How Do You Know You Are Really Improving?

H-A-P-P-Y N-E-W Y-E-A-R my friends around the world! Thank you once again for visiting The Tennis Server and reading my column. I hope this year's columns help you reach one step closer to your goals.

I want a big forehand, no make that a big serve! How long does it take? How come after a lesson, I feel like I haven't improved great strides and only tiny steps? I feel like I have gone backwards? How do I know if I am improving at a good rate? Are coaches necessary to improve? These are many questions that you may have asked yourself for years but really never were able to answer. In this column, I will try to give you an idea of you might realistically expect regarding improvement in your game.

Improvements take time! They take effort and dedication, repetition and knowledge. If you are truly looking to improve then you need to have a certified qualified professional overlooking your development. You might say... "Oh, my coach is the 1954 tennis champion and he knows it all!" My concern would be that if a veteran coach did it correctly in 1954 then they would not necessarily know how to develop a young player in today's game. Way back in 1954, the game was played differently, and if this coach has not kept up with the latest developments in sport sciences, then he or she might not be right one for you. On the other hand, if you are a player that is a "professional or on the verge of becoming one," then this coach may be the one, because he or she may be able to pass on some knowledge of "what it was like to be a top professional." If you are new to reading my columns you might want to look in my archives section to find articles about "finding a good professional."

A coach must do more than rely only on their past experiences to make a living in the present. Think of what it would be like if doctors just used their past knowledge as the source of information to perform surgery. It would only be a matter of time until they would lose their medical license. Instead, doctors continually study and refresh their skills to stay current with the latest breakthroughs.

Starting With A New Coach

Remember Where You Started!

A) Tournaments or Match Play - If you compete then you may see immediate improvements, although this is usually quite minimal in measure. When we train during lessons there is an almost closed setting psychologically speaking. When we play a match during a tournament, a player will do what is most comfortable. Newly learned actions are more difficult to execute, as the body does not automatically perform them. Therefore we consciously may have to think an action through it's entirety. Over time, possibly a month or a month and a half, the newly acquired action will be performed with much more common ease.

B) Targets - Spatial area or specific targets can be used to measure how much improvement you have achieved in learning a new action. A well-qualified coach will most probably use targets to show the player how much they have or have not improved.

C) Movement - The use of movement can also be used to aid in measuring how much a player has improved. A good coach will force the player to move and hit the same type of newly acquired strokes. Tennis after all is very dynamic and so needs to be measured as such. If your coach never challenges your movement then you may be in a state of shock when you play your next match.

D) Reception of Different Balls - Make sure to measure your newly acquired stroke by having the coach feed various different types of balls. By receiving a number of different balls you will be able to see if your stroke is solid or full of holes.

Always Ask The Professional The Question "Why?"

Maintenance of Motor Skills

Does a Good Coach Need to Be a Great Player?

Do I Need A Coach To Improve?

Lessons and Personal Practice Time

Well, that's it for now friends! I hope you enjoyed this month's article and, as always, feel free to drop me a line. Thanks for your continued kind e-mail letters and faxes! Hello to my new friend Yuhudah from Israel, Paul from Germany and all of you who have taken the time to write me at reggie@tennisserver.com. Till next month!

All The Best,

Reggie

This column is copyright 1999 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.

Reggie Vasquez Jr. is one of Canada's leading tennis coaches for juniors. He is actively involved with Tennis Canada's grassroots player development. A frequent and enthusiastic speaker at tennis conferences, he is certified by the U.S.P.T.A., Tennis Canada and the U.S.P.T.R.. For almost 7 years he was a head coach for the Canadian Davis cup Captain's Academy at the Canada's National Tennis Center. He has been a Tennis Canada - National Youth Tennis Center Leader for over 8 years and is presently a head coach of an Elite Tennis Academy. He has experience working with juniors from the absolute beginner to the international caliber tennis player. Reggie is also a published author on junior tennis. His personal web site has additional information on his book, the Kids' Book of Tennis. The Kids' Book of Tennis can be ordered directly at a discount using this link to the Amazon.com online bookstore.

Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com.