Re: Motivating movement on the court

Hi Jerry:

I have found that when players don't like to drill (for lighly motivated
people drills are boring or irrelevant) we play games. My goal is to
progressively challenge them to run more. However, I'm careful to allow
two thing to happen in cases like this: First the student must feel
successful and so I do not hit balls so far away that they cannot get to
them and secondly, I arrange for them to win points and even games (this
takes some acting sometimes and explaing that, I am playing at their
level should they question that I "let them win the point". My other
method is to play for something: a tennis ball key ring, a vibration
dampener, a power drink, etc., whatever (within reason) will motivate
the student to hustle. The bottom line in my methodology is get the
student to realize that he or she could have played better had they run
better. This approach is a light sell and is designed to mirror the
interest level of the student leading to a possible reintroduction of
one or two easy drills.

With some students, however, speed drills are just not in the cards.

Al Tahhan, USPTA
Boston Athletic Club
Boston, MA


Received on Tue May 15 2007 - 09:13:27 CDT