You will probably be shocked to learn that when the pros play only 10 to 20 percent of the shots they play are 'winners'. This means 90 to 80 percent of the shots are controlled rallying shots, played by both players as they move their opponent around the court, looking for that opening to hit a winner.
There are two main mindsets that players can adopt in matches. The first is the consistent mindset, waiting for the right opportunity to hit a winner and the second is the hitting winners mindset, trying to hit winners at every available opportunity, quite often before the time is right to do so.
Having the winning instinct is great and it's what every coach looks for in their players, however it is possible to be over eager and so that's where this session comes in - teaching players to be assertive but not overly aggressive!
To get things rolling we open with a patience drill, forcing both players to play three volleys before then been allowed to go out and look to play the winner! After this we then look for consistency when playing winning shots - how many winners can your players hit in a minute?
A tiebreak is a short sprint where every point is worth the same as a break of serve. The players who win them are rarely the ones who hit hardest. Here is how to coach the patterns, habits and scoreboard thinking that win the big points.
Most club players practise the serve on its own and then have no idea what to do with the ball that comes back. Serve plus one is the pattern that turns a good serve into a won point.
Wimbledon has just crowned another champion, and if you watched closely you saw the same thing every year: the best returners quietly won the tournament. Here is how to coach a return that pressures the server rather than just surviving it.
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