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Open Practice: Individual Instruction with Claire Pollard

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with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

Taking a practice day and dedicating it to individual instruction is hard work for the coach, but it's incredibly rewarding for the players on your team. It also helps break up a week of team practices and allows the players to take a step back and re-focus on the fundamentals.

By using one-on-one or two-on-one sessions with your players, you have extra time to focus in on fixing grips, improving stroke biomechanics and sharing valuable observations up close, reinforcing your teaching points using iPad video.

149 minutes. 2015.


Open Practice: Doubles Tennis with Claire Pollard

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with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

In this video, you get a courtside seat to take in Claire Pollard's 'Open Practice' dedicated to team doubles shot-making skills and tactics. Salient advice and spot -on coaching provide an unprecedented view inside the coaching mind of one of the most decorated college coaches in the women's game today!

105 minutes. 2015.

All Access Northwestern Women's Tennis Practice with Claire Pollard

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0
with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

How can you coach your team to become, year after year, a great team? In the Big Ten, Claire Pollard's Northwestern Wildcats have stood the test of time; in14 of the last 15 years since 1999, the Big Ten conference tournament has been won by a Claire Pollard-coached team. With unprecedented access to over three hours of practice time, Pollard presents an unfiltered, live look at what she does with her team in the early season practices.

By watching from the courtside, you can be a part of the team meetings at midcourt and learn her favorite drills to reinforce accuracy, quick reactions and conditioning. Her brilliance as a coach is evident as she goes, court to court, player to player, sandwiching perfectly timed constructive criticism with praise.

204 minutes (2 DVDs). 2015.

Claire Pollard's Tennis Practice Series

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TND-04774A: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

How can you coach your team to become, year after year, a great team? In the Big Ten, Claire Pollard's Northwestern Wildcats have stood the test of time; in14 of the last 15 years since 1999, the Big Ten conference tournament has been won by a Claire Pollard-coached team. With unprecedented access to over three hours of practice time, Pollard presents an unfiltered, live look at what she does with her team in the early season practices.

By watching from the courtside, you can be a part of the team meetings at midcourt and learn her favorite drills to reinforce accuracy, quick reactions and conditioning. Her brilliance as a coach is evident as she goes, court to court, player to player, sandwiching perfectly timed constructive criticism with praise.

204 minutes (2 DVDs). 2015.



TND-04774B: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

In this video, you get a courtside seat to take in Claire Pollard's 'Open Practice' dedicated to team doubles shot-making skills and tactics. Salient advice and spot -on coaching provide an unprecedented view inside the coaching mind of one of the most decorated college coaches in the women's game today!

105 minutes. 2015.



TND-04774C: with Claire Pollard, Northwestern University Women's Head Tennis Coach;
2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, ITA National Team Indoor Champions ('08, '09);
Big Ten Champions from 1999-2009, and 2012.
As a player, Coach Pollard, who was both an All-American and an Academic all-American, won the1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back SEC Indoor and outdoor Doubles Championships (with former NU Associate Head Coach Jackie Holden, who also appears in this video).

Taking a practice day and dedicating it to individual instruction is hard work for the coach, but it's incredibly rewarding for the players on your team. It also helps break up a week of team practices and allows the players to take a step back and re-focus on the fundamentals.

By using one-on-one or two-on-one sessions with your players, you have extra time to focus in on fixing grips, improving stroke biomechanics and sharing valuable observations up close, reinforcing your teaching points using iPad video.

149 minutes. 2015.



High Octane Tennis 3-Pack

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0
TND-04896A: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

A common problem for many tennis coaches is having a limited amount of court space to use during team training sessions. Practices using traditional individual drills won't get a full team the amount of time they need on the court to enhance their skills.

USPTA Elite Professional Bruce Gullikson provides 15 drills and variations for teams that are limited to 1-2 practice courts. Coach Gullikson demonstrates warmups and large group competitive games and drills. These drills will improve your players' footwork, posture, reaction time, ground strokes, lobs, smashes and volleys.

Team Warm-Up

You'll learn two types of warm-up drills from Coach Gullikson: the Volley Lob Warm-Up and the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. In the Volley Lob Warm-Up, your players will work on keeping their hands in front of their body at the net, maintaining active feet and getting creative with their volleys. It's a great way to get heart rates up and work up a sweat before a demanding practice session.

The second warm-up drill is the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. Athletes will work on hitting slices, shots with top spin, defense and footwork.

Large Group Games

Coach Gullikson works on virtually every skill needed to play elite tennis using games designed for high numbers of players. Your athletes will cycle in and out of drills quickly, getting tons of reps and opportunities to get better.

In Bump Pass Spike, athletes develop creativity, movement without the ball, overhead shots and ability to play with their opposite hand. The phrase that Coach Gullikson promotes is "Hands and feet make the player complete," which is reinforced on the court.

Competitiveness is ramped up in Flurry, a fast-paced drill focused on reaction time and playing from different spots on the court. Teams of three battle against each other to stay on the court, as making a mistake means a new player rotates in for the losing team.

After an intense practice, players need to cool down. See Ya is a great way to end practice, as players work on eliminating mistakes while trying to force opponents into errors.

Coaches of all levels will benefit from the drills and skills covered in this video. Incorporating Coach Gullikson's exercises into your practices will help your players improve at a faster rate, especially if you have limited court space.

65 minutes. 2015.



TND-04896B: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Keeping players engaged is one of the keys to running an effective tennis practice.

USPTA Elite Professional and Head Club Pro, Bruce Gullikson, shows you over 20 high-intensity drills designed for individual players. The exercises provided by Coach Gullikson will help your athletes develop posture, strategy, racquet angle, ground strokes, net defense, spin shots, volleys and accuracy.

Body and Ball Control

Start off your practices by getting players' bodies stretched out and in the correct posture with the Matuska Drill. Your athletes will learn to use their legs and lower their center of gravity while hitting a ball with a partner.

Coach Gullikson includes a series of drills focused on ball control. The Djokovic Drill is a fun exercise that will help your players improve their footwork and racquet angles while competing against another player. Other drills that work on getting a better feel for the ball include the Fast and Furious drill and the Absorb and Rip drill.

Individual Skills

Your players will work on keeping the ball in play, generating spin, game-winning shots, approach shots, accuracy and movement with Coach Gullikson's individual drills.

The 2-on-1 Doubles Isolation drill pits an individual against two players as they work to hit game-winners. It's a challenging drill that will force your athletes to dig deep and hit shots they might not normally make against a single opponent. The Blue Line Net Coverage 2 vs 1 drill makes things even harder, as the width of the court is narrowed to encourage hitting hard, accurate shots.

Another great exercise is the Designated Approaches drill, in which your players will learn to react to the speed of different shots as they approach the net.

Hand Feeding

Coach Gullikson provides a variety of hand feeding drills that work on different kinds of movement and shots.

The Hand Tossing X Drill gets players moving in different directions prior to hitting a ball, while also working on hitting backhands and forehands. Your athletes will also learn how to get more top spin on balls with the Low Ball Wristers exercise. By hitting a low ball at the right angle with more racquet speed, players will soon find themselves hitting devastating topspin shots with ease.

Coach Gullikson's drills for individuals are built with the player in mind. Athletes of all levels will get better at tennis while having fun performing the exercises shown in this video.

56 minutes. 2015.



TND-04896C: with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Have you ever wondered how you could use some of the equipment you have lying around to train your athletes?

Bruce Gullikson, Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club and USPTA Elite Professional, delivers a video packed with innovative ways to use objects like ball hoppers, towels, balance discs, cones, jump ropes and cell phones to improve the ability of your players. You'll also get tips and tricks for hitting specific shots, including ground strokes, volleys, drop shots and more.

Utilizing Equipment

Coach Gullikson has his players demonstrate how to use common objects to enhance their skills. For example, you'll learn how to use a ball hopper to train athletes to keep their weight on their back leg during a serve. After a few reps, your athletes will be able to move on to hitting a regular serve while applying the techniques they just learned.

Using cones can be another fun and effective training method. Your players will learn how to use cones as a visual aid to build hand-eye coordination and to properly orient their racquets to the ball.

Balance disks are perfect for getting players into an athletic position and encouraging a smooth swing. As your athletes stand on balance disks, they'll improve their leg strength, core strength, ground strokes and serving ability. Other objects that Coach Gullikson uses to teach his athletes include jump ropes, towels and cell phones.

Tips and Tricks

You'll learn Coach Gullikson's advice for mental toughness, balance and various types of shots as he breaks down drills and offers suggestions for his players in a live setting.

It's essential to be relaxed and use a "catch and release" method on ground strokes, according to Coach Gullikson. In the "Rule of One Bounce" section, you'll hear him explain why players should have their serves get to the back wall or fence in one bounce to make returning the ball tougher for the opponent. More tips, tricks and drills are included that cover backhand slices, volleys, overheads, drop shots and using the continental grip.

This video contains training methods that are effective for coaches of all levels. This season, keep your players engaged in practice with Coach Gullikson's innovative tips and drills.

54 minutes. 2015.



Tips, Tricks and Tools for Teaching Tennis

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0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Have you ever wondered how you could use some of the equipment you have lying around to train your athletes?

Bruce Gullikson, Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club and USPTA Elite Professional, delivers a video packed with innovative ways to use objects like ball hoppers, towels, balance discs, cones, jump ropes and cell phones to improve the ability of your players. You'll also get tips and tricks for hitting specific shots, including ground strokes, volleys, drop shots and more.

Utilizing Equipment

Coach Gullikson has his players demonstrate how to use common objects to enhance their skills. For example, you'll learn how to use a ball hopper to train athletes to keep their weight on their back leg during a serve. After a few reps, your athletes will be able to move on to hitting a regular serve while applying the techniques they just learned.

Using cones can be another fun and effective training method. Your players will learn how to use cones as a visual aid to build hand-eye coordination and to properly orient their racquets to the ball.

Balance disks are perfect for getting players into an athletic position and encouraging a smooth swing. As your athletes stand on balance disks, they'll improve their leg strength, core strength, ground strokes and serving ability. Other objects that Coach Gullikson uses to teach his athletes include jump ropes, towels and cell phones.

Tips and Tricks

You'll learn Coach Gullikson's advice for mental toughness, balance and various types of shots as he breaks down drills and offers suggestions for his players in a live setting.

It's essential to be relaxed and use a "catch and release" method on ground strokes, according to Coach Gullikson. In the "Rule of One Bounce" section, you'll hear him explain why players should have their serves get to the back wall or fence in one bounce to make returning the ball tougher for the opponent. More tips, tricks and drills are included that cover backhand slices, volleys, overheads, drop shots and using the continental grip.

This video contains training methods that are effective for coaches of all levels. This season, keep your players engaged in practice with Coach Gullikson's innovative tips and drills.

54 minutes. 2015.

High Octane Team Tennis Drills

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0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

A common problem for many tennis coaches is having a limited amount of court space to use during team training sessions. Practices using traditional individual drills won't get a full team the amount of time they need on the court to enhance their skills.

USPTA Elite Professional Bruce Gullikson provides 15 drills and variations for teams that are limited to 1-2 practice courts. Coach Gullikson demonstrates warmups and large group competitive games and drills. These drills will improve your players' footwork, posture, reaction time, ground strokes, lobs, smashes and volleys.

Team Warm-Up

You'll learn two types of warm-up drills from Coach Gullikson: the Volley Lob Warm-Up and the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. In the Volley Lob Warm-Up, your players will work on keeping their hands in front of their body at the net, maintaining active feet and getting creative with their volleys. It's a great way to get heart rates up and work up a sweat before a demanding practice session.

The second warm-up drill is the Ground Stroke Warm-Up. Athletes will work on hitting slices, shots with top spin, defense and footwork.

Large Group Games

Coach Gullikson works on virtually every skill needed to play elite tennis using games designed for high numbers of players. Your athletes will cycle in and out of drills quickly, getting tons of reps and opportunities to get better.

In Bump Pass Spike, athletes develop creativity, movement without the ball, overhead shots and ability to play with their opposite hand. The phrase that Coach Gullikson promotes is "Hands and feet make the player complete," which is reinforced on the court.

Competitiveness is ramped up in Flurry, a fast-paced drill focused on reaction time and playing from different spots on the court. Teams of three battle against each other to stay on the court, as making a mistake means a new player rotates in for the losing team.

After an intense practice, players need to cool down. See Ya is a great way to end practice, as players work on eliminating mistakes while trying to force opponents into errors.

Coaches of all levels will benefit from the drills and skills covered in this video. Incorporating Coach Gullikson's exercises into your practices will help your players improve at a faster rate, especially if you have limited court space.

65 minutes. 2015.

High Octane Individual Tennis Drills

0
0
with Bruce Gullikson,
USPTA Elite Professional; President, USPTA Northern Division;
High Performance Certified;
Head Tennis Professional at Lifetime 98th St Club

Keeping players engaged is one of the keys to running an effective tennis practice.

USPTA Elite Professional and Head Club Pro, Bruce Gullikson, shows you over 20 high-intensity drills designed for individual players. The exercises provided by Coach Gullikson will help your athletes develop posture, strategy, racquet angle, ground strokes, net defense, spin shots, volleys and accuracy.

Body and Ball Control

Start off your practices by getting players' bodies stretched out and in the correct posture with the Matuska Drill. Your athletes will learn to use their legs and lower their center of gravity while hitting a ball with a partner.

Coach Gullikson includes a series of drills focused on ball control. The Djokovic Drill is a fun exercise that will help your players improve their footwork and racquet angles while competing against another player. Other drills that work on getting a better feel for the ball include the Fast and Furious drill and the Absorb and Rip drill.

Individual Skills

Your players will work on keeping the ball in play, generating spin, game-winning shots, approach shots, accuracy and movement with Coach Gullikson's individual drills.

The 2-on-1 Doubles Isolation drill pits an individual against two players as they work to hit game-winners. It's a challenging drill that will force your athletes to dig deep and hit shots they might not normally make against a single opponent. The Blue Line Net Coverage 2 vs 1 drill makes things even harder, as the width of the court is narrowed to encourage hitting hard, accurate shots.

Another great exercise is the Designated Approaches drill, in which your players will learn to react to the speed of different shots as they approach the net.

Hand Feeding

Coach Gullikson provides a variety of hand feeding drills that work on different kinds of movement and shots.

The Hand Tossing X Drill gets players moving in different directions prior to hitting a ball, while also working on hitting backhands and forehands. Your athletes will also learn how to get more top spin on balls with the Low Ball Wristers exercise. By hitting a low ball at the right angle with more racquet speed, players will soon find themselves hitting devastating topspin shots with ease.

Coach Gullikson's drills for individuals are built with the player in mind. Athletes of all levels will get better at tennis while having fun performing the exercises shown in this video.

56 minutes. 2015.


The Secrets of Spanish Tennis

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by Chris Lewit

Foreword by Lluis Bruguera

What makes Spanish tennis so unique and successful? What exactly are those Spanish coaches doing so differently to develop superstars like Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer that other systems are not doing? These and other questions are answered in The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, the culmination of five years of study on the Spanish way of training by USTA High Performance Coach Chris Lewit. He visited many of the top Spanish academies and studied and interviewed some of the leading coaches in Spain to discern and distill this unique and special training methodology.

167 pages. 2014.

Keys to the Kick Serve

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with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, presents a video packed with skills and drills designed to help athletes learn the difficult kick serve. Coach Lewit's three keys to a successful kick serve are the angle, height and spin sound generated by the player. Through a series of three individual lessons, you'll see how Coach Lewit teaches this technique to his athletes, transitioning from a beginning-level player who's never done a kick serve before, to an experienced player that only needs to fine tune the details.

Lesson 1: Starting the Kick Serve

For a beginning player, Coach Lewit begins by moving the athlete closer to the net for the Mini Tennis Serve drill. One of the first points instructed is the importance of tossing the ball slightly to the left (for a right hander), which will put it into the correct spot needed for solid contact.

A challenge for beginning kick servers is learning not to slice. Spin should be put on the ball, but it should be primarily downward, not to the side. Key aspects of the serve include extending the tricep on contact, turning the shoulders and keeping an exaggerated sideways position. Coach Lewit believes that if the player is struggling with the full motion, then breaking the serve down into different steps can help them learn more effectively.

Lesson 2: Technique

Once players have graduated from the beginning phase, then you can begin to teach them more advanced techniques. In this lesson, Coach Lewit teaches an athlete how to add more height to the serve by changing the racket face angle and pushing up more on the contact with the ball. He also goes over how staying sideways can help create the proper angle and maximize spin.

Keeping the lower back straight when executing the kick serve is necessary to prevent a stress injury. Coach Lewit explains how to keep the lower back straight while bending the neck and pushing out the chest to create a slight curve in the upper back. The resulting body position is perfect for players as they execute the kick serve.

Lesson 3: Fine Tuning the Serve

The final phase of the kick serve is working on the small details that can be the difference between a good and great serve. In this lesson, Coach Lewit reinforces keeping an L shape with the elbow on the toss in addition to keeping the head up on the serve. When athletes are consistently hitting good kick serves, Coach Lewit has them begin to work on a "surprise serve" to break out when their opponent begins to cheat too far to one side.

The instruction in this video is perfect for beginning, intermediate or advanced athletes. Coach Lewit's skills and drills are sure to help you or your players improve the kick serve.

84 minutes. 2016.

Building the Spanish Forehand

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with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Spanish players are known worldwide for hitting a powerful ball, and a large part of that stems from the way Spanish instructors have coached athletes for many decades. Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, has spent time traveling all over Spain to observe how Spanish coaches teach the techniques, theory and exercises that go into a forehand. Now, Coach Lewit is here to pass his knowledge on to you, so you or your pupils can hit forehands the Spanish way.

Drills

Coach Lewit includes six drills that will help you perfect the Spanish forehand: the Racket Acceleration Drill, the Front Racket Speed Drill, the Advanced Acceleration Drill, the Alternating Sides Acceleration Drill, the Low Ball Drill and the Swinging Volley Drill.

The Racket Acceleration Drill is designed to help players accelerate and work the ball as deep as possible to their target. You'll see how keeping a solid base and firing your hip can help the ball jump off your racket and cause problems for your opponent.

As Coach Lewit runs through the steps behind each drill, he also presents common technique mistakes that players make while practicing each shot. An example of this is having the ball drop short while working on racket speed. It's important to hit the ball with great depth on every forehand to make it more difficult for your opponent to complete a return.

Forehand Lessons

Two forehand lessons are included in the second half of the video. The first lesson is with a more experienced player, while the second lesson features a younger, intermediate-level athlete.

In each lesson, Coach Lewit works to analyze where the player's forehand is at. Once he's determined what the athlete needs to work on, he begins to incorporate any of the previous six drills that will help the player improve. Posture, balance, stability, level changing, hitting for depth and spin generation are among the skills taught by Coach Lewit in these lessons.

Everything you need to know about the Spanish forehand is included in this video. This is a great resource for both coaches and players who desire to add some tenacity to their forehand.

63 minutes. 2016.

Building World Class Serving Fundamentals

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0
with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Certified USTA High Performance Coach and former nationally ranked junior player, Chris Lewit, considers the serve to be the most difficult shot to teach in the game of tennis. Despite the degree of difficulty, Coach Lewit has become a master at instructing the serve, and has included the important concepts, technical aspects and myth busting you need to become a great server in this video. You'll learn Coach Lewit's four favorite drills for teaching the serve in addition to seeing them put into action during two live serving lessons.

Technical Reference Points and Drills

To perfect the serve, you must first understand the mechanics that are behind it. Coach Lewit breaks down the stance and grip that are commonly used, and points out the "L shape" position that players need to be in after they've tossed the ball. Every phase of the serve is covered step-by-step, from the initial stance to the landing after hitting the ball, to ensure that athletes can pinpoint which steps they need to work on to make improvements.

Once every step has been explained, Coach Lewit goes into his four favorite drills for developing the serve: the L Shape Drill, the 5-5-5 Drill, Toss & Check and Jumping Drills. The drills will help you or your athletes improve muscle memory, rhythm of the toss, movement without the ball, balance, coordination, stability and body awareness.

Serve Lessons

Coach Lewit instructs a young boy and a young girl through two separate individual serving lessons. In the first lesson, the player works on driving the back leg and landing after the serve. The second lesson focuses on loading the back leg and trying to get full body extension so that more power can be produced.

No matter what level of athlete he's coaching, Coach Lewit believes in refining the technique until it's as perfect as possible. By introducing simple methods and exercises and treating the serve as a biomechanical movement, you'll quickly be able to teach your students to serve well.

This video is a great resource for a coach or athlete who wants to learn every step of the serve. Coach Lewit's instruction is easy to follow and perfect for all skill levels.

58 minutes. 2016.

Training Footwork the Spanish Way

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0
with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Eight years spent traveling and studying tennis instructors in Spain has left Chris Lewit with a wealth of coaching knowledge that he's eager to share. In this video, the certified USTA High Performance Coach explains the philosophies and terminologies that Spanish coaches use to train the footwork of their tennis players. You'll also get drills used by Spanish coaches designed to create world-class tennis players. Once you've seen and heard how footwork is taught in Spain, you'll know why the country produces so many elite players!

Philosophies and Terminology

Coach Lewit discusses the different terms and theories that he's learned from observing some of Spain's best tennis coaches. You'll learn about receiving and sending the ball, what the "support system" is, as well as how the Spanish train balance, footwork, agility and more!

In Spain, footwork is integrated while working on the rest of the body and is rarely isolated. Coach Lewit debunks the myth that Spanish teachings focus on the open stance. Instead, he explains that a closed stance is more common. Coach Lewit has learned that Spanish players are taught to "suffer," or in other words, run and try to hit every ball. Getting behind the ball (getting the body set up to hit) is stressed, making it crucial that players sprint to receive every shot.

Drills

Coach Lewit includes nine of the most common footwork drills that he's seen used by Spanish tennis coaches. Many of the drills force players to move all over the court, improving their conditioning while working on making solid contact with the ball. Being set for every shot and "suffering" in every drill will train your players to dig deep and play at their maximum level on the court.

Resistance belts are introduced for advanced players who have worked a lot on their movement and need an additional challenge. Coach Lewit warns against using bands that are too heavy for younger players, as they'll only hurt the athlete's ability to learn the proper technique. When used properly, these drills will improve the quickness, agility, reaction time and coordination of your players.

Coach Lewit's instruction is both clear and informative. If you or the athletes you coach are looking to improve your footwork and have it mirror some of the best Spanish players in the world, then this is the video for you.

68 minutes. 2016.

Chris Lewit Coaching Tennis 4-Pack

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0
TND-04927A: with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Certified USTA High Performance Coach and former nationally ranked junior player, Chris Lewit, considers the serve to be the most difficult shot to teach in the game of tennis. Despite the degree of difficulty, Coach Lewit has become a master at instructing the serve, and has included the important concepts, technical aspects and myth busting you need to become a great server in this video. You'll learn Coach Lewit's four favorite drills for teaching the serve in addition to seeing them put into action during two live serving lessons.

Technical Reference Points and Drills

To perfect the serve, you must first understand the mechanics that are behind it. Coach Lewit breaks down the stance and grip that are commonly used, and points out the "L shape" position that players need to be in after they've tossed the ball. Every phase of the serve is covered step-by-step, from the initial stance to the landing after hitting the ball, to ensure that athletes can pinpoint which steps they need to work on to make improvements.

Once every step has been explained, Coach Lewit goes into his four favorite drills for developing the serve: the L Shape Drill, the 5-5-5 Drill, Toss & Check and Jumping Drills. The drills will help you or your athletes improve muscle memory, rhythm of the toss, movement without the ball, balance, coordination, stability and body awareness.

Serve Lessons

Coach Lewit instructs a young boy and a young girl through two separate individual serving lessons. In the first lesson, the player works on driving the back leg and landing after the serve. The second lesson focuses on loading the back leg and trying to get full body extension so that more power can be produced.

No matter what level of athlete he's coaching, Coach Lewit believes in refining the technique until it's as perfect as possible. By introducing simple methods and exercises and treating the serve as a biomechanical movement, you'll quickly be able to teach your students to serve well.

This video is a great resource for a coach or athlete who wants to learn every step of the serve. Coach Lewit's instruction is easy to follow and perfect for all skill levels.

58 minutes. 2016.



TND-04927B: with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, presents a video packed with skills and drills designed to help athletes learn the difficult kick serve. Coach Lewit's three keys to a successful kick serve are the angle, height and spin sound generated by the player. Through a series of three individual lessons, you'll see how Coach Lewit teaches this technique to his athletes, transitioning from a beginning-level player who's never done a kick serve before, to an experienced player that only needs to fine tune the details.

Lesson 1: Starting the Kick Serve

For a beginning player, Coach Lewit begins by moving the athlete closer to the net for the Mini Tennis Serve drill. One of the first points instructed is the importance of tossing the ball slightly to the left (for a right hander), which will put it into the correct spot needed for solid contact.

A challenge for beginning kick servers is learning not to slice. Spin should be put on the ball, but it should be primarily downward, not to the side. Key aspects of the serve include extending the tricep on contact, turning the shoulders and keeping an exaggerated sideways position. Coach Lewit believes that if the player is struggling with the full motion, then breaking the serve down into different steps can help them learn more effectively.

Lesson 2: Technique

Once players have graduated from the beginning phase, then you can begin to teach them more advanced techniques. In this lesson, Coach Lewit teaches an athlete how to add more height to the serve by changing the racket face angle and pushing up more on the contact with the ball. He also goes over how staying sideways can help create the proper angle and maximize spin.

Keeping the lower back straight when executing the kick serve is necessary to prevent a stress injury. Coach Lewit explains how to keep the lower back straight while bending the neck and pushing out the chest to create a slight curve in the upper back. The resulting body position is perfect for players as they execute the kick serve.

Lesson 3: Fine Tuning the Serve

The final phase of the kick serve is working on the small details that can be the difference between a good and great serve. In this lesson, Coach Lewit reinforces keeping an L shape with the elbow on the toss in addition to keeping the head up on the serve. When athletes are consistently hitting good kick serves, Coach Lewit has them begin to work on a "surprise serve" to break out when their opponent begins to cheat too far to one side.

The instruction in this video is perfect for beginning, intermediate or advanced athletes. Coach Lewit's skills and drills are sure to help you or your players improve the kick serve.

84 minutes. 2016.



TND-04927C: with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Eight years spent traveling and studying tennis instructors in Spain has left Chris Lewit with a wealth of coaching knowledge that he's eager to share. In this video, the certified USTA High Performance Coach explains the philosophies and terminologies that Spanish coaches use to train the footwork of their tennis players. You'll also get drills used by Spanish coaches designed to create world-class tennis players. Once you've seen and heard how footwork is taught in Spain, you'll know why the country produces so many elite players!

Philosophies and Terminology

Coach Lewit discusses the different terms and theories that he's learned from observing some of Spain's best tennis coaches. You'll learn about receiving and sending the ball, what the "support system" is, as well as how the Spanish train balance, footwork, agility and more!

In Spain, footwork is integrated while working on the rest of the body and is rarely isolated. Coach Lewit debunks the myth that Spanish teachings focus on the open stance. Instead, he explains that a closed stance is more common. Coach Lewit has learned that Spanish players are taught to "suffer," or in other words, run and try to hit every ball. Getting behind the ball (getting the body set up to hit) is stressed, making it crucial that players sprint to receive every shot.

Drills

Coach Lewit includes nine of the most common footwork drills that he's seen used by Spanish tennis coaches. Many of the drills force players to move all over the court, improving their conditioning while working on making solid contact with the ball. Being set for every shot and "suffering" in every drill will train your players to dig deep and play at their maximum level on the court.

Resistance belts are introduced for advanced players who have worked a lot on their movement and need an additional challenge. Coach Lewit warns against using bands that are too heavy for younger players, as they'll only hurt the athlete's ability to learn the proper technique. When used properly, these drills will improve the quickness, agility, reaction time and coordination of your players.

Coach Lewit's instruction is both clear and informative. If you or the athletes you coach are looking to improve your footwork and have it mirror some of the best Spanish players in the world, then this is the video for you.

68 minutes. 2016.



TND-04927D: with Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach;
former nationally ranked junior and #1 player at Cornell University;
competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite junior coach)

Spanish players are known worldwide for hitting a powerful ball, and a large part of that stems from the way Spanish instructors have coached athletes for many decades. Chris Lewit, certified USTA High Performance Coach, has spent time traveling all over Spain to observe how Spanish coaches teach the techniques, theory and exercises that go into a forehand. Now, Coach Lewit is here to pass his knowledge on to you, so you or your pupils can hit forehands the Spanish way.

Drills

Coach Lewit includes six drills that will help you perfect the Spanish forehand: the Racket Acceleration Drill, the Front Racket Speed Drill, the Advanced Acceleration Drill, the Alternating Sides Acceleration Drill, the Low Ball Drill and the Swinging Volley Drill.

The Racket Acceleration Drill is designed to help players accelerate and work the ball as deep as possible to their target. You'll see how keeping a solid base and firing your hip can help the ball jump off your racket and cause problems for your opponent.

As Coach Lewit runs through the steps behind each drill, he also presents common technique mistakes that players make while practicing each shot. An example of this is having the ball drop short while working on racket speed. It's important to hit the ball with great depth on every forehand to make it more difficult for your opponent to complete a return.

Forehand Lessons

Two forehand lessons are included in the second half of the video. The first lesson is with a more experienced player, while the second lesson features a younger, intermediate-level athlete.

In each lesson, Coach Lewit works to analyze where the player's forehand is at. Once he's determined what the athlete needs to work on, he begins to incorporate any of the previous six drills that will help the player improve. Posture, balance, stability, level changing, hitting for depth and spin generation are among the skills taught by Coach Lewit in these lessons.

Everything you need to know about the Spanish forehand is included in this video. This is a great resource for both coaches and players who desire to add some tenacity to their forehand.

63 minutes. 2016.



Explosive Movement Training for Tennis Players

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0
with Richard Woodroof,
ITPA-CTPS, USPTA, NESTA-SAQ / Director Impact Sports Performance

Tennis players change direction every 1.1 seconds. As the speed of tennis has increased, so has the need for efficient pre-shot movements. Using exercises incorporating speed as an element of direction change, ITPA-certified Tennis Performance Trainer Richard Woodroof breaks down a training sequence beneficial to tennis players and coaches of all skill levels.

Movement Exercises

Concentrating on hip muscles, balance and the first step, Coach Woodroof leads you through a progression of stretch band, plyometric and cone workouts that put the body into proper hitting positions. Coach Woodroof explains correct and incorrect posture and procedure for numerous exercises. It's evident during the seven, five and three cone workouts why previous exercises must be done correctly for maximum benefit.

All of these exercises can be done on court during good weather or inside during inclement weather.

Footwork Drills

The Ladder Groundstrokes drill puts a new twist on using a footwork ladder for drills. Emphasizing his focus on hip strength, the drill uses a footwork ladder to move a player forward through the shot with quick explosive movements.

Primarily targeting intermediate players who want to fine tune their footwork to take their game to the next level, many of these exercises and progressions will benefit players of all skill levels.

For coaches of beginning players, this video helps players understand that there's an approach to the game beyond "hit, prepare and hit again" while also being a good general fitness workout. If you have players striving for the next level, you'll be able to show them technical aspects of training footwork that can be the difference between crushing a winner or hitting an off-balance shot into the net.

Whether you are a beginner or a more seasoned player looking to gain an edge, everyone can improve their footwork and become a better player using Coach Woodroof's teachings.

68 minutes. 2016.


The D1 Tennis Player Workout: Individual Workouts for Player Success

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0
featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

Team practices often don't provide the individual attention a player needs to supply the inner confidence that breeds success.

In a live practice setting, Brian Boland demonstrates how to focus on the individual player while managing an entire team at the same time. Coach Boland does this through high-quality live ball drills that maintain the focus of his players through the entire practice. His progression of drills will provide your players with the ability to own every shot and hit with a purpose.

Coach Boland uses two players to show how his style of positive coaching gets the most out of each of their individual talents on the court. The first workout consists of forehand, backhand, volley, transition, and serve drills with a heavy emphasis on the ground stroke portion. The second segment takes a more hands-on approach, giving consistent feedback relating to the areas of positioning, technical proficiency, and shot selection.

Through the drills demonstrated, players will learn:

  • Core stroke drills to help make a more powerful tennis player
  • How to manipulate time and space to establish rhythm and take time away from the opponent
  • How to develop quick hands at the net
  • How to have a better weight shift into the ball, better contact point (between waist and shoulders) and better body balance
  • How to hit with a purpose within a small space and stretch the court
  • When to change direction and how to transition effectively
  • Why a player volleys better when they stand closer to the net
  • The difference between "good misses" and "bad misses"

Coach Boland infuses each of his drills with sophisticated analysis and purpose. His progressions will demonstrate many common mistakes coaches make when choosing the timing of drills during individual practice. This fresh approach from a legendary coach will be a welcome tool for players and coaches of all levels.

This is an amazing opportunity to see the amount of work and focus it takes to rise to the top of collegiate tennis. Coach Boland allows you to have an intimate view of his player development inside of a practice setting so you can learn how to get the most out of your players when you get the opportunity to work with them individually.

96 minutes. 2017.

Building Point-Play Skills: Dynamic Small Group Workouts

0
0
featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

All tennis players and teams want to achieve their maximum potential, but it's often a challenge to design practices that will help achieve that elusive goal.

In this video, University of Virginia head coach Brian Boland, the 2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, shows the type of drills his top-ranked NCAA teams have utilized to prepare for match play at the highest levels. Coach Boland shows a complete practice from start to finish that works on every aspect of a tennis player's game in order to be prepared for singles and doubles matches.

While Boland's individual instruction sessions emphasize techniques to improve ball striking mechanics and movement on court, his small group workouts help players build point-play skills through a series of challenging situational games and drills that repeatedly require real-time decision making and dynamic court positioning.

Hitting Warm-Ups

By limiting their singles warm-ups to the center third of the court, Coach Boland's players focus less on movement and more on positioning themselves for effective ball-striking, hitting with depth and varying net clearance. In the "Roll and Rip" drill, for example, two players challenge each other by alternating high topspin shots (defender) versus flatter drives (aggressor).

'Situational Strait-Jackets'

This series of exercises helps you expand your players' arsenal of singles skills by placing them in a series of 'situational strait-jackets'. In these, Coach Boland allows one player to hit shots anywhere on court during points, but requires their workout partner to hit every ball to the ad court. This simultaneously challenges - and strengthens - both players' consistency and versatility.

Situational Games

This segment helps you improve your players' decision-making skills and doubles court positioning during point play by repeatedly challenging them to play all the roles in short situational games:

  • Where should the server send the first volley?
  • Who covers the ball down the middle?
  • How can we prevent getting burned down the line?

Coach Boland helps his players discover the answers to these questions as they play out in dynamic, real-time practice scenarios.

The 12 situational games and drills in this video readily lend themselves to variation based on your players' skill levels. The games and drills are fun, competitive, and simple to teach - creating a win/win scenario for coaches and players alike.

Coach Boland deliberately fills his small group sessions with repeated situational point-play to 'program' strategically sound shot-making and positioning choices into his players' brains. His players' sustained national success becomes less of a surprise when you see that how they perform on the Championship stage year after year, with uncommon poise and intuitive decision-making (coupled with incredible talent), is what is reinforced at practice day after day!

72 minutes. 2017.

Best Tennis Practice Ever: Getting Maximum Benefit Out of Every Practice

0
0
featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year Brian Boland demonstrates how to run a team practice that maximizes the time you spend on the court. From extensive dynamic stretching and warm-up routines to competitive match play drills, Boland shares the time-tested practice formula he has used year after year to turn Virginia Tennis into a perennial national powerhouse.

Dynamic Stretch/Band Routine

Learn how to get your athletes ready for a great practice by implementing the extensive dynamic stretching and band routine used at the University of Virginia. This series of exercises will elevate the heart rate of your athletes and have them ready to go when it's time to hit tennis balls.

Full Warm-Up

Attention to detail is a must at a UVA team practice. Listen in as Coach Boland speaks to his team about the importance of `owning every shot' and `hitting with a purpose.' Coach Boland's team is comprised of highly skilled athletes, and yet, throughout the sessions, you'll see him interjecting advice oozing with a reinforcement of fundamentals; every practice begins with a 10-minute warm-up that stresses quantity and repetition.

Serves & Returns

Boland stresses the importance of the `first four' shots in a tennis match. The serve, return, and the subsequent two shots require a high amount of focus, concentration, and as Coach Boland states, repetition. He believes beginning all practices with serving and returning drills is a core ingredient to the consistent success of the UVA program.

Cross-Court Baseline Game - Slice & Dice Game

Learn how to teach your athletes how to move the ball within a tight space with Coach Boland's cross court baseline games. Coach Boland instructs his players to hit a variety of shots within a confined space to maximize results. Interjecting fundamentals and shot selection within a game that stresses competition allows not a second wasted at any practice.

Boland's team practice video is a must for any coach who is looking to get everything out of their team during practice time. By implementing the techniques and ideas demonstrated in this video, your team is poised to show consistent, steady improvement.

73 minutes. 2017.

Brian Boland's Championship Tennis Workout 3-pack

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0
TND-05104A: featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

Team practices often don't provide the individual attention a player needs to supply the inner confidence that breeds success.

In a live practice setting, Brian Boland demonstrates how to focus on the individual player while managing an entire team at the same time. Coach Boland does this through high-quality live ball drills that maintain the focus of his players through the entire practice. His progression of drills will provide your players with the ability to own every shot and hit with a purpose.

Coach Boland uses two players to show how his style of positive coaching gets the most out of each of their individual talents on the court. The first workout consists of forehand, backhand, volley, transition, and serve drills with a heavy emphasis on the ground stroke portion. The second segment takes a more hands-on approach, giving consistent feedback relating to the areas of positioning, technical proficiency, and shot selection.

Through the drills demonstrated, players will learn:

  • Core stroke drills to help make a more powerful tennis player
  • How to manipulate time and space to establish rhythm and take time away from the opponent
  • How to develop quick hands at the net
  • How to have a better weight shift into the ball, better contact point (between waist and shoulders) and better body balance
  • How to hit with a purpose within a small space and stretch the court
  • When to change direction and how to transition effectively
  • Why a player volleys better when they stand closer to the net
  • The difference between "good misses" and "bad misses"

Coach Boland infuses each of his drills with sophisticated analysis and purpose. His progressions will demonstrate many common mistakes coaches make when choosing the timing of drills during individual practice. This fresh approach from a legendary coach will be a welcome tool for players and coaches of all levels.

This is an amazing opportunity to see the amount of work and focus it takes to rise to the top of collegiate tennis. Coach Boland allows you to have an intimate view of his player development inside of a practice setting so you can learn how to get the most out of your players when you get the opportunity to work with them individually.

96 minutes. 2017.



TND-05104B: featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

All tennis players and teams want to achieve their maximum potential, but it's often a challenge to design practices that will help achieve that elusive goal.

In this video, University of Virginia head coach Brian Boland, the 2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, shows the type of drills his top-ranked NCAA teams have utilized to prepare for match play at the highest levels. Coach Boland shows a complete practice from start to finish that works on every aspect of a tennis player's game in order to be prepared for singles and doubles matches.

While Boland's individual instruction sessions emphasize techniques to improve ball striking mechanics and movement on court, his small group workouts help players build point-play skills through a series of challenging situational games and drills that repeatedly require real-time decision making and dynamic court positioning.

Hitting Warm-Ups

By limiting their singles warm-ups to the center third of the court, Coach Boland's players focus less on movement and more on positioning themselves for effective ball-striking, hitting with depth and varying net clearance. In the "Roll and Rip" drill, for example, two players challenge each other by alternating high topspin shots (defender) versus flatter drives (aggressor).

'Situational Strait-Jackets'

This series of exercises helps you expand your players' arsenal of singles skills by placing them in a series of 'situational strait-jackets'. In these, Coach Boland allows one player to hit shots anywhere on court during points, but requires their workout partner to hit every ball to the ad court. This simultaneously challenges - and strengthens - both players' consistency and versatility.

Situational Games

This segment helps you improve your players' decision-making skills and doubles court positioning during point play by repeatedly challenging them to play all the roles in short situational games:

  • Where should the server send the first volley?
  • Who covers the ball down the middle?
  • How can we prevent getting burned down the line?

Coach Boland helps his players discover the answers to these questions as they play out in dynamic, real-time practice scenarios.

The 12 situational games and drills in this video readily lend themselves to variation based on your players' skill levels. The games and drills are fun, competitive, and simple to teach - creating a win/win scenario for coaches and players alike.

Coach Boland deliberately fills his small group sessions with repeated situational point-play to 'program' strategically sound shot-making and positioning choices into his players' brains. His players' sustained national success becomes less of a surprise when you see that how they perform on the Championship stage year after year, with uncommon poise and intuitive decision-making (coupled with incredible talent), is what is reinforced at practice day after day!

72 minutes. 2017.



TND-05104C: featuring Brian Boland,
Head of Men's Tennis for USTA Player Development;
former University of Virginia Head Coach;
Back-to-Back-Back NCAA Champions (2015-17) - four championships in five seasons (2013 National Champions);
Back-to-back (2011-12) NCAA Team Championship Runner-up;
2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year - also named 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year';
10x ACC Coach of the Year; 9 straight ACC Conference Championships (2007-15)

2016 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year Brian Boland demonstrates how to run a team practice that maximizes the time you spend on the court. From extensive dynamic stretching and warm-up routines to competitive match play drills, Boland shares the time-tested practice formula he has used year after year to turn Virginia Tennis into a perennial national powerhouse.

Dynamic Stretch/Band Routine

Learn how to get your athletes ready for a great practice by implementing the extensive dynamic stretching and band routine used at the University of Virginia. This series of exercises will elevate the heart rate of your athletes and have them ready to go when it's time to hit tennis balls.

Full Warm-Up

Attention to detail is a must at a UVA team practice. Listen in as Coach Boland speaks to his team about the importance of `owning every shot' and `hitting with a purpose.' Coach Boland's team is comprised of highly skilled athletes, and yet, throughout the sessions, you'll see him interjecting advice oozing with a reinforcement of fundamentals; every practice begins with a 10-minute warm-up that stresses quantity and repetition.

Serves & Returns

Boland stresses the importance of the `first four' shots in a tennis match. The serve, return, and the subsequent two shots require a high amount of focus, concentration, and as Coach Boland states, repetition. He believes beginning all practices with serving and returning drills is a core ingredient to the consistent success of the UVA program.

Cross-Court Baseline Game - Slice & Dice Game

Learn how to teach your athletes how to move the ball within a tight space with Coach Boland's cross court baseline games. Coach Boland instructs his players to hit a variety of shots within a confined space to maximize results. Interjecting fundamentals and shot selection within a game that stresses competition allows not a second wasted at any practice.

Boland's team practice video is a must for any coach who is looking to get everything out of their team during practice time. By implementing the techniques and ideas demonstrated in this video, your team is poised to show consistent, steady improvement.

73 minutes. 2017.



Mike Perez' Tennis Training & Strategy Series

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0
TND-05105A:

with Mike Perez,
Lynn University Men's & Women's Head Coach;
7x National Championship Coach; over 1,000 career wins;
3x NAIA National Coach of the Year; 2006 ITA National Coach of the Year (Men's);
14x Sunshine State Conference Champions; 10x Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
Named the NAIA Coach of the Decade (1990-2000)

Tennis players are becoming more athletic and more aggressive in their play. Coaches need to develop aggressive match play strategies that take advantage of this change in mindset and player ability to reflect the more modern game.

Coach Perez welcomes you into one of his practices where after a dynamic and match style warm-up, he runs his players through six competitive match play drills for developing an aggressive mindset. The practice includes 2-on-2 and 2-on-1 offense/defense doubles drills, 1-on-1 and 2-on-1 ground sequence drills, first serve competitions, and live points. Coach Perez demonstrates how he incorporates each of these drills into a practice 1-2 days before a match and gives detailed instruction into the purpose of each drill, as well as strategy tips for each technique as he coaches his own players.

Competitive Doubles Drills

Learn two offense/defense drills that will help you attack your opponents more frequently and effectively, while also improving your defense against similar attacking teams. Coach Perez explains his philosophy behind this style of play and demonstrates how he works to accomplish this through competitive practice drills, such as:

  • 2-on-2 offense/defense drill that allows you to work on both doubles partners playing the net at the same time.
  • A progression of the 2-on-2 offense/defense drill that's a 2-on-1 drill with two players at the net and one at the baseline.
  • Attacking the net 35-40% of the time.

Ground Sequence

Learn a sequence of two partner drills on the baseline that focuses on identifying your opponent's weakness and exploiting it. Coach Perez explains his philosophy on singles play from the baseline, which include:

  • Every player has a weak side and players need to look to exploit that weak side on every shot.
  • Players must look to move their opponent around the court.
  • Players must be able to develop accuracy and always look to get balls in play to become a more consistent baseline player.
  • Playing balls that are out in practice to allow players to get more reps and improve their ability to return tough shots.

First Serve Competition Drill

Coach Perez ties everything together in the last third of his practice with live points from solid ground play to aggressively attacking the net. He modifies the rules to his live points, only allowing one serve, to emphasize specific areas of match play for his players:

  • Putting more pressure on their 2nd serve ability, as Coach Perez believes a player is only as good as their second serve.
  • Attacking weak second serves and getting to the net with regularity.
  • Attacking an opponent's weakness from the baseline.
  • Utilizing "sudden victory" scoring to put more pressure and a sense of urgency on his players.

Coach Perez gives you an extensive look at how to run a competitive practice that allows you to develop your players while teaching them an aggressive attacking style of play. This video gives you a practice that can be utilized at any time during your season, and is great as you prepare for match play.

57 minutes. 2017.



TND-05105B:

with Mike Perez,
Lynn University Men's & Women's Head Coach;
7x National Championship Coach; over 1,000 career wins;
3x NAIA National Coach of the Year; 2006 ITA National Coach of the Year (Men's);
14x Sunshine State Conference Champions; 10x Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
Named the NAIA Coach of the Decade (1990-2000)

In today's tennis, most of the points are won from the baseline, often after long and energy-demanding rallies. The serious and highly competitive player knows that to increase their chance of success, they must have a complete arsenal and the ability to play well in any area of the court.

In this video, seven-time National Championship coach Mike Perez explains drills and patterns through which to play attacking tennis in the modern game, and the benefits that result from this style of play. He divides the video into three main sections, with each section filmed on court:

  • Approach Shot / Passing Shot
  • Set Plays
  • Team Tennis

Coach Perez presents clear ideas on the vulnerability that players have to being attacked and pressured, including tall players, players who have exceptional quickness and players who have a weaker groundstroke or extreme grip on the racquet. You'll have the chance to learn the coaching strategies that prove most effective in both live ball drills and in competitive tiebreakers within team practice.

Approach Shot / Passing Shot

Under the supervision of Coach Perez, players execute approach patterns designed to exploit the opponent's weaknesses and build the opportunity to finish the point with a solid and efficient net game. This includes:

  • How to approach the net, where to hit the first volley and where to hit the second and definitive volley
  • Knowing how and where to direct the approach shot and the subsequent volley to successfully end points sooner

Set Plays

To win the decisive points and become a stronger player, you must execute a plan already trained several times previously. Coach Perez gives you pre-planned ideas on what to do in pressure situations. This gives your athletes a clear decision-making process and eliminates doubt in crucial situations. You'll see six set plays where six possible scenarios of crucial points are shown. These drills are useful to train a player's mindset and technique and get used to playing decisive points with more consistent success.

Team Tennis

In this part of the video, all the concepts explained in previous sections are applied together in realistic points played while Coach Perez offers more insights and strategies.

Fitness and Strength Drills

See a structured way to implement footwork drills at the beginning of your practice sessions to prepare athletes to move well and stay injury-free on the tennis court. The use of agility ladders and cones to enhance player movement warms up both the body and the mind in preparation for a practice session. Coach Perez also provides a series of core exercises, including many variations of planks and crunches, in order to keep your players strong and fit in the vital trunk area of the body.

Coach Perez does an excellent job of showing how you can adapt attacking tennis into today's game. His positivity and attention to detail within points and drills brings the best out in his players and will help you do the same for yours as well!

50 minutes. 2017.



TND-05105C:

with Mike Perez,
Lynn University Men's & Women's Head Coach;
7x National Championship Coach; over 1,000 career wins;
3x NAIA National Coach of the Year; 2006 ITA National Coach of the Year (Men's);
14x Sunshine State Conference Champions; 10x Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
Named the NAIA Coach of the Decade (1990-2000)

Often, tennis coaches at all levels must conduct team practice with a mixture of male and female players. A common challenge is learning how to conduct an effective practice that challenges all players of varying abilities. As head coach of both the men's and women's teams at Lynn University, Mike Perez has developed a method to solve this challenge. Using a variety of fitness, dead ball, and soft ball drills, the Lynn University tennis teams shows how a co-ed practice that is challenging and fun for everyone can be conducted.

In this video, both the men's and women's teams cooperate in a short, intense practice focused on fitness and agility. Coach Perez brings the intensity in a focused, disciplined one hour practice, where players get the most out of individualized coaching and coaches get max effort from players.

Fitness Drills

Lynn University athletes demonstrate a full warm-up and fitness routine. See how Coach Perez combines fitness and skill development to create a high level of energy within a short amount of time. These exercises are an ideal way to begin an on-court session.

Footwork Exercises

Coach Perez is a strong believer in the importance of working on footwork and fitness. He guides his athletes through core footwork exercises, including:

  • Agility ladder exercises with emphasis on good technique
  • Footwork patterns such as figure 8's where Coach Perez gives his tips on maintaining good form

Dead Ball and Hand-Feed Drills

Dead ball drills are vital to build good fundamentals and are a situation where both male and female tennis players can participate together. Coach Perez shows his favorite practice patterns and guides players through utilizing a large variety of spins and ball trajectories. As practice is conducted, Perez gives his thoughts on how to troubleshoot technique.

Serves and Returns Practices

Coach Perez shows his preferred methods for practicing the serve and return of serve. Along the way, he gives great insight on simple fixes and adjustments that can be made when a player is having serve problems.

Soft Ball Competition

Soft ball competition allows men and women to practice together. The emphasis is on utilizing good footwork and prioritizing technique over power. Coach Perez guides players through a variety of competitive drills which allow males and females to compete against each other while still giving everyone a valuable practice session.

Coach Perez gives you the tools to conduct an effective co-ed practice. Additionally, you'll gain great insight into his coaching techniques, which have led to great success for Lynn University tennis.

53 minutes. 2017.



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