Questions and comments on Kyle's latest article!

[hockeyscout]

Kyle:
I watched these soft catch, Serve and Volley Tango and 4 Corner Box.
I like it, however, I even more enjoying seeing a drill, understanding it's real intent, and modifying the hell out of it so it transitions into "stupid impossible circus shit."

I hope you don't mind, but I am going to discuss what I liked, didn't like and how I can do some major adaptations.

Maybe even all of you can discuss some more things for me to do here?

Hopefully no one takes this the wrong was as I am just interested in finding ways to get better, and not be disrepectful, or take over the message board.

First off my goal in any drill set is to win the point on every ball. No exceptions.

In these specific drills I never want that hitting partner to ever get his racket on the ball. My goal with hitting partners is to make sure they don't touch the ball! If the hitting partner manages to get his racket on something it's not what we consider good. We will usually have 2 feeds going on at the same time (dad and ball machine), and I use hitting partners to get to the ball, and just touch it. I find I can feed the ball better than the hitting partner, and quicker, so it's faster than a rally, and I can watch the athlete and catch them off balance. In Junior's kids are killed by the pace because they've practiced rallying at to slow of an engagement level coming up in the system, so I quicken the pace so we can see whats breaking down and correct it. The hitting partner will determine if it was a winner, a bad shot, talk about how they saw the ball, how they saw that play develop and what needs to be done to disguise the shot, and make the first shot on the point construction much more effective.

When I take out the need for the hitting partner to hit he can really focus on what matters. As well I can up the pace of the practice, and not let some hitting partner determine things for us which is good, or give the child academy balls so the kid looks great and everyone is smiling about how the child did wonderful and rallied 18 times in a row! As well we have a special camera we put on the hitting partners head, and I give that to my daughter to watch so she can see what he is seeing in real time (its a ski camera). So, one person feeding balls with focus, one person getting to balls with focus, and the video to back it up (all done silently).

The most importantly thing we do in our developmental aspect is call out each shot (6 - 8 - 10, 15, 20, Wimbeldon -- that means the category, 8 is you hit like a 8 year old, 15 means Junior quality, 20 means Eugenie Bouchard category and a Wimbeldon shot means that was Wimbeldon quality and origional. We actually call out all of our shots like this as it's a true indicator, as opposed to "nice, good, yes, as those are kind of useless dominators for helping an athlete envision what level of play they want to rise to down the road. When their is a HUGE catastrophy it's always a laughing, poking fun at "you're playing like a 6-7 year old", and never a "negative call your playing like a 6-7 year old." Its always a bit of a mocking jab, and it works, as we get a lot of older quality. We are also looking for something origional and creative, so that'll get top marks as well. I call out "Rammstein" when something is smart, and then I am hostily corrected "No, it's Einstein", or "Gretzky" and it's "quit talking about hockey", or we just say "smart, Federer or the Don_Budge word precocious."

Anyways, it gets everyone focused on thinking about every shot, in every situation, no matter what, and its funny, sometimes the hitting partners go a bit to sleep and forget to call out the shot! Or he forgets to talk softly about what he is seeing, and what's happening. Anyways, we're always working on being engaged, so it really shows when someone in the team is having an off day (me, hitting partner or player).

As well, its great having the guy call the shot out with the camera on because that's a good indicator when we look back at the video about what his perspective really was on a specific situation. So, the camera guy will "self talk" to himself a bit softly, and you've got feedback from behind enemy lines ready to go when he is gone, and the athlete has some alone time to sort out their "mess, game, situation, play, achievements, losses, wins" and all the rest.

[hockeyscout]

Now to the drills:

1.

Soft catch drill

You're soft catch drill. I like it. I think I will use this drill at the net for ball after ball after ball. I don't do this, and I haven't though about why just yet, however, it would be great for a young one like mine that loves to play a lot. Its pretty easy on the body, and I think I can use it to set up motor skills.

Nice job.

a.

Questions:

1.

However, why don't you then have the player "throw" the ball back over the net for a winning shot after they catch it? Slice it, snap it, throw it, bounce it, whatever, how come they just stop?

2.

It looks like you (the coach) is giving a very easy ball to the athlete? Or, do you change this? Hard, soft, high, low, speed, off-speed, at the feet etc. I only see one shot in the video. What's your game for feeding the balls? Do you adjust the height of the ball coming at the player? I do all our drills from anywhere from 1 (you are doing this one at 2 or 3 feet) to 20 feet.

3.

I think I am going to blindfold my kid, and have her catch balls. What position should I place the racket in on the forehand and backhand to do this in your opinion? I will then have her hit it over the net by feel, bounce it, play with it.

Get her feeling the ball, yah, this will be interesting, and it might build some very cool connections.

Alternatives add on's to this drill set:

Obviously a blindfold.

I am thinking of doing this and getting the young one to put it an inch over the net as she throws it (or directs it) and see how deep and low she can get it. Of course as usual I will have her use every grip under the sun (as we always do) to figure out what she likes and does, and why it works, and doesn't work!

I think then I will put her on the ground with a mat (shoes off), doing various stances (ground based, squats, yoga, abdominal, MMA, off balance, seated and off the cuff poses while sitting, standing, squatting and whatever) and catching and then hitting the call.

I also will try this right and the net, and backpedal quick, catch, step forward, release and so on and so forth. I do so much backpedaling work!

This drill has so much potential for us the other end of the world here in Ukraine.

[hockeyscout]

2.

Serve and Volley Tango

I like the previous drill, however, I am lost to the benefit of this drill. Please don't interprerut this as being disrespectful, I am just explaining what I see, and always thinking of how every stroke will translate into an end goal ten years down the line. Maybe when you hear me out you might agree (or not).

What I see here is a girl standing and waiting for the ball to drop, and then she's kind of out of options. The girl is first off hitting the ball right to the guy (I hate that, I teach if you want to hit the ball to someone then you'd better hit it right through them, get it in their feet so they are forced to pop the ball up to you, spin it heavy, and -or, the best alternative make them scared to stand in front of you, and send them home crying to their mommy). This girls shots are feet over the net and not much of a threat, our idea of a good shot is one that hits the top of the net and bounces in. or is something that's going to challenge that other player and totally put them out of court position, or best, not even being able to get to the ball under any circumstances. I will explain more in the alternatives. With this all said, I need to do more of this game, however, just modified at a more engaged professional level.

So, my question to myself is the winning benefit of this drill? How many quality 10/10, Wimbeldon balls does this drill offer me, and how can I get it to where I need to get it as it's hard because this drill would simply stop if the girl hit a great shot! So, see if my alternative would work maybe?

b.

Aleratives add on's to this drill set:

I am thinking of this ... set the ball machine up on the left, I go on the right, and I put the poor hitting coach in the middle. We do this now with groundstrokes, she has a ball in her hands, she whips a forehand right up the middle to the hitting partner standing at the net trying to jam him, he directs it back into the court, and the little girl hits a winning passing shot (the partner will cheat a bit and force her to make a read).

Anyways, the game as I see it here will be (a) intimidate the hitting partner, a few shots to his ears, in his feet, catch him in the nuts ... occasionally the hitting coach takes a dramatic fall and play acts, and then congraulates her, the big issue is she can do some serious damage right now so I think I will put the guy in a hockey helmet and a put a cup on his nuts to avoid issues, or simply give him a shield to protect himself like a kickboxing coach will do, or NFL coach working with lineman, (b) lob it over his head to the backline, (c) drop shot him to the right and left (look right, hit left), (d) step in and be aggressive, (e) find as many creative ways to win as possible and (f) spin the hell out of the ball and get it right down into the court as quick as you can and (g) come up with something new that makes every one HOLY SHIT.

Of course I can set the ball machine to hit at various heights, hand feed, totally screw up pace and rhythm and have a lot going on so the pace seems slow when she transitions into a match against the hitting partner.

3.

4 Corner Box

1.

My only question, why do you let the player take it so late? Isn't this shot a transitional shot?

Aleratives add on's to this drill set:

I like it, I like it. This is NFL stuff, 3 and 4 cone drills, so we're on this stuff like you're drinking water in the Florida sun. We live off this, we call it the four cone drill. We put in a center mark (something you don't have her - maybe yours is imaginary) and transition the footwork and hips a bit differently from next to next to next, however, this is a staple.

I haven't set this up for a volley, however I like this, kind of try and replicate an area Pete Sampras excelled in. For me I would not let the athlete take it so late, and I would do say three balls and make it a complete transition drill of one thing leading to the next, to next, to next.

I'm also going to set this up where we put her in different positions (yoga, MMA, athletic, on the ground, knees, on her back, whatever), and have get to that ball. If we use a mat, we need to take off the shoes, so she can drop, roll and do athletic based foundation movement to better understand her time and space. Roll, hit, roll, hit, ect, however, she will have to catch that ball in the air as balls don't bounce to well on mats (-:

I will tell you what we have done. I put my daughter at center court. I then take the bottom of the net out (lift it up), stand on the other side of the net, and I feed her heavy baseball style ground balls with my racket (I put the racket to the ground and hit to her underhanded) under the net. She needs to flow to the ball (move to the ball), and not wait and - or take it off the back foot. I can adjust the pace as needed, and I do, as it throws off the rhythm and causes a ton of confusion. I can also set the ball machine to slam her ground balls as well as needed. I can do this as part of the four cone drill or just feed ball after ball after ball.

I like the down the line approach. Great! Well thought out.

Great article, some promising leads here which should keep us busy for the next month.

This is what tennis coaching is about for me, meet a coach, have someone watch for five minutes and then discuss things, say thanks, leave, come back in a month and go to the next.

However, for me it's inexpensive to watch someone practice, take what they
do, adapt it, talk to them a bit, see their approach, and go forward with what we thing will work for our team, and or, meet with a professional, hand pick what we need, and press forward with what we do.

The way we work anyways we'd drive a coach like Kyle LaCroix mental

Better he only deal with the worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches once a month!

You know, I think it's possible in one month we could drive 30 tennis coaches insane! 28 in Febuary. Off month.

Sorry for the long post, great post here, and we want to see how we can use it to get better.

Best regards
worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches

[gzhpcu]

Kyle:
First off my goal in any drill set is to win the point on every ball. No exceptions.

While winning is certainly the aim in any match, and I can see that you want to ingrain a point winning mindset, I see that rhythm and control is also a skill which needs to be acquired.

Kyle's drills target the latter, which are a prerequisite for your approach. I have often done his serve and tango drill, which trains reflexes and touch. If I go for an all out point winning mentality, which seems to me as a hectic alternative, I am losing the important basis of rhythm and control needed to be developed.

A hectic, terminate the point at all times mentality, also takes the enjoyment out of a rhythmic, controlled training which also gets you into a type of Zen state. But then I like drills like hitting groundstrokes cross court and down the line back and forth for rhythm, which I guess, you probably don't. My partner and I hit progressively harder, but try to keep the ball in play.

I am sure that at some later point, Kyle will show some point killing drills, but I find his drills very enjoyable.

[klacr]

Guys, thanks for questions, I will answer them all in the thread that John started for this specific article. You can find it here...

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2679

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[hockeyscout]

Yes, I find them enjoyable as well, and I am adding to them!

However, you always need to carry a drill over to your programs specific needs and the specific players needs.

Phil, generally in woman's tennis the points are won - lost within the first three balls of play 70 percent of the time.

We practice in 1-3-5-7 -9 (7 and 9 are not often attained in woman's tennis) and 2-4-6-8.

With new rackets, better athletes and all the rest players are able to hit shots that would have been winners ten years ago, so moving forward, looking ten years into advance, I would think you'd better develop the consistency to hit high risk and reward shots from a young age or you will get blown off the court when you are much older (which is usually what happens, a kids technique goes chaotic when everything gets faster in Juniors).

Rhythm and control are great, however, reflexes, control and touch can be built into respecting the ball and placing it perfectly to structure points (especially again in the woman's game).

I like what you say about the Zen state, however, that's not an issue for us as I have one that just loves to play. I am actually doing everything to get mine out of a zen state (black balls, horn, loud music, tough competition), confuse her, make it hectic and all the rest, so she has a high level of focus and can perform when it matters. If you can focus in utter chaos, the tennis match will be easy!

I never do rhythm work, and when we do play games I will have the hitting partner specifically always change his rhythm so she never gets used to anything he does, and I will have the young one change up the rhythm as well.

Its kind of like an approach pitchers use in baseball, and in hockey we use it with goalies when we are shooting. You never want to work in a rhythm or a certain speed ever, but change it radically all of the time.

I see so many kids look so good rallying with their coaches, or a playing partner, and it happens when they figure out that other guys rhythm. My goal is to kind of take a boxing, hockey and baseball approach with rhythm and develop an athlete who understands this aspect extremely well and uses it as a tool to make the player on the other side of the net very uncomfortable.

In order to this you have to develop a pretty darned good all-around game, so we do everything and anything.

Yes, my development model is probably a bit tougher, however, its a bit more focused on some long term goals, and I agree it might be chaotic and challenging, however, that's kind of the intent and it builds an engaged athlete in the long term (I hope).