Plain-English definitions and on-court coaching cues for players, parents, and coaches across all development stages.
How children learn movement, and how coaches teach it.
Developing the whole child across several areas at once: technique, tactics, movement, mind and social skills. Also means building a broad base of movement from many activities, not only tennis.
“We train the athlete and the person, not just the forehand.”
Teaching the same skill through many different drills, games and conditions so the child learns to use it anywhere.
“Same shot, ten different games.”
Adding difficulty in small steps, from simple to complex and from easy to hard, so the child keeps succeeding while being stretched.
“We add one new challenge at a time.”
Using games as the main teaching tool at young ages. Children stay engaged longer and learn to use skills in real situations.
“If it looks like they're just playing games, that's the plan working.”
The areas every session and every player report should cover: technical, tactical, physical (movement), mental, and social/communication. Competition and organization are added for older players.
“Here's where she's at in each of the five areas.”
How the body and brain learn a movement until it becomes automatic. Real learning shows as improvement, consistency, retention over time, and the ability to adapt the skill to new situations.
“A good lesson isn't one perfect shot. It's a shot that still works next week.”
Learning a skill moves through three stages: rough (the child gets the general idea but the movement is clumsy), refined (the movement becomes smoother and more accurate), and flexible (the player can adapt it under pressure and in new situations).
“He's in the rough stage with the serve. Clumsy is normal right now.”
A movement that has been practised until it reaches a goal reliably, with a high success rate and little wasted energy.
“Skills are built through repetition with purpose.”
A skill performed in a changing, unpredictable environment, like tennis, where every incoming ball is different. Players must read and react, not just repeat.
“Tennis is an open skill. The drill is only useful if it transfers to the match.”
A skill performed in a stable, predictable environment, such as a gymnastics routine. In tennis, the serve is the closest thing to a closed skill.
“The serve is the one shot where you're in full control.”
A drill focused on technique only, with no decisions to make. For example, repeated fed balls from a basket.
“Basket feeding: just focus on the swing.”
A drill with limited, known choices. The player knows the options but not exactly which ball is coming.
“It's either a forehand or a backhand. Read it early.”
A live-ball drill with a few rules or targets that limit the options while still demanding decisions.
“Live rally, but you can only win the point cross-court.”
A drill or game that looks like real match play, where the player must read, decide and execute.
“Now play it out. You make the decisions.”
Mixing different shots and situations in unpredictable order. It feels harder in the moment but produces better learning than repeating one shot in a block.
“It feels messier, but it sticks better.”
Breaking a stroke into its parts and working on each one separately. Useful for fixing one specific element in older players.
“Let's isolate just the finish for five minutes.”
Teaching technique and tactics together through games, so children understand why a shot is used while learning how to hit it. Often uses guided discovery.
“We start with the game, then fix the technique it exposes.”
A step-by-step model where technique is built first and tactics and match play come later. The coach makes all the decisions and the student follows.
“Useful for specific fixes, but not our default with kids.”
A teaching style where the coach sets up a task or asks a question and lets the child find the answer. Children remember what they discover more than what they are told.
“Where did the ball go when your feet were wide? Why do you think that happened?”
The range of ways a coach can run a task: command (coach decides everything), practice (player works at own pace on set tasks), reciprocal (players coach each other), and guided discovery.
“Pick the style that fits the goal, not the one that's habit.”
The coach decides what, when and how, and players follow. Efficient for organization and safety, weaker for independence.
“Everyone on the baseline, go on my whistle.”
Players work in pairs, one performing and one observing and giving feedback against a simple checklist.
“Watch your partner's split-step and tell them if it's on time.”
Information a player gets about their performance. Internal feedback comes from their own senses (how it felt, how it sounded). External feedback comes from outside: a coach's comment, a video, where the ball landed.
“How did that one feel? Now look where it landed.”
Showing the movement before explaining it. Young children copy what they see far better than what they hear.
“Watch me first, then you try.”
A lesson has a warm-up and activation phase, a main phase with varied multilateral work, and a closing phase with a game and review.
“We always finish with a game and one thing to remember.”
Watching a player systematically, from close and from a distance, before deciding what to correct. Observe, intervene, then check.
“I watched ten balls before saying anything.”
Checking progress against the stage goals at regular intervals, so decisions about moving up are based on evidence.
“Our check-in shows he's secure on 4 of 6 orange goals.”
How much work a player does: number of balls hit, time on court, distance covered, rest. Even without lab testing, coaches should track it roughly.
“We keep the volume sensible so she stays fresh and healthy.”
Games where players score by hitting a hoop, cone or court zone. They teach direction and aim without a lecture.
“Land it in the box and score a point.”
Filming practice or matches to review technique and decisions. Players often understand a correction faster once they see it.
“Let's watch that serve back.”