Many players aspire to be better tennis players, however, how does the process look and feel, and how is it measured to know if you are on the right track? Above all, the most important reason for making any change is the WHY. Sound familiar? Here are some processes that must be brought to the table with parents/players/coaches when considering making changes to a player’s game…

Too many times a player will follow instruction and attempt to make a change in their game whether it be technical, tactical/strategic, physical, emotional/behavioral, nutritional, or equipment, without truly laying out the process in detail before it begins. ‘On the fly’ commands can be useful when grooming a player’s game closer to a competitive event, but any developmental improvements need to be timed accurately within a competition schedule (periodization). Once the ideal schedule for any improvement is set, here are very important questions to be asking…

What advantages will the change do to my game tactically/strategically?

Does it fit into the game style I wish to be playing?

How will the change be achieved in order? i.e. Progressions

What can I expect to occur to my performance over time (measuring)?

Regardless of what the performance changes are, the most important piece is preparing for failure. Virtually every time a change is made, a necessary part of development is moving backwards before experiencing performance enhancement. The more emotionally prepared an athlete is during this phase, the greater the acquisition of the new skill and potentially a faster improvement rate. The degree of failure is proportionate to the severity of change. See diagram…

PREPARATION FOR FAILURE IS THE FUEL TO FIGHT THROUGH IT!