Communication: The Key To Effective Coaching
By Simon Grieve BSc.
LTA Performance Coach and Procompare joint founder
As a tennis coach I am often impatient wanting my pupils to improve quicker than they do. Sometimes, I highlight what seems an obvious point to me, and the child I am teaching just doesn’t seem to understand what I am talking about.
Why is my ‘simple’ message not getting through to him or her, when it makes perfect sense to me?
I remember one day, after a particularly frustrating coaching lesson, that I realised perhaps the fault lay with myself, and the way I was explaining my ‘simple’ message. I reflected on a coaching course I had attended a few months earlier, which explained that there are many different learning preferences, (learning by watching demonstrations, listening to explanations or feeling how the body works) and that it is important to treat each pupil as an individual. It was a ‘simple’ point that I had forgotten, everyone is different and the way you communicate often depends on the individuals learning preference (most people learn best from watching a skill, but not all).
The Procompare web site was developed to help players and coaches receive information visually. Players viewing the videos or photo sequences can take information and experiment with it on their own game. Coaches who use the web site as a coaching tool must know how to effectively communicate specific points to their pupils. For the purpose of this article I have chosen to discuss the backhand return. Each photo will have two explanations, the first being more scientific (more useful for coaches talking to coaches) the second being more user friendly (more helpful for children). As you look through the photos and check out the videos, I imagine you will have many different ways of explaining the pictures. It would be great if you send us your explanations so we can include them on the web site. If we can build up a library of explanations for the huge variety of shots, we may be able to cover a wide variety of learning and communication preferences.
Coach-to-Coach: Agassi/Carraz use a split step to increase the muscle force, which in turn will create a greater ground reaction force.
Coach-to-Player: Agassi/Carraz get on their toes (split steps) getting ready to pounce in any direction.
1.jpg)
1.jpg)
Coach-to-Coach: Agassi’s centre of gravity is lower. His body mass is closer to the centre of the body and this helps lower the moment of inertia. His shoulders, trunk and legs are pre-stretched and ready to begin the co-ordination chain.
Coach-to-Player: Agassi twists his shoulders quickly and bends his knees. He is ready to explode into the shot.
2.jpg)
2.jpg)
Coach-to-Coach: Ground reaction force from the left leg commences the co-ordination chain.
Coach-to-Player: As the players begin to unwind, power comes from their legs.
3.jpg)
3.jpg)
Coach-to-Coach: Force from the legs, along with the release of elastic energy from the trunk and shoulders, moves into linear momentum as they swings forward with great racket head velocity to meet the ball.
Coach-to-Player: Agassi/Carraz unwind powerfully, creating great racket head speed. Their balance is excellent.
4.jpg)
4.jpg)
Coach-to-Coach: Because the summation of all forces was so great both players end up playing the shot in the air. For the single-handed BH, the left arm applies an opposing force enabling Carraz to hit through the ball before linear momentum becomes angular momentum.
Coach-to-Player: Hit through the ball and for single-handed BH's punch the left arm backwards.
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5.jpg)
Coach-to-Coach: Throughout this full rotation (angular momentum) Both players maintain superb dynamic balance.
Coach-to-Player: Both players keep excellent balance as they complete the full follow-through.
6.jpg)
6.jpg)
CONCLUSION: When explaining technique, simple changes in the words you use, can often make all the difference. Good luck and I look forward to hearing your definitions
Good luck and as usual please give any feedback
on the article to info@procomparetennis.net.
Kind regards
