a week of team practices and allows the players to take a step back and re-focus on the fundamentals.

By using one-on-one or two-on-one sessions with your players, you have extra time to focus in on fixing grips, improving stroke biomechanics and sharing valuable observations up close, reinforcing your teaching points using iPad video.

149 minutes. 2015.

Open Practice: Doubles Tennis with Claire Pollard

0
0
with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

In this video, you get a courtside seat to take in Claire Pollard's 'Open Practice' dedicated to team doubles shot-making skills and tactics. Salient advice and spot -on coaching provide an unprecedented view inside the coaching mind of one of the most decorated college coaches in the women's game today!

105 minutes. 2015.

All Access Northwestern Women's Tennis Practice with Claire Pollard

0
0
with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

How can you coach your team to become, year after year, a great team? In the Big Ten, Claire Pollard's Northwestern Wildcats have stood the test of time; in14 of the last 15 years since 1999, the Big Ten conference tournament has been won by a Claire Pollard-coached team. With unprecedented access to over three hours of practice time, Pollard presents an unfiltered, live look at what she does with her team in the early season practices.

By watching from the courtside, you can be a part of the team meetings at midcourt and learn her favorite drills to reinforce accuracy, quick reactions and conditioning. Her brilliance as a coach is evident as she goes, court to court, player to player, sandwiching perfectly timed constructive criticism with praise.

204 minutes (2 DVDs). 2015.

Claire Pollard's Tennis Practice Series

0
0
TND-04774A: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

How can you coach your team to become, year after year, a great team? In the Big Ten, Claire Pollard's Northwestern Wildcats have stood the test of time; in14 of the last 15 years since 1999, the Big Ten conference tournament has been won by a Claire Pollard-coached team. With unprecedented access to over three hours of practice time, Pollard presents an unfiltered, live look at what she does with her team in the early season practices.

By watching from the courtside, you can be a part of the team meetings at midcourt and learn her favorite drills to reinforce accuracy, quick reactions and conditioning. Her brilliance as a coach is evident as she goes, court to court, player to player, sandwiching perfectly timed constructive criticism with praise.

204 minutes (2 DVDs). 2015.



TND-04774B: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

In this video, you get a courtside seat to take in Claire Pollard's 'Open Practice' dedicated to team doubles shot-making skills and tactics. Salient advice and spot -on coaching provide an unprecedented view inside the coaching mind of one of the most decorated college coaches in the women's game today!

105 minutes. 2015.



TND-04774C: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

Taking a practice day and dedicating it to individual instruction is hard work for the coach, but it's incredibly rewarding for the players on your team. It also helps break up a week of team practices and allows the players to take a step back and re-focus on the fundamentals.

By using one-on-one or two-on-one sessions with your players, you have extra time to focus in on fixing grips, improving stroke biomechanics and sharing valuable observations up close, reinforcing your teaching points using iPad video.

149 minutes. 2015.



High Octane Tennis 3-Pack

0
0
TND-04896A: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

A common problem for many tennis coaches is having a limited amount of court space to use during team training sessions. Practices using traditional individual drills won't get a full team the amount of time they need on the court to enhance their skills.

USPTA Elite Professional Bruce Gullikson provides 15 drills and variations for teams that are limited to 1-2 practice courts. Coach Gullikson demonstrates warmups and large group competitive games and drills. These drills will improve your players' footwork, posture, reaction time, ground strokes, lobs, smashes and volleys.

Team Warm-Up

You'll learn two types of warm-up drills from Coach Gullikson: the Volley Lob Warm-Up and the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. In the Volley Lob Warm-Up, your players will work on keeping their hands in front of their body at the net, maintaining active feet and getting creative with their volleys. It's a great way to get heart rates up and work up a sweat before a demanding practice session.

The second warm-up drill is the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. Athletes will work on hitting slices, shots with top spin, defense and footwork.

Large Group Games

Coach Gullikson works on virtually every skill needed to play elite tennis using games designed for high numbers of players. Your athletes will cycle in and out of drills quickly, getting tons of reps and opportunities to get better.

In Bump Pass Spike, athletes develop creativity, movement without the ball, overhead shots and ability to play with their opposite hand. The phrase that Coach Gullikson promotes is "Hands and feet make the player complete," which is reinforced on the court.

Competitiveness is ramped up in Flurry, a fast-paced drill focused on reaction time and playing from different spots on the court. Teams of three battle against each other to stay on the court, as making a mistake means a new player rotates in for the losing team.

After an intense practice, players need to cool down. See Ya is a great way to end practice, as players work on eliminating mistakes while trying to force opponents into errors.

Coaches of all levels will benefit from the drills and skills covered in this video. Incorporating Coach Gullikson's exercises into your practices will help your players improve at a faster rate, especially if you have limited court space.

65 minutes. 2015.



TND-04896B: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Keeping players engaged is one of the keys to running an effective tennis practice.

USPTA Elite Professional and Head Club Pro, Bruce Gullikson, shows you over 20 high-intensity drills designed for individual players. The exercises provided by Coach Gullikson will help your athletes develop posture, strategy, racquet angle, ground strokes, net defense, spin shots, volleys and accuracy.

Body and Ball Control

Start off your practices by getting players' bodies stretched out and in the correct posture with the Matuska Drill. Your athletes will learn to use their legs and lower their center of gravity while hitting a ball with a partner.

Coach Gullikson includes a series of drills focused on ball control. The Djokovic Drill is a fun exercise that will help your players improve their footwork and racquet angles while competing against another player. Other drills that work on getting a better feel for the ball include the Fast and Furious drill and the Absorb and Rip drill.

Individual Skills

Your players will work on keeping the ball in play, generating spin, game-winning shots, approach shots, accuracy and movement with Coach Gullikson's individual drills.

The 2-on-1 Doubles Isolation drill pits an individual against two players as they work to hit game-winners. It's a challenging drill that will force your athletes to dig deep and hit shots they might not normally make against a single opponent. The Blue Line Net Coverage 2 vs 1 drill makes things even harder, as the width of the court is narrowed to encourage hitting hard, accurate shots.

Another great exercise is the Designated Approaches drill, in which your players will learn to react to the speed of different shots as they approach the net.

Hand Feeding

Coach Gullikson provides a variety of hand feeding drills that work on different kinds of movement and shots.

The Hand Tossing X Drill gets players moving in different directions prior to hitting a ball, while also working on hitting backhands and forehands. Your athletes will also learn how to get more top spin on balls with the Low Ball Wristers exercise. By hitting a low ball at the right angle with more racquet speed, players will soon find themselves hitting devastating topspin shots with ease.

Coach Gullikson's drills for individuals are built with the player in mind. Athletes of all levels will get better at tennis while having fun performing the exercises shown in this video.

56 minutes. 2015.



TND-04896C: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Have you ever wondered how you could use some of the equipment you have lying around to train your athletes?

Bruce Gullikson, Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club and USPTA Elite Professional, delivers a video packed with innovative ways to use objects like ball hoppers, towels, balance discs, cones, jump ropes and cell phones to improve the ability of your players. You'll also get tips and tricks for hitting specific shots, including ground strokes, volleys, drop shots and more.

Utilizing Equipment

Coach Gullikson has his players demonstrate how to use common objects to enhance their skills. For example, you'll learn how to use a ball hopper to train athletes to keep their weight on their back leg during a serve. After a few reps, your athletes will be able to move on to hitting a regular serve while applying the techniques they just learned.

Using cones can be another fun and effective training method. Your players will learn how to use cones as a visual aid to build hand-eye coordination and to properly orient their racquets to the ball.

Balance disks are perfect for getting players into an athletic position and encouraging a smooth swing. As your athletes stand on balance disks, they'll improve their leg strength, core strength, ground strokes and serving ability. Other objects that Coach Gullikson uses to teach his athletes include jump ropes, towels and cell phones.

Tips and Tricks

You'll learn Coach Gullikson's advice for mental toughness, balance and various types of shots as he breaks down drills and offers suggestions for his players in a live setting.

It's essential to be relaxed and use a "catch and release" method on ground strokes, according to Coach Gullikson. In the "Rule of One Bounce" section, you'll hear him explain why players should have their serves get to the back wall or fence in one bounce to make returning the ball tougher for the opponent. More tips, tricks and drills are included that cover backhand slices, volleys, overheads, drop shots and using the continental grip.

This video contains training methods that are effective for coaches of all levels. This season, keep your players engaged in practice with Coach Gullikson's innovative tips and drills.

54 minutes. 2015.



Tips, Tricks and Tools for Teaching Tennis

0
0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Have you ever wondered how you could use some of the equipment you have lying around to train your athletes?

Bruce Gullikson, Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club and USPTA Elite Professional, delivers a video packed with innovative ways to use objects like ball hoppers, towels, balance discs, cones, jump ropes and cell phones to improve the ability of your players. You'll also get tips and tricks for hitting specific shots, including ground strokes, volleys, drop shots and more.

Utilizing Equipment

Coach Gullikson has his players demonstrate how to use common objects to enhance their skills. For example, you'll learn how to use a ball hopper to train athletes to keep their weight on their back leg during a serve. After a few reps, your athletes will be able to move on to hitting a regular serve while applying the techniques they just learned.

Using cones can be another fun and effective training method. Your players will learn how to use cones as a visual aid to build hand-eye coordination and to properly orient their racquets to the ball.

Balance disks are perfect for getting players into an athletic position and encouraging a smooth swing. As your athletes stand on balance disks, they'll improve their leg strength, core strength, ground strokes and serving ability. Other objects that Coach Gullikson uses to teach his athletes include jump ropes, towels and cell phones.

Tips and Tricks

You'll learn Coach Gullikson's advice for mental toughness, balance and various types of shots as he breaks down drills and offers suggestions for his players in a live setting.

It's essential to be relaxed and use a "catch and release" method on ground strokes, according to Coach Gullikson. In the "Rule of One Bounce" section, you'll hear him explain why players should have their serves get to the back wall or fence in one bounce to make returning the ball tougher for the opponent. More tips, tricks and drills are included that cover backhand slices, volleys, overheads, drop shots and using the continental grip.

This video contains training methods that are effective for coaches of all levels. This season, keep your players engaged in practice with Coach Gullikson's innovative tips and drills.

54 minutes. 2015.


High Octane Team Tennis Drills

0
0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

A common problem for many tennis coaches is having a limited amount of court space to use during team training sessions. Practices using traditional individual drills won't get a full team the amount of time they need on the court to enhance their skills.

USPTA Elite Professional Bruce Gullikson provides 15 drills and variations for teams that are limited to 1-2 practice courts. Coach Gullikson demonstrates warmups and large group competitive games and drills. These drills will improve your players' footwork, posture, reaction time, ground strokes, lobs, smashes and volleys.

Team Warm-Up

You'll learn two types of warm-up drills from Coach Gullikson: the Volley Lob Warm-Up and the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. In the Volley Lob Warm-Up, your players will work on keeping their hands in front of their body at the net, maintaining active feet and getting creative with their volleys. It's a great way to get heart rates up and work up a sweat before a demanding practice session.

The second warm-up drill is the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. Athletes will work on hitting slices, shots with top spin, defense and footwork.

Large Group Games

Coach Gullikson works on virtually every skill needed to play elite tennis using games designed for high numbers of players. Your athletes will cycle in and out of drills quickly, getting tons of reps and opportunities to get better.

In Bump Pass Spike, athletes develop creativity, movement without the ball, overhead shots and ability to play with their opposite hand. The phrase that Coach Gullikson promotes is "Hands and feet make the player complete," which is reinforced on the court.

Competitiveness is ramped up in Flurry, a fast-paced drill focused on reaction time and playing from different spots on the court. Teams of three battle against each other to stay on the court, as making a mistake means a new player rotates in for the losing team.

After an intense practice, players need to cool down. See Ya is a great way to end practice, as players work on eliminating mistakes while trying to force opponents into errors.

Coaches of all levels will benefit from the drills and skills covered in this video. Incorporating Coach Gullikson's exercises into your practices will help your players improve at a faster rate, especially if you have limited court space.

65 minutes. 2015.

High Octane Individual Tennis Drills

0
0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Keeping players engaged is one of the keys to running an effective tennis practice.

USPTA Elite Professional and Head Club Pro, Bruce Gullikson, shows you over 20 high-intensity drills designed for individual players. The exercises provided by Coach Gullikson will help your athletes develop posture, strategy, racquet angle, ground strokes, net defense, spin shots, volleys and accuracy.

Body and Ball Control

Start off your practices by getting players' bodies stretched out and in the correct posture with the Matuska Drill. Your athletes will learn to use their legs and lower their center of gravity while hitting a ball with a partner.

Coach Gullikson includes a series of drills focused on ball control. The Djokovic Drill is a fun exercise that will help your players improve their footwork and racquet angles while competing against another player. Other drills that work on getting a better feel for the ball include the Fast and Furious drill and the Absorb and Rip drill.

Individual Skills

Your players will work on keeping the ball in play, generating spin, game-winning shots, approach shots, accuracy and movement with Coach Gullikson's individual drills.

The 2-on-1 Doubles Isolation drill pits an individual against two players as they work to hit game-winners. It's a challenging drill that will force your athletes to dig deep and hit shots they might not normally make against a single opponent. The Blue Line Net Coverage 2 vs 1 drill makes things even harder, as the width of the court is narrowed to encourage hitting hard, accurate shots.

Another great exercise is the Designated Approaches drill, in which your players will learn to react to the speed of different shots as they approach the net.

Hand Feeding

Coach Gullikson provides a variety of hand feeding drills that work on different kinds of movement and shots.

The Hand Tossing X Drill gets players moving in different directions prior to hitting a ball, while also working on hitting backhands and forehands. Your athletes will also learn how to get more top spin on balls with the Low Ball Wristers exercise. By hitting a low ball at the right angle with more racquet speed, players will soon find themselves hitting devastating topspin shots with ease.

Coach Gullikson's drills for individuals are built with the player in mind. Athletes of all levels will get better at tennis while having fun performing the exercises shown in this video.

56 minutes. 2015.

The Secrets of Spanish Tennis

0
0
by Chris Lewit

Foreword by Lluis Bruguera

What makes Spanish tennis so unique and successful? What exactly are those Spanish coaches doing so differently to develop superstars like Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer that other systems are not doing? These and other questions are answered in The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, the culmination of five years of study on the Spanish way of training by USTA High Performance Coach Chris Lewit. He visited many of the top Spanish academies and studied and interviewed some of the leading coaches in Spain to discern and distill this unique and special training methodology.

167 pages. 2014.

Keys to the Kick Serve

0
0
with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, presents a video packed with skills and drills designed to help athletes learn the difficult kick serve. Coach Lewit's three keys to a successful kick serve are the angle, height and spin sound generated by the player. Through a series of three individual lessons, you'll see how Coach Lewit teaches this technique to his athletes, transitioning from a beginning-level player who's never done a kick serve before, to an experienced player that only needs to fine tune the details.

Lesson 1: Starting the Kick Serve

For a beginning player, Coach Lewit begins by moving the athlete closer to the net for the Mini Tennis Serve drill. One of the first points instructed is the importance of tossing the ball slightly to the left (for a right hander), which will put it into the correct spot needed for solid contact.

A challenge for beginning kick servers is learning not to slice. Spin should be put on the ball, but it should be primarily downward, not to the side. Key aspects of the serve include extending the tricep on contact, turning the shoulders and keeping an exaggerated sideways position. Coach Lewit believes that if the player is struggling with the full motion, then breaking the serve down into different steps can help them learn more effectively.

Lesson 2: Technique

Once players have graduated from the beginning phase, then you can begin to teach them more advanced techniques. In this lesson, Coach Lewit teaches an athlete how to add more height to the serve by changing the racket face angle and pushing up more on the contact with the ball. He also goes over how staying sideways can help create the proper angle and maximize spin.

Keeping the lower back straight when executing the kick serve is necessary to prevent a stress injury. Coach Lewit explains how to keep the lower back straight while bending the neck and pushing out the chest to create a slight curve in the upper back. The resulting body position is perfect for players as they execute the kick serve.

Lesson 3: Fine Tuning the Serve

The final phase of the kick serve is working on the small details that can be the difference between a good and great serve. In this lesson, Coach Lewit reinforces keeping an L shape with the elbow on the toss in addition to keeping the head up on the serve. When athletes are consistently hitting good kick serves, Coach Lewit has them begin to work on a "surprise serve" to break out when their opponent begins to cheat too far to one side.

The instruction in this video is perfect for beginning, intermediate or advanced athletes. Coach Lewit's skills and drills are sure to help you or your players improve the kick serve.

84 minutes. 2016.

Building the Spanish Forehand

0
0
with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Spanish players are known worldwide for hitting a powerful ball, and a large part of that stems from the way Spanish instructors have coached athletes for many decades. Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, has spent time traveling all over Spain to observe how Spanish coaches teach the techniques, theory and exercises that go into a forehand. Now, Coach Lewit is here to pass his knowledge on to you, so you or your pupils can hit forehands the Spanish way.

Drills

Coach Lewit includes six drills that will help you perfect the Spanish forehand: the Racket Acceleration Drill, the Front Racket Speed Drill, the Advanced Acceleration Drill, the Alternating Sides Acceleration Drill, the Low Ball Drill and the Swinging Volley Drill.

The Racket Acceleration Drill is designed to help players accelerate and work the ball as deep as possible to their target. You'll see how keeping a solid base and firing your hip can help the ball jump off your racket and cause problems for your opponent.

As Coach Lewit runs through the steps behind each drill, he also presents common technique mistakes that players make while practicing each shot. An example of this is having the ball drop short while working on racket speed. It's important to hit the ball with great depth on every forehand to make it more difficult for your opponent to complete a return.

Forehand Lessons

Two forehand lessons are included in the second half of the video. The first lesson is with a more experienced player, while the second lesson features a younger, intermediate-level athlete.

In each lesson, Coach Lewit works to analyze where the player's forehand is at. Once he's determined what the athlete needs to work on, he begins to incorporate any of the previous six drills that will help the player improve. Posture, balance, stability, level changing, hitting for depth and spin generation are among the skills taught by Coach Lewit in these lessons.

Everything you need to know about the Spanish forehand is included in this video. This is a great resource for both coaches and players who desire to add some tenacity to their forehand.

63 minutes. 2016.

Viewing all 188 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images