Junior Club -Yellow Ball Development and Performance Sessions (Week 2)

This week the yellow ball and performance sessions were looking to make final preparations for the beginning of the Belfast and District Leagues.

Firstly players looked to Enhance their serving accuracy and returner's agility and hand-eye coordination, focusing on making the returner move and react quickly to the serve.

They did this through a game called serve touch and catch. The server was encouraged to strategically place their serves to challenge the returner, aiming to make them move and stretch.

This encourages the returner to move quickly and anticipate the serve to maintain a favourable position for their serve.

Players then performed a game called connect 6.  They serve to aim for one of the three zones in the service box. If the serve lands in an empty zone and the player wins the point (live ball, with serve and return), they earn a token (cone) for that zone.

If a player serves into a zone that already has a token, they lose the token for that zone. Also players must change their serving position after each serve.

This allowed the players to develop serving accuracy, strategic decision-making, and adaptability through a unique, player-driven drill.

The coaching team looked at creating various unique scenarios for the players during their match play.

Firstly, we looked at strengthening players' defensive capabilities on the backhand side using an ecological dynamics approach, focusing on adaptability, spatial awareness, and effective response to challenging situations.

One player/side had to attack the opponents backhand, using their forehand. The defensive player had to use the block, topspin lob or slice on the backhand to keep them in the point. Three shots which are very important throughout the match.

If the defensive player was able to get the attacking player to make an error of their defensive shot they won the game out right.

Players then also looked to enhance their strategic thinking, consistency, and point construction skills by focusing on winning points by making the ball bounce twice on the opponents side.

Players had to think strategically about how to move their opponent and create opportunities to make the ball bounce twice.

Emphasis was on using a variety of shots, angles, and depths to challenge the opponent.

Well done to the players this week! They worked incredibly hard. Also thanks to Steve Whelan from My Tennis Coaching Academy for all his help and ideas.