How To Teach Kids Tennis (Ep 1) - The Serve

[@TheWinezen]

Thank you for sharing your incredibly simple yet important progression teaching techniques. Best coaching tips for kids I have seen in a long time.

[@ewbcastillo]

Wow! This is the most helpful tennis serve tutorial i've encountered so far. Teaching the serve by progression. Keep up the good work, sir!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks so much!!

[@johnyeung7643]

The middle progression is very similar to the way Rod Laver used to serve with a short take back. The last one is closer to Sampras

[@tigrankurdiyan2809]

Thanks for the great videos. When I was 8 and learning to serve the coaches broke it down into 3 components, which were slightly different from the ones suggested here. First the “hello sun” or “spread the wings” where you raise both arms outstretched over shoulder level pointing in opposite directions. Second, drop the dominant arm with the racquet behind your back, simultaneously bending the knees. Third, the “whip”: “throw” the racquet up from its position behind your back propelling your body forward. Despite the fact that gave me a solid serve, I am teaching my six year old daughter using what I think is the more natural method which is really the ball striking, overhead element first. Thus she loves hitting overheads with live ball and can feed the ball to hit her own overhead and it is just a short transition from there to a fully fledged serve. Which is the method being taught in this video.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for your interesting insight, it sounds like some of the phrases you were taught as a child were nice visual ways for you to understand the shapes, but agree that your daughter gain more from live ball feeds and games based skill acquisition! Thanks for your great comments!

[@francoisguyvignon]

Watching this it occurs to me that the introduction of KZbin is as disruptive and civilization-changing as the invention of writing. Basically a way to store and spread knowledge and ensure it is passed to future generations. ust that humans being visual, this is a much more effective medium. Congrats and thanks on the really nice videos and thanks to the creators of KZbin, who deserve a Nobel prize.

[@TheTennisMentor]

KZbin is an incredible platform! Lockdown has allowed me more time to explore it and learn to create content and I’ve enjoyed it a lot! Putting videos online allows me to help way more people than I would ever be able to help face to face!!

[@the_vine_queen]

Thanks for this! I'm a new coach with a small group of kids ages 8-12 with little to no tennis experience. I'm trying to develop ways that kids will learn the basics of serving but still enjoy it, so the fun names of the progressions help! I usually include a portion to help them learn how to toss with their non-dominant hand, then I teach them a modified swing where they start with their racket already drawn back, before including the full leadup.

[@tennisparisbrothers8001]

Great to see you helping other coaches coaching the younger generation!!!

[@tennisparisbrothers8001]

Also I spotted you made a new logo or are we wrong 😂

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks bro’s!

[@kristinlake715]

I use this exact progression with my students. Thank you so much

[@michaelaguilar1194]

this video is very helpful. i teach 2 kids at d age of 4 to 5years old. and there doing good now. thanks coach

[@TheTennisMentor]

Amazing, that’s great to hear!!🎾🎾

[@jashasan5909]

Well done TM..🎉

[@webtennis24]

That is a very good serve progression, and I would add one mention: kids (and not only) will have a hard time with the toss in the beginning. That's why spend a bit more time on toss drills, first. Other than that, great job, coach!! 😊

[@frankg846]

I started teaching my 7 year old serve in the house, I will incorporate the L serve, only that with the small space indoors it is hard. Thank you, it was very helpful

[@TheTennisMentor]

A good way to practice the serve indoors is with cap. Hold the peak of a baseball cap in your hitting hand, toss the ball up and catch the ball in the cap with an overarm serve action. It’s good for ball toss placement and throwing action with the dominant hand (without breaking any windows!)

[@frankg846]

@@TheTennisMentor sure, sounds like a great tip, will try it and let you know. Thank you.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Also, try the sock exercise from this video...kzbin.info/www/bejne/f326iKmvp6mKmdE

[@frankg846]

@@TheTennisMentor oh these great creative way to gain fluidity for serve, even though to kids you have to be patient with them.

[@solomon777100]

thanks so much for posting this. It's been very helpful in giving me ideas in how to guide my children through the first years in the game.

[@gsgleason]

Content starts at 2:47

[@marleiserashford396]

Thank you. So simple

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks Marleise!

[@peterahern4967]

Great video! You said your club has an ITF veterans even? Is it situated in surrey? I'd love to play in this!!

[@nlitenmusic3526]

How do you explain the progress from the Pop and Push to the L serve? The amount of movement has increased significantly between those two activities adding that racket drop and extension action

[@lefteyee]

Thank you!

[@ineszouabi201]

Great stuff! Should all these progressions be shown in one lesson?

[@TheTennisMentor]

No, I’d usually develop one until they’re able to consistently achieve on the move, but… progress through if they’re finding them easy!

[@ianallen8030]

Very helpful tips.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for watching Ian!

[@lostsha]

Thanks. Watching this as a coach. I read that it’s better not to split the serve motion for kids. They learn faster when see the full motion and just repeat the way they can. What do you think?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I totally agree with this concept for older or more experiences juniors and I try to work with the full action where possible. However, there are so many elements to the serve that make it difficult for young children to achieve all at once. Progressing through these exercises can create success and confidence early on, giving them a better chance of enjoying tennis and improving! The key is to set the challenge at the appropriate level… once they can achieve the skill, progress!

[@Breeannful]

Very helpful!!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for checking it out Brenda!! I hope you found some of the other videos in the series useful too?

[@Popieldavid2]

Good job. Nice to see someone doing this.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@laineybrown107]

This is super helpful thanks!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for watching, glad you found it useful! Let me know if you have any other ideas for future content 🎾

[@anteskracic2404]

i had a session with my 5 and a half year old, she just learned the L letter, so we finished with an L shape, only to continue, for her it was like a treasure hunt at the end, thanks a lot

[@TheTennisMentor]

So pleased that you gave it a go and that it went well!

[@jiem6952]

Thank you!

[@TheTennisMentor]

You’re welcome!!

[@Mikaflyd]

Would love to see this in action with kids

[@TheTennisMentor]

Let me know if you’re watching this as a coach, player or parent?

[@ChipRoberson]

Watching as a (grand)parent of a soon-to-be 9yo who wants to learn tennis.

[@TheTennisMentor]

@@ChipRoberson Thanks for checking out the video Chip! These progressions will be a great place to start. Let me know how you get on!

[@ChipRoberson]

@@TheTennisMentor Will do. We start next week, weather permitting. I haven't played in 30 years, so I have to shake off a lot of rust and unlearn some bad habits. Teaching her will help me. Thanks. Like your attitude and approach. First video was edited well.

[@kaitime7078]

Watching as a parent of a 7 year old who is in love with tennis. Thanks for these videos!

[@TheTennisMentor]

@@kaitime7078 so pleased you’ve found my videos, thanks for watching and good luck with your 7 year old!🎾

[@TomAllsopp]

Good stuff mate. I see so many Idiots getting kids to use continental before they can control the racket and ball.

[@nathanmiller6051]

👍❤️

[@bah9681]

This doesn't seem to work because this doesn't show how to get into the hairbrush position and that is the hardest part. I would like to see a progression for that or to start in the hairbrush position.

[@TheTennisMentor]

You make a good point… these progressions are very basic. If the player plays other sports and has a good throw, they will generally swing with a good motion. If they struggle, this is when you can add in other variations to guide them towards the right swing.

[@gybx4094]

OK, so you're using a child's racket. Why can't an elderly person use a child's lightweight short racket, especially if they want to play along with their grandchildren? Or suppose a person is over 60 just learning non-competitive tennis. Why can't they use the short 19" tennis racket that's more like the racket ball size? Tennis seems very exclusive rather than inclusive.

[@TheTennisMentor]

You can use whatever racket size you want! We often use low compression balls with beginners or players coming back from injury. A 19 inch racket wouldn’t help an adult as it would be too short and flimsy, but you can get super lightweight rackets with a big head!

[@TheTennisMentor]

You can use whatever racket size you want! We often use low compression balls with beginners or players coming back from injury. A 19 inch racket wouldn’t help an adult as it would be too short and flimsy, but you can get super lightweight rackets with a big head!

[@idcharles3739]

That's not pushing. Very confusing.

[@direwolf525]

terrible way to teach serve especially since you told your kid to use semi-western to serve first then you tell them to use chopper grip.. they will end up getting confuse