opened r. face on FH

[Tomek_Pl]

When I'm teaching kids how to play tennis, from time to time, there is a kid that no matter what I say, show, do, opens racquet face on FH and slices the ball. If I throw him a ball everything is ok, but when he gets some balls from the basket the problem comes back. It's pretty frustrating for me, because I see the problem and he doesn't at all. He thinks that he is playing flat or even with some topspin... The kid that I teach now is about 11 years and learns tennis maybe for 3. Really hard case...
What can I do? He attends group lessons and I can't give him as much time as he needs...

[Jon Hampton]

I'd have a sit down with him sometime on a water break and explain to him the physics of the game. I once had a cute tennis ball with a large, plastic, carrot nose on it to explain to kids how topspin works: you brush up on the ball so the nose goes up...this makes Mr. Tennis Ball happy...when you brush down on the ball, it makes the nose go done...this makes Mr. Tennis ball sad.

For my students, this works because they actually want to make the tennis ball happy, ironically enough.

[Geezer Guy]

Maybe video-tape him when he's doing it well, and when he's doing it wrong. Then point out the differences.

[Tomek_Pl]

He understands this things but he just doesn't apply the knowledge when he gets faster ball.

[kevhen]

Forehand slice works at the 4.0 level but not much higher. Opponents often have the sad face when they see all the slice coming their way. I still plan to hit forehand slice on approach shots and low balls as I move to 4.5.

[Tomek_Pl]

but you are concious of it... You decide to hit slice, he doesn't.
When everything is very slow, he can generate topspin and underspin on concious level. With just a little more speed he has only one option. He thinks that he is conciously playing flat or with some topspin, but he is wrong. I guess I have to patienly wait for him to make progress, but what about other kids in the same group?

[paulfreda]

Video tape is a great idea. Once he sees himself he can make corrections.

Have you tried not allowing him to raise the racquet above his waist on the bkswing ?
Feed him balls where he must start the swing with the racquet almost touching the ground.