The Top 10 Reasons to Sack Your Tennis Coach - Part 1
Paul Gold
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It doesn't matter who your tennis coach is, or what country we find the tennis coach in, they don't have the right to give you false information!!
The problem is that so many of them do!
Perhaps it's not always on purpose, but the fact remains that you as the tennis player is the one not getting the best information.
You as the tennis player wants to improve their game and in fact you are paying someone to help you improve your game, so you hook up with someone that can help you do it!
In an ideal world you find yourself with someone that not only knows the game well, but is able to transfer and translate the information to you!
That does NOT mean that they are a fantastic tennis player (as many people fall into the trap of thinking), they just have to be a fantastic communicator of the things you need to know to move your game on!
Having said that, there are things that I see that I believe are a SACKABLE offence when it come to tennis coaching!
This may seem a bit extreme, but don't worry all I am really saying is that if you think that any of these apply to you, you should seriously think about finding someone who is "better" equipped to deliver this stuff which I feel will make you a beter player in the long run.
So here goes.....
Here are the Top 10 Reasons to sack your tennis coach.
If you think any of them apply to you then you know what to do!
1. You still think the forehand is a closed stance shot
I see so many club players playing with a closed stance on the forehand and worse still I see so many coaches telling/showing their pupils to hit the forehand with a closed stance. This just makes no sense at all for several reasons.
The Pro’s don’t do it – just switch on the TV and watch the next tennis tournament and make a quick calculation as to how many times they hit open stance on the forehand as opposed to closed stance.
This is for several reasons and don’t let anyone tell you that “the Pro game is the Pro game”.
The Pro’s play the shot with an open stance for a reason, actually several reasons, the number 1 reason being it’s just easier!
When you stand up, ready to play a shot how do you stand?
With an open stance of course – it’s natural!
You can use “stereo vision” – both eyes on the ball and therefore get the best “read” on the play!
When you turn to get into a closed stance you tend to lead with one eye over the other.
Next!
You get so much more rotation in the open stance!
Try i
t for yourself – get into a closed stance position and make a full swing. You can’t! Basically you “lock out” at the hips before you can get the racket all the way round.
Now get into the open stance and make a swing. How much further can you swing? Need I say more?
Listen! That is one of the main reasons the game is much more powerful these days. The open stance allows you to make a much bigger swing at the ball which generates so much more racket head speed which for you means more pace and spin on your shots!
Yes please!
Next!
What about recovery?
There’s no point being able to hit a shot no matter how good it is if you are in such a poor position to hit another one.
So let’s look at this simplified scenario – try hitting a closed stance forehand.
Your leg comes across your body and you hit your shot!
To get back to your ready position you have to bring that leg back to where it started to be in the best position (ready position) for the next ball (which just happens to be the open stance by the way!!).
Now try hitting the forehand with the open stance.
You step out sideways, hit the shot and bring your leg back towards the centre – that’s it!
Now I know that’s a simple example but it illustrates the point. In fact once we get more movement going the differences just become even greater.
Conclusion?
Even if you just took one of these reasons to play your forehand with more of an open stance you would be better off. But if you factor in all of them (and there are more), you really should see that it’s a no-brainer.
I have to say that 100% of the people that I have shown this change to have said that they found it easier and more natural and have all wondered why their coach had not told them to play that way.
Many of them have even said to me that they wondered about that as they had seen the Pro’s on the TV and even the good players at the club etc. hitting with an open stance.
That’s not for me to say, as I would never “put down” or single out another tennis coach to their pupil BUT what I find most amazing with this is that I see so many of the coaches who are coaching their pupils to hit with a closed stance on the forehand actually hitting with an open stance themselves!!
How does that work??
Surely either the pupil would notice the difference or the coach would coach them the same style as they use – after all, they know it’s better – after all why do they do it??
Sometimes people just coach in the exact same way that they were taught or they see others coaching, even if they know it’s wrong.
Bottom line?
If you are still playing your forehands with a closed stance there is only one thing to do – SACK YOUR COACH!
The problem is that so many of them do!
Perhaps it's not always on purpose, but the fact remains that you as the tennis player is the one not getting the best information.
You as the tennis player wants to improve their game and in fact you are paying someone to help you improve your game, so you hook up with someone that can help you do it!
In an ideal world you find yourself with someone that not only knows the game well, but is able to transfer and translate the information to you!
That does NOT mean that they are a fantastic tennis player (as many people fall into the trap of thinking), they just have to be a fantastic communicator of the things you need to know to move your game on!
Having said that, there are things that I see that I believe are a SACKABLE offence when it come to tennis coaching!
This may seem a bit extreme, but don't worry all I am really saying is that if you think that any of these apply to you, you should seriously think about finding someone who is "better" equipped to deliver this stuff which I feel will make you a beter player in the long run.
So here goes.....
Here are the Top 10 Reasons to sack your tennis coach.
If you think any of them apply to you then you know what to do!
1. You still think the forehand is a closed stance shot
I see so many club players playing with a closed stance on the forehand and worse still I see so many coaches telling/showing their pupils to hit the forehand with a closed stance. This just makes no sense at all for several reasons.
The Pro’s don’t do it – just switch on the TV and watch the next tennis tournament and make a quick calculation as to how many times they hit open stance on the forehand as opposed to closed stance.
This is for several reasons and don’t let anyone tell you that “the Pro game is the Pro game”.
The Pro’s play the shot with an open stance for a reason, actually several reasons, the number 1 reason being it’s just easier!
When you stand up, ready to play a shot how do you stand?
With an open stance of course – it’s natural!
You can use “stereo vision” – both eyes on the ball and therefore get the best “read” on the play!
When you turn to get into a closed stance you tend to lead with one eye over the other.
Next!
You get so much more rotation in the open stance!
Try i
Now get into the open stance and make a swing. How much further can you swing? Need I say more?
Listen! That is one of the main reasons the game is much more powerful these days. The open stance allows you to make a much bigger swing at the ball which generates so much more racket head speed which for you means more pace and spin on your shots!
Yes please!
Next!
What about recovery?
There’s no point being able to hit a shot no matter how good it is if you are in such a poor position to hit another one.
So let’s look at this simplified scenario – try hitting a closed stance forehand.
Your leg comes across your body and you hit your shot!
To get back to your ready position you have to bring that leg back to where it started to be in the best position (ready position) for the next ball (which just happens to be the open stance by the way!!).
Now try hitting the forehand with the open stance.
You step out sideways, hit the shot and bring your leg back towards the centre – that’s it!
Now I know that’s a simple example but it illustrates the point. In fact once we get more movement going the differences just become even greater.
Conclusion?
Even if you just took one of these reasons to play your forehand with more of an open stance you would be better off. But if you factor in all of them (and there are more), you really should see that it’s a no-brainer.
I have to say that 100% of the people that I have shown this change to have said that they found it easier and more natural and have all wondered why their coach had not told them to play that way.
Many of them have even said to me that they wondered about that as they had seen the Pro’s on the TV and even the good players at the club etc. hitting with an open stance.
That’s not for me to say, as I would never “put down” or single out another tennis coach to their pupil BUT what I find most amazing with this is that I see so many of the coaches who are coaching their pupils to hit with a closed stance on the forehand actually hitting with an open stance themselves!!
How does that work??
Surely either the pupil would notice the difference or the coach would coach them the same style as they use – after all, they know it’s better – after all why do they do it??
Sometimes people just coach in the exact same way that they were taught or they see others coaching, even if they know it’s wrong.
Bottom line?
If you are still playing your forehands with a closed stance there is only one thing to do – SACK YOUR COACH!