Hi Nick: I’m training our eight-year-old son to be a well-rounded tennis player with the big aim of having him become a pro. At the moment, he’s decent enough during practice and coaching sessions. He hits through the ball, preps well before striking and sees the ball quite well off the opponent’s racquet. I’m finding, however, that he needs to develop his 1) agility through footwork and quicker reflexes and 2) racquet-head speed to have more weight in his groundstrokes. I’m also finding difficulties in coaching him on serves. Thank you in advance and looking forward to your advice.
—Anton Soepardi, Melbourne, Australia
Hi Anton: Here’s a drill: Have several balls in your hand. Stand close to the hitter. Toss the ball and say, “Get your racquet back.” Do this for several balls in a row. For the serve, start him at the service line. Use an Eastern grip and then move to Continental. Place the racquet behind his shoulder and make sure he does not release the ball too soon. After the release, let his tossing hand stay up as if he is trying to catch the ball. Make sure he hits up on the ball.
Before doing this, get a little football and just work on his tossing motion; then try to get him to do the same with the racquet. Don’t worry about consistency. Learn how to coordinate the racquet and ball.
Now, you may get mad at me for saying this, but I think you are trying to teach your son far too much. Go slower and make sure he has fun. Do not jeopardize your relationship with your son. I have four suggestions:
1
Train him not to be a professional but to play and enjoy the game. Let the goals set themselves as he gets older.
2
Introduce him to basketball and soccer, two sports that help footwork and agility.
3
Go to a qualified performance coach so he can evaluate your son and give you a few more simple drills to practice.
4
Remember that your son is only 8 years old. Be sure to use the 10-and-under balls that will give him time to increase his racquet-head speed. Another drill is to pitch balls to him with a closed stance and only step with the front foot. Keep the back foot in place, which will force him to increase the speed of his racquet head.
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