1 st 4 sport Level 3 Certificate in

1 st 4 sport Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Tennis Essential Movement Skills

Session Content • Why? • Postural issues • The essential movement skills • Co-ordination skills • Key questions and suggestions

Why? • We need to start developing more skillful and complete athletes to match the demands of the game. This can be done right from the beginning of a tennis players journey • Many technical issues arise from poor foundation skills • Research suggests that up to 80% of errors are linked to being off balance during the shot. • A level 3 coach needs to observe, develop and maintain these skills at all times • On the course coaches will need to practice this regularly and show an understanding during assessment

Integrated Approach – A Physical Example PHYSICAL “I feel slow on court” TECHNICAL TACTICAL Stability & mobility Strength & power Endurance Co-ordination of all movements Anticipation Court position Understanding MENTAL Confidence in physical ability

Postural Checks (3 tests) Here are 3 simple tests that demonstrate the impact of poor posture on biomechanics 1. Shoulder/upper spine position 2. Pelvic position 3. Ankle range

Posture & Technique Postural Issue Associated Problems Potential Technical Impact Slumped Shoulders & Upper spine Reduced overhead range Reduced rotational range Shoulder impingement Lower back and ab issues Arching of back on serve Anterior Pelvic Tilt Reduced ability to recruit glutes Lower back issues Reduced knee control Reduced power potential due to poor alignment Stiff Ankles Reduced ability to push knees forward Increase stress further up the chain Jolting when decelerating Less wind up/shorter levers Collapsing knees when landing on serve Collapsing knees on split steps Unstable knee when decelerating Shallow loading on groundstrokes

Essential Movement Skills (CD ROM) 1. Squat patterns 2. Jumping skills 3. Lunge patterns 4. Hopping skills 5. Running mechanics 6. Change in direction 7. Throwing mechanics

Coordination Skills Balance Ability to sense & adjust the body’s position Landing on serve Differentiation Ability to sense internal & external stimuli and respond appropriately How hard to hit throw or kick a ball to achieve target Orientation Ability to sense & adjust position according to an object or location Chasing down lob & finding right position on court to hit ball Reactions Ability to respond quickly to a stimuli Unexpected volley or return of serve Rhythm Ability to express internalised timing of any movement Sequencing of groundstrokes/Mov ement on court

Key Questions • Do we spend enough time developing and reinforcing the appropriate physical qualities in order to make a change? • When do we get this opportunity? • How do we maintain these qualities? • Do we monitor progress? • Who is responsible for their development?

Some General Suggestions • Ensure you are only coaching positive habits • Encourage good postural shapes during technical work • Make use of warm ups to develop full set of skills. Keep integrating the 7 exercise themes and co-ordination challenges into on court sessions