Individual Practice Plans

During the USHSTA Coaches Workshop held this past February, 48 coaches from around the country were asked if they worked with each player before the season to develop individual goals for the season. As shocking as it may sound, only one coach raised his hand!

If you are not meeting with each player and putting together a personal list of goals and strategies to achieve them, you are short-changing your players and your program. While there’s no “I” in team, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and making sure that each player is working to be his or her best can only benefit the entire team.

Personal goals also help players keep excited about coming to practice, as they see how each practice benefits them and helps them get closer to their goals. Goals can cover fitness, strokes, strategies, psychology and performance.

Fitness
Use the USTA’s Fitness Protocols to test your players at the beginning of the season. Set goals for each player based on their need to increase speed, agility, flexibility, vertical leap, etc. Weight and conditioning (cardiovascular) goals are also helpful.

Do you have a player who cramps? Is one of your players out of breath by the second set? Discuss with each player his or her physical strengths and weaknesses and set goals to improve them.

Strokes
Discuss with each player the strongest and weakest parts of is or her game. Set goals to improve at least one stroke, with measurements to evaluate improvement (e.g., percentage of first serves in; grip change; number of balls out of 10 a player can hit three-quarters deep; speed of serve measured by a radar gun; ability to bounce overheads over the fence; etc.). Don’t overload a player by setting goals for every stroke. Their goals may be making a strong stroke even better, or turning a consistent shot into a weapon.

Strategies
Do your players try to end every point by the third shot? Do they hit every ball down the middle and deep, regardless of who they’re playing. Do they try to pass an oncoming player with the first ball, instead of using the first ball as a set-up (see the Passing Shot drill)? Discuss with your player their style of play, and what types of strategies they’ll need to play that way. Discuss what shots and shots combinations they’ll need to effect these strategies. Finally, examine what type of mechanics are necessary to make these shots and you’ll be able to set realistic, measurable and attainable goals for improving strategies.

Psychology
Do you have a player who double faults big points? Do any of your players swear, scream or throw their racquets? Do you have a player who chokes when she’s ahead, rather than behind? Do your best players fall apart when they play pushers?

Meet with each player to discuss what types of playing situations put the most pressure on them, and which they enjoy the least. Set up strategies to deal with and overcome these problems, and practice them before matches.

Performance
Performance goals can include seasonal match won/lost records; number of sets one; learning to break serve at least once each set; never losing a game led by 40-love or 40-15; not double faulting more than twice each set; earning a state ranking; moving from #6 singles to #4 singles; etc.

Working on conditioning, strokes, strategies and mental toughness are only fun and rewarding if they help players perform better. These goals should all be set based on how they help a player achieve his or her performance goals.

Summary
Sitting down with each individual player is not that time-consuming, and offers tremendous rewards to the player, the coach and the entire program.