The RPM Tennis Early Player Development Plan
1st Degree Orange Ball
Priority One Highlight A Precise, Universal System For Discussing Grips
Priority Two Highlight "How To" Details Of Hitting Topspin From Day One
Priority Three Highlight Racquet Face Sensitivity For Volleys
2nd Degree Orange Ball
Priority One Highlight Minimal Toss Height For Optimal Extension
Priority Two Highlight Activation Dance and Toe Tag Timing
Priority Three Highlight Early and Efficient Preparation on Groundstrokes
Priority Four Highlight Early and Compact Preparation on Groundstrokes
*Juniors, after demonstrating a grasp of each stage of these learning progressions in the context of the group games designed for developing these skills, receive a color coded belt, ball, bag, etc.
One idea is that children are given Ball Pilot Wings at each level. Testing for their "Wings" is based on demonstrating technical control to safely fly tennis balls. From the beginning, control is emphasized via language that appeals to imagination, creativity and consequences of failing to implement the prescribed measures for overcoming the requisite development of these counter instinctive skills.
Learning aides are integrated into these multi player drill game dominated learning environments/clinics that promote a premium on control. The "counter-intuitive scenario," usually the first shot of the drill, is a controlled situation that highlights the need for developing a specific, counter-intuitive skill. This engages children in repetition, while inserting the counter-intuitive skill building emphasis of RPM Tennis, into the context of engaging, yet specifically focused, games.
With the emphasis on group games and advancing through this highly, process-based developmental system - children advance at their own pace. Once they graduate from a level, they can compete at that level.
1st Degree Green Ball
Priority One Highlight Sustained Racquet Face Through Contact Zone on Volley
Priority Two Highlight Point Of Contact For Overhead, 1st Serve, Flatter Groundstrokes
Priority Three Highlight How To Details For Kick Serve
Priority Four Consecutive Topspin Forehand Cross Court Test
2nd Degree Green Ball
Priority One Highlight Point Of Contact Variety For Topspin Forehands
Priority Two Highlight Point Of Contact For Flatter Backhands
Priority Three Consecutive Backhands Cross Court Test
Priority Four Consecutive Overheads and First Serve Test
3rd Degree Green Ball
Priority One Highlight Point Of Contact Variety For Topspin Backhands
Priority Two Highlight Adjustment Steps/Whole Body Co-op For Groundstrokes
Priority Three Highlight Variable Forehand Backswing Size & Applications
Priority Four Cooperative Topspin Forehand & Backhand Test
1st Degree Yellow Ball
Priority One Highlight Side to Side Topspin W/ Adj-Steps & Whole Body Cooperation
Priority Two Highlight Variable Forehand Backswing Size & Applications
Priority Three Highlight Correlation Between Grip Adj., Leverage & Efficiency On Volleys
Priority Four Test On Variable Backswing For Variable Forehand Applications
Priority Five Test On Consecutive Volleys To Variable Targets
2nd Degree Yellow Ball
Priority One Highlight Correlation Between Grip Adj., Leverage & Efficiency On Volleys
Priority Two Highlight How To Details For Slice Backhand
Priority Three Highlight Adjustable Backswing Forehand Topspin Drive Volley
Priority Four Test On Volley Direction and Consistency
3rd Degree Yellow Ball
Priority One Highlight Point Of Contact For Deeper Topspin Forehands
Priority Two Highlight Point Of Contact For Deeper Topspin Backhands
Priority Three Highlight How To Details For Slice Backhand
Priority Four Cooperative Side To Side Groundstrokes Testing
4th Degree Yellow Ball
Priority One Highlight Relationship Between Depth Control via Topspin And All Strokes
Priority Two Extrapolate Priority One To Help Diagnose Short and Long Errors
Priority Three Integrate Movement & Brush/Drive Ratio To Diagnostic Study
Priority Four Test Error Diagnostic Ability
5th Degree Yellow Ball
Priority One Highlight Adjustable Backswing On Forehand In 5 Situations
Priority Two Highlight Racquet Head Acceleration on Groundstrokes, 2nd Serves
Priority Three Highlight Follow Through Variation On Three Forehand Situations
Priority Four Highlight How To Details For "Hitting The Mental 'Refresh' Button
Priority Five Comprehensive Testing
The Grip Gauge
Traditionally, when discussing and identifying the various grips, coaches and players have only referenced one point on the hand. This allows different interpretations of the same grip. This is a fundamental flaw coaches and players in the USA must overcome. RPM Tennis has a simple cure.
The RPM Tennis Grip Gauge simply references two points on the hand. By referencing two points on the hand, along with where those points are, on our eight sided handle - our discussion about this vital variable gets absolutely precise.
The RPM Tennis Grip Gauge labels the index finger bottom knuckle as Point A. The pinkie finger bottom knuckle becomes Point B. Then, we simply number the eight sides of the racquet’s handle.
Holding the racquet with the face projecting sideways, edges pointing up and down, the top side of the racquet's handle is Side One. Right handers simply number all the remaining sides successively around the racquet's handle to the right/clockwise. Lefties, just number one through eight starting on the top and going left/counter clockwise.
When you call 1-800-289-5570 and enter the PIN # 9996073320, you can experience the early stage beta test of our efforts to revolutionize do it yourself, how-to media. Our Grip Gauge App allows you to put on a Bluetooth, grab your racquet and then, we can talk you through the various grips. Experiencing this information in real time can start now...just give us a call.
STAGE ONE: The Topspin Forehand Learning Progression.
Whether you are a beginner or professional, you will find this section to be illuminating and beneficial.
The RPM Tennis formula for advancing new legions of junior talent starts with some fundamental changes in how the game is taught. Yet, this progression is also vital for adult recreational players seeking their potential.
Quickly overcoming the counter-instinctive challenges of learning topspin is a huge part of this RPM Tennis blueprint for successful player development.
For tennis, topspin translates into depth control and trajectory control. Whether that means opening the court with an angled shot or pinning our opponent deep behind the baseline, topspin is essential.
Initially, as we are developing our strokes, our instinct is more towards driving the ball with a more level swing. It feels instinctively risky to drop our racquet head beneath the upcoming point of contact at the tail end of our backswing. Consequently, too many developing players get away with avoiding this vital skill development early in their exposure to the game.
Unfortunately, topspin is all too often approached by the vast majority of teaching pros as a more advanced skill. Initial success is too often gauged in the player's ability to drive the ball over the net. Consequently, developing players of all ages become overly mystified by the topspin concept.
The RPM Tennis solution for overcoming this challenge hinges on two things:
A. Accurate communication about the subtleties of grip and wrist position
B. Using Exaggeration as a learning aid during the context of a progression of decreasingly controlled situations to overcome these counter instinctive challenges.
Whether you are just learning topspin, or experimenting with techniques to help your more advanced applications of this vital skill, exaggerating helps us to overcome counter-instinctive obstacles to stroke development.
Turning players loose without topspin is like turning teenagers loose in cars without driver's education. Topspin is to tennis, what edges are to snow skis. Whether you are driving, skiing or playing tennis, controlling velocity is vital.
The beginning of the process is always the same when it comes to discussing stroke production. The foundation for each unique stroke is essentially how we grip the racquet's handle.
We are more than three decades past our tennis boom in the USA, yet still, advanced players and almost all of our teaching pros are still using only one reference point on the hand, when discussing and teaching gripping the racquet's handle.
The change that we must make ASAP is, fortunately, a simple change.
IT TAKES TWO POINTS OF REFERENCE ON THE HAND, in order to have an accurate conversation about gripping the racquet's handle for the variety of nuanced "grips" required to have an adaptable, all court game and execute modern. all-court tennis.
It truly is a sad commentary on the state of coaching in the USA that I am able to claim this simple detail as being a revolutionary distinction between RPM Tennis and the status quo in the USA!
Be that as it may, you can access our free RPM Tennis Grip Gauge app via the phone number and PIN listed on this site's Automated Coaching page.
If you are an advanced player with only one forehand grip and one backhand grip, it is time for you, too, to expand your horizons. A golfer would not play a round of golf with only a seven iron. In the future, all accomplished tennis players will have several forehand and backhand grips.
The reason this grip business is so important in relation to learning topspin: you cannot swing from low to high (the key to topspin) unless you start low. RPM Tennis simply insures that you understand what it takes to drop your racquet head low at the tail end of the backswing. If your forehand grip is too "hammer-like" the wrist/racquet relationship it makes it difficult to get the racquet head beneath low balls.
We use the term "hammer-like to describe Points A and B on our hand as being too much over the same racquet-handle side. Like, A and B are barely, vertically separated, say A is over the top Side 3 and B is over the bottom of Side 3, or even the top of Side 4 - this would be more of a hammer-like grip.
However, if you leave Point A in this spot, and just pivot Point B down towards Side Five, creating more vertical separation between Points A and B, then it is more like we are "shaking hands.
No matter if we use an Eastern Forehand, Semi Western or Full Western, offsetting the knuckles vertically, like the above example, gives us more of a "shake-hands approach" than a "hammer approach." However, the more Western we go, the more Points A and B start to line up.
EASTERN FOREHAND GRIP = Point A Over Top of Side 3 to Middle of Side 3, Point B Over Bottom of Side 4 to Top of Side 5
SEMI WESTERN FOREHAND GRIP = Point A Over Bottom of Side 3 to Side 4, Point B Over Bottom of Side 5 to Top of Side 6
FULL-WESTERN FOREHAND GRIP = Point A Over Bottom Side 4 to Side 5, Point B Over Side Six
The "shake-hands approach" is recommended by RPM Tennis because this way, if our arm is pointing down, so is the racquet head. This approach makes it easier to get our racquet head under the point of contact. Players struggling to get their racquet head beneath the point of contact think they are getting under it because they feel their arm pointing down. The problem is, their hammer-like grip is preventing the racquet head from dropping more effectively.
Beyond gripping the racquet's handle appropriately, a neutral wrist position is essential at the tail end of the backswing. Those novice juniors and weekend warriors who instinctively resist the counter instinctive, low to high swing shape, often tend to cock their wrist up, not only during early preparation, but also during the finish of the backswing. This, like the hammer grip, keeps the racquet head from dropping low enough and also results in a flatter swing path. Although such players seldom miss hit the ball, avoiding the net and keeping the ball in the court becomes overly dependent on finesse and more variable swing speeds.
Also, with respect to this upwardly-cocked wrist position during the backswing, I urge players to view how Andy Murray and Ryan Harrison find a more neutral wrist position at the top of the loop backswing. The longer we wait to drop the wrist position from "cocked-up" to "neutral," the less we simplify the variables. Complications like this last second wrist drop can undermine our attempt to time the point of contact, especially when pressure mounts. For most of us, a loose, flowing wrist through the take back is going to create too many miscalculations and unintended variations of the racquet face, as it moves through the contact zone.
Through and through, RPM Tennis highlights the importance of eliminating techniques that cause such racquet face deviations as it moves through the contact zone.
The first step of the RPM Tennis Topspin Learning Progression, once a player has an appropriate grip and wrist position, is to Exaggerate the low to high swing in an extremely controlled situation.
Exaggeration in a controlled environment is the key to overcoming many counter instinctive challenges in stroke development. Master coaches in gymnastics, ballet, martial arts and other disciplines commonly use this vital approach to overcoming counter-intuitive hurdles.
Here is an the example of how RPM Tennis uses Exaggeration in a controlled environment for overcoming the fear of swinging from low to high in our Topspin Forehand Learning Progression.
1. With the backswing already in an exaggerated low position (a five o'clock position for right handers) the player drops the ball and allows it to bounce all the way up before swinging.
2. With a steady wrist, the player brushes the vertical racquet face/strings up the back of the ball, attempting to contact the balls equator...not the North Pole.
3. The exaggerated swing continues upward, toward the eleven o'clock position. Remember, the only goal here is to make the ball spin forward. We are not so concerned about these drop hits even going over the net. If the ball goes fast, you are not brushing up, but rather driving through, the contact.
The drop hit is the ultimate, controlled situation. After the player succeeds at this, they are eager for step two: hand-fed balls while standing just behind the service line.
The hand feeder must pay particular attention that the feeds have already bounced to the top of the bounce by the time the ball reaches the hitters contact zone. Like the drop hit and the following steps too, it is essential to groove this topspin stroke when contact happens after the ball has reached the top of the bounce. This detail is vital to successfully learning topspin quickly, as well as understanding that heavier topspin, such as we are creating by exaggerating the upward dimension of the stroke, requires a slower moving ball. Before the top of the bounce, the ball is moving faster, not to mention the way it is passing through our contact zone more vertically, rather than horizontally, like it does around the top of the bounce.
Following success behind the service line with the hand tossed balls, the player is moved, little by little toward the baseline.
Gradually, the upward exaggeration becomes less, during this step by step process of backing up to the baseline and hitting hand fed balls from an underhand toss.
Also, for safety, it is vital that the tosser takes care to stand off to the side. This person must remain very alert, so as not to get hit. As you exaggerate less, if you get too level with your swing, just go back to exaggeration for a few shots and then, once again, experiment with gradually adding a little more drive to the stroke. Periodically, each time you return to the court for practicing topspin, it might be necessary to initially exaggerate the vertical dimension in controlled situations, like on your own drop-hit feed or in mini tennis. Little by little, you will become sold on the virtues of topspin.
Using mini tennis to practice topspin should be a huge part of the learning process and the warm up well after you have become comfortable. Topspin in mini tennis requires excellent movement so we can avoid contacting the ball when it is "on the rise." This is one of the biggest reasons players struggle with topspin in a mini tennis warm up - not moving adequately to avoid contact before the top part of the bounce.
Integrating this skill-building progression into fun games for novice and intermediate juniors, as well as weekend warriors, becomes an easy next step for coaches and players to roll into practice routines. All developing players should invest in a basket of practice balls.
Varying our brush/drive ratio during topspin's wide variety of more advanced, situational applications is also vital.
For example, both half volleys and tospin lobs feature topspin; yet, these two shots are at opposite ends of the brush/drive spectrum.
While the topspin lob is on the extreme brush end of the scale; the half volley is on the more driving, flatter end of the scale. Contrasting these polar opposites highlights the variety we need for approaching various situations, all which are essentially topspin shots.
In other words, the brush/drive ratio and how/where our strings contact the ball must match the situation at hand. Repetition within one situation, or scenario, is vital. Then, move onto a different situation, where it becomes necessary to either hit with less brush, or more - yet stick with that situation for a while, assuring you get the reps needed before, again, going onto a different situation with it's correlating brush-drive demands.
These contrasts highlight the degree to which we "cover" the ball at the moment of contact. For the offensive, topspin lob, covering the ball at contact with a closed racquet face makes it impossible to control a topspin lob.
The steeper the swing path/vertical brushing and corresponding contact at the balls equator, such as low mid court balls that have reached the top of the bounce, or topspin lobs from deeper in the court, the more neutral the racquet face should be.
On the other hand, with the half volley, when we are contacting a rising ball, driving through contact with a closed racquet face is exactly what makes it possible to keep from sailing the shot long. This is equally true with balls contacted on the rise around the baseline.
The irony is how our instincts tell us to do the opposite on both of these extreme situations. Even advanced players who struggle with the topspsin lob are often prone to covering the ball too much. Likewise, players who struggle with the testy transitional game and contacting the ball on the rise, like the half volley, are often afraid of the net mistake, so they resist closing the racquet face.
So, whether you are just learning topspin, or experimenting with techniques to help your more advanced applications of this vital skill, exaggerating helps us to overcome counter-instinctive obstacles. In fact, no matter what your skill level, experimenting with the RPM Tennis Topspin Learning Progression, as well as understanding our RPM Tennis Grip Gauge, are sure to better equip you for exploring your potential on the court!
Getting players excited about making the ball spin forward, beginning on day one, is one of many approaches that distinguishes RPM Tennis from traditional approaches to learning tennis.
To light a fire beneath player development in the USA, prioritizing this learning progression's use at the onset of all player development is arguably, more important than all the low compression balls in China!
Without topspin, our tennis can only go so far. On the other hand, topspin enables us to access a whole new dimension of control, variety and consequently, creativity during match play.
Through learning progressions featuring exaggeration exercises and through understanding how to side step common obstacles to beginning our swing from low enough - anyone can quickly experience the beauty of controlled aggression through topspin.
STAGE 2. The Two-Handed Topspin Backhand.
With the two-handed backhand, our top, or non-dominant hand becomes dominant. For this reason, it is vital that this hand has a forehand grip. Meanwhile, the bottom hand has a Continental Grip.
While there is certainly room for individual preferences and deviation, the middle of the road Two-Handed Topspin Backhand Grip is:
Bottom Hand - Point A over Side 2, Point B Over Bottom Side of 3 to top of Side 4
Top Hand - Point A over Top of Side 6 to bottom of Side 7 Point B over Side bottom or top of Side 5
For most players, this grip helps eliminate the temptation to "cock the wrist up." The result is that many players have an easier time dropping their racquet face below the eventual point of contact during the tail-end of their two-handed backhand's take back.
Our learning progression for the backhand skips the drop hit and proceeds directly to underhanded tosses from a practice partner or coach, as the player stands just behind the service line.
Like the Topspin Forehand Learning Progression, we start with our racquet head already at the tail-end of the backswing. For right-handed players, this means we begin with the racquet head pointing down toward seven o'clock.
As the the coach or practice partner stands on the opposite side of the net, they are careful to present the player with feeds that have reached the top o the bounce by the time the ball gets to the player's contact zone.
Meanwhile, beginning with the racquet head at the seven o'clock position, the player Exaggerates the upward direction of the swing towards a one o'clock finish.
The player focuses a steady, vertical racquet face scraping the ball's equator. A slow to medium swing speed makes the timing of this contact easiest. Remember, this steep swing path features a steady, neutral/vertical racquet face that contacts the back/equator of the ball - not the top/North Pole of the ball.
With easy underhanded tosses as described, and with a moderate swing speed, you will experience the feeling of topspin very quickly.
As with the Topspin Forehand Learning Progression, we gradually move back to the baseline. The tosser may need to stand safely, off to the side of the court, on the same side of the net as the player, as they incrementally move the player's hitting spot back to the baseline.
Again, as we get further back in the court with our hitting spot, it will become increasingly tempting to drive the ball with an increasingly level swing. However, the point of this Learning Progression is to develop control via the application of spin.
This requires a bit more of an attitude adjustment for some players than others. No matter where you are on the scale of balancing your control and aggression instincts, we urge you to err on the side of brush, not drive, during the early stages of you game's development. Spin, not velocity; this is our initial goal with forehands and backhands.
MORE DETAILS WILL FOLLOW!!!
