Tennis Instruction
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That is, a tennis coach cannot see what you are doing and therefore cannot correct your strokes or footwork.
Teaching tennis on court begins with demonstration and technique. But then most of the coach's and player's work is about correcting slight deviations from the correct way of playing.
Online instruction covers only the first part - the demonstration and the teaching of technique or footwork. And the best way to guide you to an enjoyable tennis experience is by tennis instruction videos.
Tennis videos are a much better teaching and learning aid than text, and that's why TennisMindGame.com now provides you with instruction videos for beginners as well as advanced players. These videos cover all the major parts of the game.
How We Learn Tennis
One of the most important things to know is that learning tennis is very different from learning other things, say, for example, learning new computer skills.For too long, tennis instruction has been intellectual. Only recently have coaches and national associations recognized that and started teaching tennis through the game-based approach.
Although some instruction is still necessary (mostly dependent on the player's coordination, talent, ball judgment, and so forth) most of tennis is learned through feel. The body learns, not the conscious intellectual mind.
If a tennis coach on court instructs you to hit a ball with a certain technique it's almost 99% certain that you WON'T be able to do it.
Even if you try 10-20 times, it's still very unlikely that you will perform that technique or stroke the way Coach instructed you to.
Why?
Because now the body has to adapt and coordinate various parts to move in a certain way. It cannot learn as fast as your mind.
It actually takes thousands of repetitions before some strokes or movements become automatic and fluid. When you follow tennis instruction videos and tips from this section of the website, know that learning and acquiring new skills will take some time.
You need to know how to teach your body. And be patient. You cannot force results. Your body will adapt when it will adapt. No one knows when that is.
An experienced coach may give a rough prediction but he/she still guesses.
Another thing to have in mind is that no one can teach you tennis. By that I mean no one can teach you tennis directly. Coach only talks, demonstrates and creates situations in which you can learn and teach your body how to move.
Yes, sometimes a tennis instructor guides the hand of the player, but eventually they step away and just speak. The player needs to focus on feelings and certain guidelines and teach him- or her-self.
How Do We Teach Ourselves?
The first part of teaching yourself is getting the correct information, and the tennis instruction videos here will help you with that. The second part of teaching yourself is playing.We already mentioned that the body learns slower than the intellectual mind. So, I call the body "stupid" in this respect.
Understanding this about the body helps you to the appropriate attitude and approach. For, we all have the experience of being patient, since we all have had to deal with stupid people or were stupid ourselves and just couldn't figure out how to do something for a long time. Finally, only after many tries, did the right way finally dawn on us so that we could do it.
It's the same with the body: you will repeat a stroke or footwork pattern for the hundredth time, and yet you will still look clumsy or have no control of the ball.
But eventually your movements will become more fluid, and you will need much less effort to play tennis.
The best mindset in this period is to be patient and not focus on the outcome (do the best you can though). In other words, don't be thinking, "When am I going to start hitting these forehands in?"
Focus on the process: hitting the ball, rotating the body, or one of the other check points of your stroke.
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If you are ready to start learning either how to play tennis or how to improve your current skills to more advanced levels, check the instruction videos for tennis beginners or learn more from the articles below.
Tennis Instruction Related Articles
The Biggest Tennis Myth that's Hurting Your GameThere is a certain tennis myth that keeps you from improving your game. In fact, your technique is typically going to worsen because of this mistaken belief.
The Evolution Of Tennis Serve Technique
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The Ultimate Topspin Tennis Serve Video Guide
This topspin tennis serve guide is useful for tennis beginners who have just started to learn the serve. It is also useful for advanced players who already know how to hit a flat serve and can do it with correct technique.
The Origin Of Forehand And Backhand Tennis Technique
You can develop tennis technique in a very simple and natural way. Have you ever asked yourself: Why do all these 3 forehands look very similar?
The Origin Of Volley Technique
The journey to an effective volleying technique is similar to our previous journey, the journey to effective groundstrokes from the baseline. Yet there are two major differences.
Training Plan For Tennis Juniors
The tennis training program here is very similar to how top juniors in Europe train from the ages of eight to 14 years.
Poonky - Training An 8 Year Old Tennis Junior
I've recently had a chance to train a young Thai girl named Poonky for 2 months. Poonky just turned 8 years old and is currently ranked in the top 10 in Thailand under 8.
Tennis Drills For Juniors - Training Poonky, Part II
This is Part II of drills for juniors, which covers quick preparation and using the body's rotation.
Slice Serve Drills and More - Training Poonky, Part III
This third part of drills with Poonky, an eight-year-old from Thailand, covers working on the slice serve, drills for ball control, footwork, reading a short ball and playing a set with modified rules.
What Can Tennis Players Learn From Bruce Lee
You may have missed that Bruce Lee was an extraordinary person with great insight into the art of fighting. What has this to do with tennis?
4 Reasons Why Recreational Players Cannot Have Perfect Tennis Technique
My tennis experience convinces me that it's almost impossible for recreational players to develop good tennis technique in a competitive tennis situation.
The Importance Of Proper Tennis Form
I believe there are some misconceptions about proper form, how to develop it and whether it is important.
Tennis Training - How To Train For Maximum Improvement
Thousands of tennis players practice every day but only a few of them make the most of the tennis training session.
Two-Handed Backhand Tip For Left Arm
Learn to use your non-dominant arm to work more when playing a twohanded backhand (video).
Do you have a question, a technical problem or just a suggestion what you would like to see in the tennis instruction articles? I can't promise to answer all submissions but I do read them all.
So go ahead and submit your question related to tennis technique or footwork...
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