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10 steps to rallying- part 10: goal achieved, players will use the regular ball from now on
Rally with control stroke and the green ball. The marker helps players not to hit too hard.
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10 steps to rallying – Part 7: The control stroke
The players try to use the control stroke to slow down the ball and gain control For this, the coach marks out the terrain with yellow lines: Small court, close to the net.
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10 Steps to Rallying – Part 5: First Challenges
The players stand side by side at the baseline and the coach in front of them at the service-line. The coach throws a foam ball to the students, and the students hit forehand and backhand strokes back to the coach so that he can catch it. This is challenging at the beginning since it requires precision.
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10 steps to rallying – Part 4: Introduction to stroke placement
Now things get dynamic: the students roll a ball back and forth with the racquet one hitting cross court the other down the line using forehands and backhands. The difference between down the line and cross now becomes clear.
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10 Steps to Rallying – Part 3: Do it Right from the Start
From the very beginning, the players should get used to the correct footwork. To do this, the players roll the ball to each other with a forehand motion. Correct posture is also important when hitting from the run. The larger softball is rolled diagonally to the forehand. After hitting, the students move to the middle using side-steps. Important note from the instructor: bend at the knees with the upper body upright (do not bend over).
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10 steps to rallying – part 2: first step towards playing with each other
First: Rolling Tennis: Players get a flavor for rallying with each other by rolling a large foam ball back and forward first forehands then backhands. The players should start by stopping the incoming ball before sending it back. then they should proceed to rolling the ball to each other randomly.
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10 steps to rallying – Part 1: Getting used to the ball
The teenagers roll a large foam ball in a figure 8 pattern, with one hand for the forehand and with 2 hands for the backhand.
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In 10 steps to rallying – Part 8: First rallies
In the next step, the students play with a foam ball back and forth across the net within a marked area. They make sure to hit the ball in front of their body. A marking line helps them to do this.Players try to rally on their own over the net.
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10 steps to rallying – Part 9: Next Step: a change to the orange ball
The students try to set up a rally in the small court with the orange balls. They alternate forehand and backhand if possible. Control strokes are allowed.
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Practice indirect passing shots
A great exercise to practice the indirect passing shot, i.e. the ball in front of the feet of the opponent with maximum speed and topspin.
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Talking about College tennis with Marc Booras
Marc Booras was named head coach for Tulane men’s tennis in 2008 and tasked with rebuilding a program that was discontinued for four years as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then, Booras has orchestrated the program’s improbable return to national prominence as a top-25 team in the country. He has over 150 career wins and coached Dominik Koepfer to number 1 in college tennis.
Edgar Giffenig meets Carl Maes
Edgar met Carl in Charleroi, Belgium at an ITF Junior event where Carl was coaching 13 year old Kim Clisters and Edgar was working for the German National Federation. They have been friends ever since and sat down to talk tennis at the PTR’s California Symposium in 2022.