RPT Spanish Training Model

[dominikk1985]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Does the RPT Model have a special section on teaching how to get injured like Nadal?

nadal is not a product of the spanish system. the spanish "headquarter" is in barcelona while nadal is from mallorca.

[Ash_Smith]

^^^Nadal is a product of the "spanish system" insofar as Toni Colom, Francis Roig, Jofre Porta and even Toni Nadal are all RPT certified coaches.

If you are referring to "system" in the sense of the NGB, no spanish players are a product because RFET don't have a mission to produce players - they don't have the budget for it for one thing. There is a national academy, but in general they are picking up the 7th 8th 9th etc rated players as the top players have so many elite level coaches to choose from.

[Costagirl]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

Luis is a legend, the passion the man has is infectious! Was chatting to him last weekend about the state of tennis in britain and spain. He believes the Spanish Federation need to make changes now or in 8 years or so after the current crop of players retire they will have no top players. At least they will be changing in a position of strength unlike britain and the US who will be working from a position of relative weakness.

The reason the RPT system of teaching works so well is that nearly all spanish coaches are trained by the RPT so there is a unified and cohesive approach. In the UK there is the LTA coach education - (which from the courses i've done is more concerned about how you look and sound rather than giving you the technical tools to teach), the PTR-UK (who don't count really) and the RPT (we are growing rapidly!). Most UK coaches have been through LTA Coach Ed, which has no system for teaching as such.

The irony is the rest of the world are just catching on to the "Spanish" (RPT) system when they are about to develop it to move it forward for the next generation.

Internet High 5 Ash!

[Costagirl]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

^^^Nadal is a product of the "spanish system" insofar as Toni Colom, Francis Roig, Jofre Porta and even Toni Nadal are all RPT certified coaches.

If you are referring to "system" in the sense of the NGB, no spanish players are a product because RFET don't have a mission to produce players - they don't have the budget for it for one thing. There is a national academy, but in general they are picking up the 7th 8th 9th etc rated players as the top players have so many elite level coaches to choose from.

This man is 100% correct about this!
Ash I work with Porta in Mallorca...I didn't know of Francis Roig?

But question for you...do you know anything of Pro AB in Barcelona in terms of reputation?

[Ash_Smith]

Hey Costagirl!

Jofre is, to use a term which is often over-used, a Legend!

Francis is at BTT, he now travels with Rafa about 12 weeks per year and has worked with Lopez and Costa in the past. Great guy, i've had the privilege to spend some court time with him before.

Pro AB i don't know much about I'm afraid.

cheers

[tennis_balla]

The Spanish play very very good tennis, no?

[AbsoluTennis]

i cant watch these vids...
can u post a link that works

thx

[tennis_balla]

Originally Posted by AbsoluTennis

i cant watch these vids...
can u post a link that works

thx

If you read through the thread, you can see what happened. USPTA had Youtube remove the videos from my YT account and I received a warning for posting copyrighted material. So I won't be reposting it anywhere. In earlier pages I posted where you can purchase the video yourself, which is definitely worth it.

[T-T-T]

Here is a video of the type of spanish style drills the coaches in spain do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt4EGRHczlA

I trained in spain many times and I can tell you that the main thing the spanish coaches focus on is footwork (movement)
They don't give much technical help but they will drill you until you die and then some

[allenkau]

Originally Posted by tennis_balla

If you read through the thread, you can see what happened. USPTA had Youtube remove the videos from my YT account and I received a warning for posting copyrighted material. So I won't be reposting it anywhere. In earlier pages I posted where you can purchase the video yourself, which is definitely worth it.

hey... Found this thread from your posting in my junior thread. Regarding YT, How about Google Video? How about dropbox?

Anyways, I think I need to purchase these 2 videos. They sound good and useful.

[Ash_Smith]

^^^Yeah, or how about respecting the copyright holder and just buying the DVD's rather than trying to make Balla a pirate!

[tennis_balla]

Arrrrr!!!!

[tennis_balla]

I recently spent roughly $80 (after shipping and socialist European taxes) to order a video off the USPTA site. Got the 16-Second Cure by Dr. Jim Loehr DVD. Good stuff, its a video I used to own as a kid and learned a lot off of. I ended up getting the Spanish Training Model DVD from someone back in 2009. I posted parts of the DVD on YT to be able to make this thread and post here for educational purposed. USPTA didn't see it that way and I respect that, even though this thread ended up giving them extra customers. Almost got my account suspended.
The stuff I do for TTW

[julian]

Originally Posted by tennis_balla

Arrrrr!!!!

Are you referring to post #269?

[raging]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

^^^Nadal is a product of the "spanish system" insofar as Toni Colom, Francis Roig, Jofre Porta and even Toni Nadal are all RPT certified coaches.

If you are referring to "system" in the sense of the NGB, no spanish players are a product because RFET don't have a mission to produce players - they don't have the budget for it for one thing. There is a national academy, but in general they are picking up the 7th 8th 9th etc rated players as the top players have so many elite level coaches to choose from.

This is probably a reason they have been so successful:
In Spain they have created a Tournament structure, built a National Academy but left the top players with their individual players.
They are not trying to create a self serving performance system like the LTA
& other National Associations.

Interesting that Australia has finally got a Pro Tour together and that will create a base of players from 130-250ATP.
The boys are all in Mexico meeting with mixed success but as Johnny Millman says... you start to build a culture.

I agree on your view of RPT, realise you have a vested interest as a member/tutor, while still working for the LTA!
I will be moonlighting at a few conferences this year...
Don't know if I am ready to go over to "The Dark Side".
LTA definitely can't offer any more on the technical side.
I am not saying they don't have coaches that can offer this, just that it is not offered as a course.

[tennis_balla]

Originally Posted by julian

Are you referring to post #269?

Nope, referring to Ash saying I'm not a pirate, thought that was obvious.

[Ash_Smith]

Originally Posted by raging

I agree on your view of RPT, realise you have a vested interest as a member/tutor, while still working for the LTA!
I will be moonlighting at a few conferences this year...
Don't know if I am ready to go over to "The Dark Side".
LTA definitely can't offer any more on the technical side.
I am not saying they don't have coaches that can offer this, just that it is not offered as a course.

Hey Raging - yes I was heavily involved with the RPT for many years before taking my new role, however I no longer tutor their courses on a regular basis (although I did present at the RPT conference and will hopefully do so again). I think the coach education landscape has shifted in the UK since I have been involved with the RPT, whilst previously there probably was and "US" vs "Them" mentality (the Dark Side as you call it!), now there are many coach ed providers offering the core Level 1, 2 and 3 courses with their own particular flavour. The RPT CPD courses are probably still more technically focussed across the board, but there are excellent technical courses from others too, like Evolve 9 or the LTA's 10u course etc. For me, the very best coaches will take all the opportunities for learning they can and put provider bias to one side.

There is also the Wheelchair Tennis One Day course, which is undoubtedly the best CPD course available anywhere in the world (but of course here I am really biased )

cheers

[raging]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

Hey Raging - yes I was heavily involved with the RPT for many years before taking my new role, however I no longer tutor their courses on a regular basis (although I did present at the RPT conference and will hopefully do so again). I think the coach education landscape has shifted in the UK since I have been involved with the RPT, whilst previously there probably was and "US" vs "Them" mentality (the Dark Side as you call it!), now there are many coach ed providers offering the core Level 1, 2 and 3 courses with their own particular flavour. The RPT CPD courses are probably still more technically focussed across the board, but there are excellent technical courses from others too, like Evolve 9 or the LTA's 10u course etc. For me, the very best coaches will take all the opportunities for learning they can and put provider bias to one side.

There is also the Wheelchair Tennis One Day course, which is undoubtedly the best CPD course available anywhere in the world (but of course here I am really biased )

cheers

Agreed on that - I think anyone would be a fool not to benefit from any information being offered.

If you are working/coaching in a country then it is best to know the system that is being taught. If only so you can better help your players work within that system.

I was joking about "The Dark Side". Any information exchange that leads to new ideas or even a new way of looking at teaching in a different way has to be beneficial to both student & teacher. RPT interested me initially because I worked in Spain in the early 80s, went back to Australia to do their coaching levels and then went on later to do Coaching Licenses & extended work in Germany.
The RPT?Spanish system evolved a bit later but a lot of coaches in Spain were operating with hand feeding even back in 1983. I was very much an out of the basket/drill type coach then & that opened my eyes to:

a) controlled hand feeding/footwork patterns

b) up close & personal (I didn't have to shout my message from the other side of the net, I could whisper it). As the student "bought into it/got it", I could move further away, eventually over the other side of the net.

c) when the student really had the movement & swing pattern down I could progress to a more open rallying situation.

It was this progression that I found good for both myself & my students, especially if they had problems initially with complex movement patterns involving the hand/eyes/feet.

Good Luck with your work in this area: actually I am sure that the UK is starting to lead a bit in wheelchair tennis but with esther vergeer now coaching?? It could get interesting in holland (if it wasn't already).


I may even look at the LTA Wheelchair course, ran out of time last summer with coaching committments & had so many credits for licensing that I could have sold them twice on the blackmarket!

[allenkau]

Got all 3 videos in the mail.

They were great. I used some of the hand fed ones today with my 11yr old (About 150 balls) and then had him practice his serve (same 150 balls).

Went to an rally type game and saw improvements IMMEDIATELY in his footwork.

Being able to not have to talk (YELL) across the court is a KEY. He was much happier. I was much happier. THANK YOU to this forum.