In recent years, we have seen an influx of training aids hit the market. Machines to help you hit with topspin, contraptions to assist your serve or notes to put on your racquet to ensure you have the correct grip. There seems to be something for all parts of the game.
Training aids are generally designed to guide us to a different behaviour. Whether that is technical, tactical, physical or psychological. Many products on the market can help guide and influence this behaviour, but is it worth the expense when ‘old school’ methods have worked for generations and is it a substitute for lessons with an expert coach who can guide through drills and corrections?
A ball machine can help the player with their grip, swing path, ball shape and handling different spins, paces and trajectories. A topspin stand can assist the player with their swing path, grip and brushing up the back of the ball emulating topspin. Will hitting with a partner not achieve the same results for the cost of court hire?
Having a serving stick can help with the grip and understanding the flow of the service motion and can be practiced alone. Using markers, hoops and lines can help perfect footwork patterns and using cones/targets can assist direction and tactical awareness. Using resistance bands can help with stretching, understanding leg drive and racquet head speed. Can we achieve the same outcome with a tennis ball in a sock, an empty ball can or a hat, and a simple towel from home without spending lots of money?
Placing a specially made stick under the players' armpits can help simulate a volley and reduce swing. However, will having the player stand up against the fence and feed them tennis balls achieve the same result at no additional cost?
Apart from the gadgets being shiny and new are there any other benefits rather than sticking to the basic aids you can find around the house? Studies tell us that most learners will plateau at some stage of their development. The training aids will help reinvigorate learning and with technology becoming more advanced the new aids will be more and more tennis-specific.
For many years tennis coaching has mostly consisted of an auditory way of teaching. Using words does not necessarily suit every player so, visual and kinaesthetic training aids can help students learn quicker and, in a fun, engaging environment.
Some tennis coaches would argue that a lesson is still the best, most effective way of learning and they can teach the student everything they need to know and guide them along the way. However, today with time pressures, cost of living, other family members to consider, cost, availability, and compatibility - it is not always possible to have regular lessons.
Ultimately, it is up to everyone to decide if they want lessons, use old school, easy-to-find aids that don’t cost a fortune or embrace new technology and training aids. Ideally, before the student goes and buys all the new aids, they should have a basic understanding of grips, swing paths, footwork or whatever area they are trying to improve to ensure they are practicing the correct technique.
Whilst it is great the student wants to improve, they need to be careful they are not just creating and cultivating bad habits and remember that practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
Comments