Advise for improving ground strokes for 7 year old

[schang70]

Here is a video of my 7 year old daughter hitting ground strokes in her group class. She has been taking group lessons since March of this year. What advise do you have so she can improve her strokes? To me she leans backwards slightly when hitting her forehand. Her stance on her backhand is too open. Also, I think she just needs to improve her overall athletic ability and coordination. I am only a 3.5/4.0 player so I am not an expert.

http://youtu.be/_vazC2plEGQ

[TCF]

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[schang70]

Thanks TCF. I do hand feed her up close myself several times a week in addition to her group lesson. I just don't have any experience coaching a Junior player thus my posting on this forum. I am trying real hard to get her fundamentals correct, so I will try those tips you mentioned.

Thing is the club where she is taking her group lessons is considered prestigious around here with several top juniors training there. Her coach last week told me she was ready for the next level which uses the green dot ball. I took his world for it, but I knew there was something not right about her technique. Thanks again for point out the flaws.

[widmerpool]

Originally Posted by schang70

Her coach last week told me she was ready for the next level which uses the green dot ball. I took his world for it, but I knew there was something not right about her technique. Thanks again for point out the flaws.

Ready for the green dot? I know people here are obsessed with giving toddlers 14oz racquets and using regular balls, but it looks like orange would be fine for her right now.

I like her BH. She's just not stroking her FH. Doing that folded arm "hinged door" movement. I'll defer to the experts on tips for her FH. For my son, it helps to do a unit turn with the left hand taking the racquet back on the FH.

[schang70]

Originally Posted by widmerpool

Ready for the green dot? I know people here are obsessed with giving toddlers 14oz racquets and using regular balls, but it looks like orange would be fine for her right now.

I like her BH. She's just not stroking her FH. Doing that folded arm "hinged door" movement. I'll defer to the experts on tips for her FH. For my son, it helps to do a unit turn with the left hand taking the racquet back on the FH.

Her backhand is definitely better than her forehand right now. That's what I am trying to do right now, improve her technique on her forehand side using advice on this forum, hold racket with left hand, unit turn, elbow leading the take back, and follow through. I've been feeding her balls a few times a week in addition to her group class, but it's difficult to get court time here up north. I'll post a new video in a couple months hopefully with improved technique.

[LeeD]

She's facing lots of chest high balls, and will face higher balls in the near future. Stronger grip would help. Strong SW especially.
On the backhand, conventional thought is closed stance, old school oft hand forehand technique.
Maybe wait a little while before closing her stance, as modern lefty technique is open stanced.

[julian]

Originally Posted by LeeD

She's facing lots of chest high balls, and will face higher balls in the near future. Stronger grip would help. Strong SW especially.
On the backhand, conventional thought is closed stance, old school oft hand forehand technique.
Maybe wait a little while before closing her stance, as modern lefty technique is open stanced.

The basic question here is whether the coach running a lesson
suggested any specific stance for backhand or "we are just hitting a ball"

[TCF]

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[schang70]

Correct, she did the open stance on backhand side on her own, though almost all beginners I've seen hit backhand with closed stance. There is a top coach there and he probably coaches those juniors I mentioned. My daughter is only 7, and I was going to wait another year before I shell out the big bucks for privates.

Originally Posted by TCF

Ha, yeah Julian, thats no doubt a just hit the ball over that netty thing guy. Those kids would not have a concept of open, semi, closed stances.

I think the OP will have to supplement his own lessons/private lessons if he wants her to develop the fundamentals properly. Sounds like that is what he is going to do.

I would guess the top kids he talked about that train there had other coaching on the side as they developed.

[julian]

Originally Posted by LeeD

She's facing lots of chest high balls, and will face higher balls in the near future. Stronger grip would help. Strong SW especially.
On the backhand, conventional thought is closed stance, old school oft hand forehand technique.
Maybe wait a little while before closing her stance, as modern lefty technique is open stanced.

Your quote "as modern lefty technique is open stanced." not clear.
Are you talking about backhand or forehand?

[schang70]

So you think semi-western is OK for a child at this age? I always thought that beginners should stick with the shake hand grip until they are more advanced. I like the idea of the modern open stance lefty technique for quicker recovery and more power, but I didn't know whether that was OK for a young kid starting out.

Originally Posted by LeeD

She's facing lots of chest high balls, and will face higher balls in the near future. Stronger grip would help. Strong SW especially.
On the backhand, conventional thought is closed stance, old school oft hand forehand technique.
Maybe wait a little while before closing her stance, as modern lefty technique is open stanced.

[TCF]

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[LeeD]

She hits her 2hbh like a lefty forehand, but with open stance. I think she needs a bigger grip change to a stronger grip, and hit with the stance she naturally likes.
She's short, will face plenty of high balls until she grows. A stronger grip on both sides would help. Grip looks E to me, both sides, great for taller players, tough for shorter players.