A perspective on Group Training

A Perspective from Jay Barlow

Head Coach U16 Provincial Team

- On Group Training

The group training environment is extremely important for tennis players in order to learn and progress their skills. Often times, however, there can be a lot of confusion surrounding how a player should experience this training.

One common misconception is that students benefit most by training with players above their level. In many cases this can be counterproductive. In order to develop the right balance of attacking, neutralizing and defensive skills; players must train with players below, at, and sometimes above their level. Technical or tactical issues can arise as a result of playing too much with players above your level – especially at a young age.

There can also be issues in terms of players and parents accurately determining the level they are at. Looking at the player in a more specific context; a player’s apparent level may not correspond with their actual level of play or ranking. For example, players with advanced defensive skills may need to play more with players below their level in order to have increased opportunity to be in offensive situations. Players who tend to rally consistently may need to play more with players above and below them. Good coaches are cognizant of these details and strive to put players in situations that will help them develop the skills they need in order to progress as a complete player.

Be aware of the physical, psychological, and emotional differences in children of similar ages. When comparing young tennis players (something that is detrimental in most cases) it is often overlooked that the rates at which young players develop in these areas greatly differ from person to person. The reasons why one player may be perceptually “better” than another can often be a matter of advanced maturation in one or more of these areas.

Therefore; their skills as a tennis player cannot be viewed under the same lens. A 12 year old can be well above or below his chronological age in terms of this development. With this understanding; it is clear that it may take well beyond the teenage years for different players to reach the same level of physical and mental maturation. This is well illustrated by the wide age gap between players making their breakthrough on the professional tennis tour. It is one of the primary reasons for seeing an 18 year old playing in his first grand slam event at the same time as a 25 year old.

Hopefully these thoughts help provide some perspective on the development of tennis players and make the journey that much more enjoyable.