Spacing: Part 2

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Dave Hagler's article, "Spacing: Part 2"

[BrianGordon]

Hey Dave - I have several variations of the drills in your article. None though make the player move so far and so quickly to move around a forehand to hit a backhand. Had every one of my players do your version today - epic struggle and a lot of whining. But... in every case they became much better in attacking high backhands live due to the spacing and preparation lessons learned. These ideas are invaluable to developmental high performance coaches - keep going.

[stotty]

These drills offer a lot to both the coach and the player. As coaches it is so easy to fall into repetitive 'same old' drills and exercises and these drills provide great variation. The player has to really concentrate and physically work too. What I like most about David's drills is players over time are much more likely to get good at hitting all the spots. I just love the idea of running around to hit an inside out backhand and trying to creating inside balls which are difficult to read.

A great article...brilliant for coaches.

[glacierguy]

FWIW I did some of these drills a couple of days ago with one of my superior hitting partners - they were a great success. And as stotty mentions, you have to work pretty hard to get in position, they're a real workout. We did them with a single ball, not from a basket, which requires a bit of modification, but still really good. Thanks!

[johnyandell]

Glacier,
That's impressive doing these with one ball!

[DavidLHagler]

Thanks for the kind words. You will also find as you make the players move faster they will (or you can show them how to) use backwards crossover steps when moving to create inside balls We shot the videos with the players moving at less than normal speed and they all move well, so you won't see a lot of it here. Let me know what else transpires with players as they do these drills.
thanks - dlh

[glacierguy]

Glacier,
That's impressive doing these with one ball!

Well, it wasn't the full Part 2 exercises which would be insanely difficult - we just did one person hitting straight inside ins, and the other person hitting crosscourt inside outs. You have to aim roughly halfway between the centreline and the sideline (or even nearer centreline), otherwise it's too tough to cover the ground. Going to do it again tomorrow!

[stotty]

David,

What part of the court do you stand to feed the balls to the student?

[DavidLHagler]

A bit behind the service line. Usually on the diagonal. If you change where you feed from (depth wise) it changes the angle of your feeds, and that can be a good thing.
Another variation is to feed from near the singles sideline straight - so if my student is hitting on the deuce side I'm on the add side and vice versa.

[jlee23]

Dave, this drills are game-changing! Love this because these drills are applicable to all levels and ages. I had my 8 and under beginner students do this and immediately noticed improved spacing and had my open level juniors do this with noticeably improved footwork in addition. I love the exaggerated movement and directionals, moving right and hitting left, moving left and hitting right. This is great stuff! Thank you for sharing Dave!

[stotty]

I tried the drills over the last couple of days and they work well, really well. They are challenging and great for advanced players.

When I do these drills I always make a point of stating there must be no wastage. All four balls need to go in while trying to encourage players to hit up to the brink of their capabilities…controlled but near the brink. This was one thing Sergio Casal (former top 30 player) insisted on with students when he showcased his coaching skills at an RPT coaching seminar some years ago. He tolerated no wastage and worked decent players into the ground one by one in under 5 minutes. The two key things he wanted to build through his drills were great footwork and endurance. He was far less concerned about technique than a Brit coach would be (beyond the fundamentals let the player find his own way) and footwork and fitness were absolutely paramount to his philosophy.

[don_budge]

Hello David...what about aiming? Are these players aiming at a very specific target such as a cone or area in the court? Specific aiming is such a huge part of the equation. Speed + spin + placement = control. Control is power. Another variation that you probably use...I call it the FIVE BALLS OF TORTURE. One ball in play for a duration of a rally, the player starts out hitting a volley then must retreat to bounce the ball then it is back to the net for another volley until they miss. Then the next ball is immediately in play...and so on an so forth until all five balls are spent. Repeat until player collapses or at least begs for mercy. The player aims at the feeders racquet on the forehand or backhand side. Specific targets.

I am really big on forwards and backwards movement...linear movement. More so than even lateral.

[DavidLHagler]

My students are taught to aim very early on. I ask them to help me figure out how to throw or hit a ball into a basket, and I consistenly miss left. They tell me, "Aim for the middle," and I tell them I am.I coninue to miss left. Sometimes kids, even little ones, will suggest mechanical changes. I still miss left. Eventually they will suggest I aim to the right of the basket. The next balls go in. I say, "That's good coaching." I ask what happens if my shots start missing to the right. By then they've got it. I tell them, "If you don`t aim, you can`t adjust." So yes, they aim. They've learned to.

[stotty]

My students are taught to aim very early on. I ask them to help me figure out how to throw or hit a ball into a basket, and I consistenly miss left. They tell me, "Aim for the middle," and I tell them I am.I coninue to miss left. Sometimes kids, even little ones, will suggest mechanical changes. I still miss left. Eventually they will suggest I aim to the right of the basket. The next balls go in. I say, "That's good coaching." I ask what happens if my shots start missing to the right. By then they've got it. I tell them, "If you don`t aim, you can`t adjust." So yes, they aim. They've learned to.

Yes it is excellent coaching. Olympic marksmen often include hitting a little wide of the target in their practice so they familiarise themselves with what it feels like to get it a little wrong as well as on target. This way they auto learn how to correct things under pressure of competition.

[don_budge]

Bob Brett and don_budge at the "Kings of Tennis Coaching Symposium", Stockholm, Sweden, March of 2014

Hey Dave - I have several variations of the drills in your article. None though make the player move so far and so quickly to move around a forehand to hit a backhand. Had every one of my players do your version today - epic struggle and a lot of whining. But... in every case they became much better in attacking high backhands live due to the spacing and preparation lessons learned. These ideas are invaluable to developmental high performance coaches - keep going.

My students are taught to aim very early on. I ask them to help me figure out how to throw or hit a ball into a basket, and I consistenly miss left. They tell me, "Aim for the middle," and I tell them I am.I coninue to miss left. Sometimes kids, even little ones, will suggest mechanical changes. I still miss left. Eventually they will suggest I aim to the right of the basket. The next balls go in. I say, "That's good coaching." I ask what happens if my shots start missing to the right. By then they've got it. I tell them, "If you don`t aim, you can`t adjust." So yes, they aim. They've learned to.

DavidLHagler...thanks for your reply and I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. I want to share an experience that I had in Stockholm, Sweden that I had in 2014 at the "Kings of Tennis" coaching symposium that was headlined by Bob Brett. I got a chance to have some private conversation with Bob and I must say he is a most clever fellow. An excellent coach as well. That is how he would like to be remembered I am sure...he said to me that coaching tennis to him was just a hobby. He did it for fun and he did a darn good job at it. He is from the old Aussie school of thought that traces back to Harry Hopman. Rod Laver and Roy Emerson did a book together that was called "Tennis for the Bloody Fun of it". I thought that was an appropriate title coming from the Aussie school of thought. One might be a bit surprised at the attitudes of these great sportsman and underestimate their relish for the fight. The competition. I think that these drills can go far in instilling a competitive attitude in a player as they challenge them physically...as well as mentally. After all...the mind must take over when the legs are gone. Witness Novak Djokovic in the fifth set against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open this year. Novak was on fumes but somehow found the belief in himself to get the job done. If you practice like it is the fifth set at Roland Garros...you cannot lose. You may be defeated...but you are no loser.

Here are three videos from that symposium and a thread that I wrote about the experience. I hope that you might read the thread and that it adds to your experience as a coach. Coaching tennis is a wonderful experience because as Bob Brett and yourself exemplify...it is about getting the student to engage. Engage on different levels in learning this great and historical game we are blessed with. Even in strange days as the present...this game will survive on certain levels.

Bob Brett on coaching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtLFLtSJo4

Bob Brett on the "up and back" drill I referenced. I like to take the ball in the air as a coach to make the student work just a bit harder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGTbqT-im8

Bob Brett variation of the DavidLHagler method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osnpBCjAyC0

Mats Wilander and Bob Brett talking tennis and tennis coaching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhJ3co0cIsY

I love the Aussie accent. I love the Aussie attitude. Everything about this guy was worth a look at. His whole mannerisms. Attitude. I had a bunch of takeaways from this experience and I wrote about them in this thread.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/forum/tennisplayer/2678-kings-of-tennis-stockholm-sweden-2014#post38066

We can learn a lot from each other. It was nice to see Brian post that he had variations of this drill and learned something from yours. This is great coaching. Thanks man!