A Roadmap For Improvement From Junior To Pro Tennis — As Showcased By Match Data
I use match stats in coaching junior tennis players to bring objectivity to the post match analysis and learning takeaways. In this regard, let’s make a contrast between the stats of a junior tennis match that I evaluated and Kevin Anderson’s performance in the semi finals of Wimbledon to create valuable learning lessons and actionable steps for a junior player’s skill development.
- Consistency and ball control
To me consistency and ball control is a foundational skill upon which I develop a player’s game. Therefore, I track a player’s unforced errors (i.e. errors made by the player that in my opinion, the opponent did not force with their difficult shots). In the junior match, the player made 36 unforced errors (including several missed returns) in 16 games or 2.25 unforced errors per game. This means, on average, the junior player is giving away about 2 points per game based on their own errors. In contrast, Anderson made 24 unforced errors in 99 games or a much lower 0.24 unforced errors per game.
Clearly to improve their level of play, the junior player must continue to focus and work hard on developing greater consistency and ball control.
Check out these fundamental forehand consistency and backhand consistency drill videos that I spend quality time on with my players.
Tip: If your player is getting tight or nervous in match situations which is causing them to play below par by making many errors, in my experience as a player and coach, addressing the mental game becomes paramount for the player to relax, feel the ball, and develop more trust to play freely.
2. Quality of Serving:
In the junior match, the player made 9 double faults in 8 service games or 1.13 double faults per game. This means that the opponent is receiving at least 1 free point per returning game. In contrast, Anderson served 4 double faults in 48 service games or 0.08 doubles faults per game, which means that he is rarely giving the opponent any free points off his serve.
Therefore, to improve their serve, the junior player must work on developing greater consistency and accuracy on this shot.
Tip: Once the fundamental understanding of how to generate arc and spin on the 2nd serve is understood, the way to develop this skill is for the player to spend quality time practicing to develop feel for generating more spin.
Check out these videos on developing your 2nd serve and improving placement on your 1st serve.
3. Conistency on the Return of Serve:
As mentioned in the unforced errors section above, the junior player missed many return of serves (particularly 1st serve returns) that I deemed to be shots that were not forced mistakes by the opponent’s strong or well-placed serves. Therefore, an improvement in the ability of the player to get their 1st serve returns back into play, would not only result in a lower unforced error count, but also get the player into more points, thereby increasing their chances of winning them.
Once a consistent return of serve is developed, improving the quality of the return by working on placement and power can be trained. This comes from developing sound fundamentals on the shot as explained in this blog article and from focused effort in practice.
Tip: When facing a slice serve from your opponent that shoots off the court and stays low, make sure to bend your knees and stay low on the return. Staying low and keeping your eyes on the ball will help you to properly time the return and get it back into play.
Summary:
The data that I track during a junior player’s match, helps to bring objectivity and focus to my post match analysis and discussions with the player and their parents. It also serves to not only create a constrast between the player’s current level and aspirational level, but also provides a structured roadmap for their training and improvement.
I recommend that you use Tenicity’s web and mobile app (www.tenicity.com) as I do to organize and share the player’s goals, drills and lesson plans, match results and data analysis from training and matches. It provides a single shared platform and helps everyone on the player’s team to understand the process, commit to specific objectives, and evaluate progress at periodic intervals.
I welcome questions and thoughts on the above analysis and use of data to my email at harsh@tenicity.com
Best,
Harsh
Note: Thanks to Nick Kavelaris, former Asst. Women’s Coach at the Univ. of Minnesota, for support with this article.
About:
Harsh Mankad is the founder of Tenicity (www.tenicity.com), a web and mobile platform ideal for tennis programs and teams looking to share and organize communication and data related to their players’ goals, training plans and schedules, match results, stats, reports and analytics (including video-based match analytics). The platform is private for each program or team and supports a systematic and data- driven approach for player development. Start your free trial today from www.tenicity.com.
Kevin Anderson’s stats from the Wimbledon semis:
Games Played: 99
Winners: 118
Aces: 49
Unforced errors: 24
Double faults: 4
Junior Player’s stats from a match:
Games Played: 16
Winners and forced errors earned: 12
Aces and service winners: 5
Unforced errors: 36
Double faults: 9
