Match 1: Lourdes High School

Wins from #2 singles, #2 doubles and #4 doubles.  Great job, especially Matthew, who earned a win using his mind as well as his tennis.

Also, props to Aaron, who played a solid, steady and, when appropriate, aggressive doubles game.

Notes to singles players:
1. take the ball early, just before it hits the top of its arc.
2. work hard to get your body and feet in the right position to make the shot.

Notes to doubles players:
1. court management, meaning to be mindful of your position on the court - you and your partner should be evenly covering the court: one on the deuce side, one on the ad side.
2. get to the net!
3. when at the net, stagger your position.

Here is a quick video on some doubles basics.  Notice the formation of the serving team shown during point #3, and compare them to the formation of the receiving team.  Whatever works for you and your partner, works!

And special thanks to Kiran, who managed a solid side and organized the match perfectly!

Lineup:

1S Lucas Greenwood
2S Matthew Scolaro
3S Davonte Woodton

1D Maxuel Martins
1D Anthony Ricciardi

2D Anders Spittal
2D Harrison Deegan

3D Aaron Breton
3D Joey Muschette

4D Steven Sperling
4D Joe Saez

Practice #10: Match play and lessons

March 30, 2016

Match play: Luke vs Matthew, Matthew vs Devonte
Doubles play: Maax/Anthony vs Devonte/Coach

Lesson work with Aaron, Samuel, Anock, Joe, Steven, Karlos and Anthony

Reiterate forehand technique.  Coach plays balls to player, player works on direct return, keeping the ball in play.  Emphasis on upper body rotation, side to net, weight transfer back to front, and follow through.

Activity: doubles King of the court, doubles "touch the fence."  The second game involved two pairs of partners on each side of the net.  First pair plays a ball in and retreats to the fence behind them while waiting doubles team replaces them at the baseline.  Play points, winner ears point, play to ten.

Practice #9: match play

Singles and doubles matches.

Singles: Luke, Devonte, Matt

Doubles: Max, Anthony, Aaron, Joe, Steven

Practice #8: PHS Fitness Center

We will meet today at 3:30 in the fitness center.  Our objective is to work on arm, shoulder and core strength.  I will bring our training sheet.  You will also be asked to run for 20 min on the treadmill, so being appropriate footwear.

Player Fitness

Follow the link below to view some recommendations for maintaining strength and fitness during the break.  Keep in mind that your training should be done to support tennis-specific strength, such as exercises to strengthen the shoulder or the forearms.

Weight-Training: Varsity Tennis

Finally, the best thing you can do is play tennis.  Rallying, playing points and playing full games for one or two hours will do everything you need to get ready for the season!

You can also visit the USTA website for examples of training as well as more ideas.

USTA Strength Training and Conditioning for Tennis

Practice #7, March 18

Objective: Mastering serve

Intro: Mini-tennis.  Players work in pairs and play tennis within the service boxes.  Emphasis on stroke form, tempo, touch.

Lesson: Coach models stance, stroke, toss and trajectory of the ball.  Stance has front foot at a 45° angle with the service line, back foot parallel with the service line.  Toss is high and slightly in front of the server (if left the fall, the tossed ball should fall about 12" - 24" inside of the service line).  Racquet goes backwards as the toss goes up, racquet sweeps back and comes forward to hit the ball at it's highest point.

Activity: Players are broken in to groups and each takes one of the four service courts and practice serves.  Coach works with each player to reinforce technical points.

Close: Around the World!

Practice #6, March 17

Objective: reiterate ground strokes, some doubles strategy.

Intro: Mini-tennis.  Players work in pairs and play tennis within the service boxes.  Emphasis on stroke form, tempo, touch.

Lesson: Students work independently with coach.  Start at service line, mini tennis.  Coach reiterates importance of shoulder turn.  Work through an entire bucket of cross-court forehands, then an entire bucket of cross-court backhands.  Pace depends on ability of player.  Three progressions max: 1st is played at the service line; 2nd is in no-man's land; third is from the baseline.  After each shot, the player must return to the center and get in a ready position.

Cross-court forehands: Torque it!

While players are waiting, they play King of the Court.  First in singles games, then as doubles teams.

Practice #5, March 16

Objective: introduction to volleying and some doubles strategy.

Intro: Dribbling and tossing with the racquet, backhand and forehand.   Players work alone, but everyone is on the same 1/2 court. Dribble tennis balls straight down 20x, the keep ball in the air 20x. 3 minutes standing still. 3-5 minutes moving around the 1/2 court.  Start with forehand, continue with backhand.  Increase height of the tossing and the force of the dribbling.

Lesson: Break up into pairs.  Work on volleying technique.  On balls of the feet, racquet at center of body, racquet head high, slight backhand grip.  Stroke is a very short "punch" stroke.  Rotate shoulders slightly, punch the ball with the racquet head.  Key to success is: stiff elbow and wrist, your head and the head of the racquet are at the same height when the ball is struck, short back-swing, short follow through.

Activity: coach hits ground strokes to players at net.  Players work on form and technique.

Progression #1: players start at service line, coach plays them balls, players volley balls back and together take a few steps towards the net.  Emphasis on body moving forward, continually attacking the net, looking to control net play, and positioning for a put away (angled shot deep the corners).

Progression #2: players start at baseline.  Coach plays a shot ball and receiving player makes a deep approach shot and the two partners start coming to the net.  Strategy: on shallow shot when both players are at the baseline, players see the shallow shot as an opportunity to make an approach, then do so with a deep return, and then they come to the net.  Non-hitting player takes closer "attack" position at the net, looking for a put-away.  Hitting player lags a little just inside the service line to cover in case of a lob.  Players are never flat.

Play: singles players play points.  One plays, one waits.  Win and stay on.  Doubles players play sets.

Close: Around the World (Ashton wins).

Practice is ON today, March 15

Practice starts at 3:30.

Rain is in the forecast Thursday and Friday.

If it is raining Thursday, practice will be from 3:30 to 5 in the High School fitness center.

If it is raining Friday, we will meet in the Middle School gym from 4:30 to 5:30. The Middle School address is 212 Ringold Street.

Practice today cancelled

Practice on 3/14 is cancelled because of the rain.
See you all tomorrow, 3/15, at 3:30.

Plan for week of March 14 - 18

The team will continue to work on skills.  We will introduce volleying, serving, and some strategy by the end of the week.

The following week is Spring Break.  All players should find time to play every day during the break!

Over the break, I will put together a ladder.  Then, when we come back, we will play challenge games Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to perfect the rankings.

Play in Friday's match will be based on the results of the ladder.  First, second and third ranked players will play singles, fourth through eleventh ranked players will play doubles teams.

Practice #4, March 14

Objective: continue working on backhand

Intro: Dribbling and tossing, backhand and forehand.   Players work alone, but everyone is on the same 1/2 court. Dribble tennis balls straight down 20x, the keep ball in the air 20x. 3 minutes standing still. 3-5 minutes moving around the 1/2 court.  Start with forehand, continue with backhand.

Lesson: Break up one hand and two hand backhand players. One hand players: assess grip, reiterate stroke for a slice (or Australian?) backhand. Stroke starts high and finishes high.

One-handers: Coach is on one side, two or four players on the other (if four, two players active, two players shadowing).  Coach feeds backhands to players.  Work on technical: weight transfer, shoulder turn, finish perpendicular to net.  Keep the head focused on point of contact all the way through the stroke!

Two-handers: Work on form - backswing hands are together and close to body, shoulders hard turned to ball, right shoulder is pushing to the chin and player looks forward. Inside-out swing, hands are away from body as the ball is struck, left hand dominant, finish swing with a totally open stance, inside left elbow coming across the face.

Play: 2v2, 1/2 court hitting. Working on control. Focus is on weight shift: loading up weight on the back foot, transitioning weight to front foot, keeping shoulders perpendicular to the net on finish (one-handers) or being open to net (two handers).

Close with this activity.

Practice #3, March 11

Objective: introduce proper backhand grip, hitting a backhand

 Intro: Identify one hand and two hand backhand players. Then break into two groups. One hand players: work on grip, stroke for a slice (Australian) backhand. Stroke starts high and finishes high. 

One-handers' lesson: teams of two, both standing at a fence. One is a hitter, one feeds. Hitter starts half way through the shot: shoulders are turned perp to fence, weight on back foot, racquet back, both hands on racquet (weak hand about at the neck). Partner bounces the ball to hitter, hitter finishes the shot. Shoulders stay closed, from racquet head, to front shoulder, through chest, to back shoulder to off hand in back is all on one plane (see Federer).

Two-handers' lesson: both happen to be developed players. Worked on form - backswing hands are together and close to body, shoulders hard turned to ball, right shoulder is pushing to the chin and player looks forward. Inside-out swing, hands are away from body as the ball is struck, left hand dominant, finish swing with a totally open stance, inside left elbow coming across the face.

Play: 2v2, 1/2 court hitting. Working on control. Focus is on weight shift: loading up weight on the back foot, transitioning weight to front foot, keeping shoulders perpendicular to the net on finish (one-handers) or being open to net (two handers).

Close with this activity.

Practice #2, March 10

Practice #2

Objective: Continue developing forehand skills. In addition to proper forehand grip and shifting the weight, work on shoulder rotation, swing direction (low to high), and swing finish.

Intro: "dribbling and tossing." Players work alone, but everyone is on the same 1/2 court. Dribble tennis balls straight down 20x, the keep ball in the air 20x. 3 minutes standing still. 3-5 minutes moving around the 1/2 court.

Lesson: 2v2, 1/2 court hitting. Working on control and cross court shot. Focus is on weight shift: loading up weight and torque on the back foot, transitioning weight to front foot.

Coach training: doubles teams, coach feeds a cross court shot, receiving player must return a cross court shot, teams play out point. Coach works each count (deuce and ad, both sides) fifteen - twenty balls to each position.

Play: hitting doubles and singles. Two doubles games. No serve. Self-feed cross court shots. Close: Around the word singles competition.

Practice #1, March 9

Practice #1 Introductory practice

Objective: introduce proper forehand grip, hitting a forehand

Intro: 2v2, 1/2 court hitting. Working on control and cross court shot. Focus is on weight shift: loading up weight and torque on the back foot, transitioning weight to front foot.

Coach training: coach feeds forehands to teams of two. Work on and reinforce fundamentals - grip, shoulder turn, high finish.

Play: hitting doubles and singles. Self-feed. Doubles game on one court has eight players. Play in pairs, one pair at the base line playing the point, one pair behind them waiting, shadowing play.Win the point, then stay. Lose the point, then quickly switch with waiting players, and continue.

Close with this activity.