Sunday, August 9, 2015

Tip: The Spanish hand fed drill

This is a great drill -- and we already do most of it -- in parts.  We call it "the X-Box".  Please have the kids watch the clip.  The drill is designed to build stroke consistency, footwork, and stamina.  What you don't see here is the length of time devoted to this drill.  

Actually, it is done until the player is exhausted, plus a few more -- then, a 90 second rest, followed by continuing the drill or moving on to another.  

If you ever get a chance to attend an Emilio Sanchez tennis symposium, you MUST do it.  He works his students hard -- but, that's what it takes if you want to be a top level player.  

When my brother Bill was in high school, for example, in addition to playing year around, he played at least 10 hours a day during the summers, which included rallying, tournament play, coaching, and cleaning/repairing courts.  Temperatures were between 100 and 115 degrees in the Sacramento area then.  

His hands were blistered and callused, and he wore out shoes to the tune of one pair every two weeks -- frequently, his toes would show through his shoes and the balls of his feet would be blistered.  His feet hurt -- always.  He use to say that, if you weren't hurting, you weren't improving.  

But, it paid off in 1961 with a full ride tennis scholarship to college.  The bottom line here?  work hard, develop skills, build stamina, build strength, condition -- CHECK OUT THE SPANISH METHOD.



The Spanish hand fed drill (3:50)

In this hand-fed drill, demonstrated by USPTA Professional Emilio Sanchez, players hit 10 shots in one set, moving in V patterns from side to side and forward and backward. Both defensive and offensive shots are incorporated in this drill, which also helps players develop their fitness. A... (Presented by Emilio Sanchez Vicario) | 34805 Views
Happy hitting,
Don


The Spanish hand fed drill:


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