The role of the ball in a childs technical and tactical development By. Simon Grieve LTA Performance Coach & Procompare co-founder
So what's all the fuss about, there were no mini tennis balls around when Pete Sampras learnt the game and it didn't seem to cause him too many problems!
Is tennis just like modern education, just because something is tough, lets make it easier so the children don't feel inadequate. Why should we pamper to our juniors today and 'dumb down' the sport, keep them on a full size court and see if they can handle a full size racket and hard tennis ball.......it will sort out the really keen ones from those who are not really 'bothered'.
Well that is definitely one viewpoint that I have heard, nevertheless, it is not mine!
I love tennis and still find the sport exciting years after I first picked up (or should I say, tried to pick up) my dads Dunlop Maxply Fort. Unfortunately, I developed a limiting game, with many technical issues that I wish had been addressed years ago. I have also coached for the past 15 years and have seen how tough the sport can be for beginners. I want more people to experience the highs of hitting an ace on a big point or having a punishing baseline rally finished off with a drive volley winner. In reality though most people who try the sport for the first time get bored because they have no rallies and are forever picking up the ball from over the fence; in a recent survey by the LTA, boredom was the main reason for people giving up this great game.
Never fear though, help is at hand and with a concerted effort tennis coaches can do a much better job in retaining and exciting people new to the sport. We can help children develop the skills that will make playing tennis a joy rather than a grind, in my opinion, if you are good at something you are far less likely to give it up.
The video clip below is the first in a series of three video's that discuss the necessity for using a relevant ball for the individual's skill level. In the UK these are called mini-tennis balls, they come in three different colours, sizes and compressions. Using different kinds of balls can have a significant effect on the development of effective technique and the confidence to attempt different kinds of tactics ie taking the ball early and going to the net.
Part I shows the technical similarities of a number of world class ATP and WTA Tour players. Are the players you coach on their way to developing a game that will be able to handle the pace of the modern game?