How to train a child to become a world class player...
- Thread starter Tom C
- Start date
BullDogTennis
Hall of Fame
well first off you have to make sure tennis is fun for them, and maybe get them in a clinic with a bunch of other kids. when they really enjoy playing you get them a coach, and get them to fine tune there technique. but you have to make sure there having fun or they'll just quit.
thats how id start them until they had the basics then enter them into some tournaments.
whats your idea?
thats how id start them until they had the basics then enter them into some tournaments.
whats your idea?
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
1. Age 2-8, teach them to love moving. Teach them to throw properly (girls too), run properly, jump and land properly, eat properly. Let them play, and I mean play, every sport possible. Don't get caught up in the soccer travel team nonsense at that age.
2. Age 9-12, what do they love? You can try to get them to love tennis. Take them to top junior tournaments. Show the girls the cool outfits. Let them hear your passion for tennis. They should continue to play several sports. IF they grow to love tennis, then you have a shot at least. If they are playing more tennis than any other sport, you have a shot.
3. If they show the love of tennis AND the talent in the 9-12 age range, go international if possible. You want world class, they must play kids from around the world.
We are lucky, many of them come here to train. Florida, Texas, CA, take your pick, you can find training centers with kids from around the world.
You do these things you have a shot, a long shot, but your at least in the game.
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tenniscrazed
Guest
Fitness, footwork, explosive speed, anticipation skills. Then stroke production (top, slice, drop, serve, return, volley, overheads), then tactical when to use the weaponry and when to let the opponent implode.
Great thread.
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
Good question, and the answer may be nothing in common. Three very different backgrounds.
Quinzi and Vickery...too young to say where they will go.
Tomic, in a league of his own. Winning the ITF under 18s when he was barely 13. He just has 'it', opportunity, athletic ability, mental toughness.
BradBaughman
Banned
starts at the house ,young, teach them to clean there rooms (spotless) ,clean up after there eating times,take the trash out, if there small, help them and even make that (trash) something that needs to be done with expertice ,they are to listen to mom she's never to questioned but highly respected.
what ever they put threre hand to should been encouraged and enforced to be done at there highest ability,and should be rewarded with affection not money or monitary items, hugs and kisses ,yes from dad not always mom ,i given you the ground work for starting the developement of a champion .
as for the the tennis skills thats the easy part!!
what ever they put threre hand to should been encouraged and enforced to be done at there highest ability,and should be rewarded with affection not money or monitary items, hugs and kisses ,yes from dad not always mom ,i given you the ground work for starting the developement of a champion .
as for the the tennis skills thats the easy part!!
GameSetNavritilova
New User
3 Step Program:
Step 1: For 3 months, track every penny that you spend on tennis.
Step 2: Take 1/2 of that money and invest an equal amount in private tutoring, charm school, etc...
Step 3: Ten years from now send me a thank you.
It's all in good fun. In other words, don't bet the farm on tennis.
Step 1: For 3 months, track every penny that you spend on tennis.
Step 2: Take 1/2 of that money and invest an equal amount in private tutoring, charm school, etc...
Step 3: Ten years from now send me a thank you.
It's all in good fun. In other words, don't bet the farm on tennis.
BradBaughman
Banned
tom we have a girl staying with us right now from the wta tour she has been watching our every move in the house, cause the court time is so intence she told me last night after watching the boy train off court that his work ethic is unbelievable and ask me how we got him this way ,i told her the "above" then she saw me ask deiton for a hug and i gave him a kiss on his cheek, told him we were done. she said she never would have imagined. everything motivated by love. yes there is a soft side of me to you who know me at the tourny's
anyone who wants there kid to rise to the top must trust and know there parents love them!!
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tenniscrazed
Guest
Dude everything isn't about you or your kid. Where is Ryan Thatchers dad. Why isn't he on this board. Or Coco Vandegweis parents, touting this or that or this. Wait then there is Vania King heaven knows who else. To that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAsKvryGUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAsKvryGUA
BradBaughman
Banned
yes everything is about my kid i love him and he's and exceptional player that drives guys like you (nothing to show) NUTS , your the kind that cant produce anything with all your so called knowledge. happen to talk to thachers dad quite a bit at tourny's and now that ryan's driving his dads kicking it a little more ,
just was talking with ryan on sat and ryan show the utmost respect to deiton obviously, ryans no dummie and can spot talent and give props were needed they train quite a bit next to each-other on the courts in carson
your just a discruntled parent who has spent a lot on lessons and some thing tells me your kids been on the other end of the court against deit.sorry about the outcome!!!
BradBaughman
Banned
sorry to the rest of you sidetract by an ******* back to the subject !!!
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tenniscrazed
Guest
Lessons on what, tennis? It's a game with a fuzzy yellow ball and a bunch of white lines. Now had I sent him to Med school that might be a little different.
So the answer to your first question is a resounding NO.
Don't be sorry, the matches haven't happened yet.
BradBaughman
Banned
over-all the main ingredient for a world -class athelete is a tremendous work ethic and dicipline
Hey BB: I've read some of your post and I usually think that you're such an BS idiot but now this puts you in a different light ... I hope and wish you all the luck and success with Deit and I'll be watching him more closely in the future... KEEP IT REAL ... and the world is the limit....
Moz
Hall of Fame
You write as if it's gospel but you should add a disclaimer that you've never actually trained a world class player and you are essentially guessing it's the right way. However, good luck to you. If you are bringing up a polite and successful kid you are already achieving what the majority don't.
BullDogTennis
Hall of Fame
well what he's doing is training his kid to be successful at life. if he goes pro at tennis thats just an added bonus to the way he raised his kid
Moz
Hall of Fame
True, and I'm sure there is a thread entitled "How to train a child to become a world class person" somewhere on the forum.
BullDogTennis
Hall of Fame
probably so...but look at the odds theres like a 1/1000 chance he'll go pro in tennis, so whats left? the real world.
it reminds me of the NCAA comercial. "theres XXX amount of ncaa athletes, and the majority will go pro in somethin rother than sports
but back on topic...anyone else have any good "ideas" on how to get a little kid to be a world class player ?
it reminds me of the NCAA comercial. "theres XXX amount of ncaa athletes, and the majority will go pro in somethin rother than sports
but back on topic...anyone else have any good "ideas" on how to get a little kid to be a world class player ?
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tenniscrazed
Guest
1 in 1000.... I think the numbers are more like 1 in 500,000 or more.... ok here it is... BB's kid is not even #1 yet in own age group in SoCal ,and then that leaves the Calif and then the west coast...and then there is the USA and then that leave the other 14,16,18 players in USA then there are those in kids in the rest of the other countries... that's not mentioning if the kid get's hurt along the way ..or falls off the carrot truck(mental case) Now ,look at those numbers and see how many pros are even from USA that are making a living in ATP ...there are only 3 Americans in the top 50 right now.... and look at how long they have been around and see if they are even going to stay there... there can only be 1 #1 ,it's not like pro football or baseball or the other team sports .. a person can still make tons of $$$ not being the best....as long as he is the best on his team or ??? they can still be super sucessful..ie: A-rod,KG,ect..,ect...Tennis is just too hard to do that... Borg is broke and look at what a great champion he was... So 'good luck' is a undrstatement ,but we all have to have dreams... so let him dream on... you never know,look at the Williams sisters.... the best ... dream on BB and all you other dads and moms and kids, make it real....but please leave yourself a safty net and get some education(main course) with those 'french fries'..you know what I mean..
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
I attended a seminar at the new Sanchez-Casal academy in Naples, FL a few weeks ago. That system, based in Spain, has trained several current pro players.
Emilio Sanchez Vicario was asked what separates the pro men's players from the rest. He said, "the legs, you can see muscle development in the legs by age 7-8. You can see the calfs. You can see the explosiveness. You can see the fast feet. If it is not there at 7-8, I have never seen it develop later. You can improve on it as boys age, but the muscle fibers have to be there as little guys. Lots of boys can hit very well, especially the bigger and taller kids, but it is the legs that decide who makes it on the pro tour".
Not pointing any specific kids out...however does anyone see world class legs and feet on the players most often mentioned on this forum?
We have discussed on this thread how to train a kid to be world class. However the physical raw materials have to be there first. With the boys it is the legs. If your boy has slow plodding feet or scrawny twigs with little muscle tone, he will not be a pro player. Thats the brutal but honest reality.
Unfortunately I think we have some parents on this forum that might be confusing the ability to hit well with pro potential.
Emilio Sanchez Vicario was asked what separates the pro men's players from the rest. He said, "the legs, you can see muscle development in the legs by age 7-8. You can see the calfs. You can see the explosiveness. You can see the fast feet. If it is not there at 7-8, I have never seen it develop later. You can improve on it as boys age, but the muscle fibers have to be there as little guys. Lots of boys can hit very well, especially the bigger and taller kids, but it is the legs that decide who makes it on the pro tour".
Not pointing any specific kids out...however does anyone see world class legs and feet on the players most often mentioned on this forum?
We have discussed on this thread how to train a kid to be world class. However the physical raw materials have to be there first. With the boys it is the legs. If your boy has slow plodding feet or scrawny twigs with little muscle tone, he will not be a pro player. Thats the brutal but honest reality.
Unfortunately I think we have some parents on this forum that might be confusing the ability to hit well with pro potential.
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Hmmm, I guess you can say it's an component, a major component, but is it the most important or the end of all ends? Physical raw skills? What about mental skills? You see Nadal, Fed, Henin, William Sisters and you have a combination of skills. Did the Communist countries of the 70's perform tests on children to see what sport they would be good at? It worked for them...
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
Tom, he was talking specifically about what it takes to make in in today's men's pro game. He was saying elite legs are a mandatory starting point, but still don't guarantee anything.
If a boy has the legs, he has a chance. Then the mental skills further separate the players in this group from the rest.
GameSetNavritilova
New User
The best chance you can give your kid is in the classroom. The tennis thang probably ain't gonna happen for the vast majority. Practice hard, study harder.
BradBaughman
Banned
are you not the idiot that said my kid would be out in the 1st round of the winter nationals and out of 128 draw he was one of 16 left unseeded
as for hijacking this thread i give a thought on what it takes to build a world class player and every year he's getting better and better and rising through the ranks i have the proof!!! you throw out something about explosive footwork ,
tell us your kids named and his accomplishments, what i say i have the proof to back it, you just talk your what we call "hot air"
im an expert on the subject !!!
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BradBaughman
Banned
i hear everyone on hear quoting this and that on how its done ,Lansthorp says this macci says that and nick says something also then i see all the worthless satistics. and then this subject(thread) about how to build a world class player and the tone has been about kids ,
yet you guys slam silva about his plan that he's nuts and wrong yet you guys are all trying to predict how its done on this thread!! a bunch of hypoctrites you are!! the only one not guilty is tomc he just threw it out and every one bit on this subject , im the only one who pointed off court to get it done and i have a boy on court proving it ! tenniscraze get over it deitons world class and for the rest of you let me say it loud and clear when it comes to how its done its not rocket science its pretty easy stuff !
BradBaughman
Banned
obviously what i wrote went right over your head and you'll get guys like tenniscraze to jump on your banned wagon cause it take someone with common sense and wisdom to see what i said its the foundation for any champion ,it starts at home and what i said was all about dicipiline go look at it again
as for someone saying a world class person/athlete who wants to watch someone dropping the F-Bomb and throwing his racket calling himself stupid does any of that sound like a world class athlete.
and for anyone with children on here, is talent and sucsess more important then charactor? God help your kids with parents like you !!
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tenniscrazed
Guest
Well you are right again, you are the world champion. Moz knows nothing, tenniscrazed knows nothing, TCFL knows nothing, Nick knows nothing, Macci knows nothing. Brad Gilbert knows a little because he wrote a book you read. Braden knows nothing, Evert knows just a little. Look at the statistics. You are it, the king, the Alla, the second coming of tennis christ, you are the one and only expert. Now can we please move on.
BradBaughman
Banned
the thread title "how to train a world class player"
your words "Fitness, footwork, explosive speed, anticipation skills. Then stroke production (top, slice, drop, serve, return, volley, overheads), then tactical when to use the weaponry and when to let the opponent implode."
every thing Silvas doing! You say it in theory ! he's doing it with his child and so am i!! i have some great results his will come what im saying is everybody has something to say but the guys with the proof have more weight behind there words your just a talker once again with nothing to show just a mouth!! deiton lost to a mediocer your correct howd fed do against fish? yes lets move on!!!
K
kctennis1005
Guest
brad, just wondering your thoughts on vic braden? i've met him a few times and he seems like hes got some weird advice when it comes to the serve and other stuff.
I don't think this is tenniscrazed problem. I'm a neophyte to this board and your constant bragging about your son is a little annoying.
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I noticed that. Brad I think you should stop giving excuses for every one of your son's loses.
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well I don't agree with that...Sanchez-Casal academy may be talking clay court tennis ,because Agassi,McEnroe,and tons of others tennis champions were not developed with the legs until much later not 7-8 years of age..
Sigh....you have results in your own age group. This is good not great. Nothing, I repeat, nothing to suggest world class. The truth is you don't know what kind of results Silva will have. Deiton is a good player, but he's done nothing worthy of all this talk by you.
Moz
Hall of Fame
There is obviously a misunderstanding here. You are accusing me of things you feel other people have been doing. I don't ever remember even commenting on silva's plan.
My sole point was that the source must be considered and perhaps offering an opinion rather than fact would be more appropriate. I also wished you good luck and complimented you on the fact you seem to be raising a kid who has manners and respect.
As for things going over my head and my wagon being banned (sic) they aren't and I doubt your missing the point of my post will affect my ability to raise children effectively. I understand the reasons for your defensiveness and paranoia but please don't subject me to them.
Agreed, but does the boy get the legs b/c he's already playing tennis, soccer, ect... Cause or effect? Also, what about training in hot weather year round? Training outdoors so you have to adjust to conditions? What about an academy? How many clinics per week? Privates? Sets per week? Training with player's better than you? Thanks.
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
Certain sports have good cross over effects with tennis and some do not. Nick B. and Connors both have said in seminars that baseball is a bad sport for tennis boys to play. The swing pattern is totally different.
However soccer is great for tennis kids. The footwork and stamina are a great help. Notice that Henin, Federer, and Nadal all were very good soccer players as kids.
The rest of your questions are very hard to answer because there is no one recipe for success. Some of the top pros were tennis toddlers, starting at 4-6 and living with a racquet. Others played multiple sports until 12-14, and then choose tennis. Some went academy, some did not.
Perhaps that is the true answer, there is no one way to train a world class player.
BradBaughman
Banned
to much brain typing stuff he's a little old school the game has moved on ,but im sure theres some things he says that can be gleened!
BradBaughman
Banned
understood but were not after great junior results other -wise i would have him playing everyweekend flying around the country getting use to a junior ball and dominating (you know chasing the point), example we fly into florida and all the usta brass brings a kid out named roy ledderman the kid was ranked no.1 an 2 in the nation all last year they said lets see how deiton does against him on clay the kids best surface ,, results! ,the kid was throwing his racket, screaming out and going down 64 62 to deiton ranked no.50+
now if you know this kid or not go look him up he has a nice record was no match for deit !!
BradBaughman
Banned
maby i misunderstood what you were implying ,the thing i was pointing out is its all about dicipline and work ethic and what i was saying must be done in the house will cause unbelievable results on the court . as for defencive and paranoia not here, just rebutal maby, if your in Ca you would be welcomed to come watch one of deitons training sessions when hes hitting. your also welcomed to hit against him any time come up with a first hand conclusion!
BradBaughman
Banned
i like the thought of better players tom then again depending on your goals ,not to crazy about academies see to many injuries
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
There in lies the problem with the ranking system. Roy Lederman is a nice little player, but no where close to a top player. The problem with his record is that the boys he is playing also have rankings that do not mean squat. So the inflated illusions just compound themselves.
The level of Lederman, and those ranked above him in the USTAs, are light years away from a Bernard Tomic at 12-13 or a Donald Young at 12-13.
Brad, you say your goal is world class. You are wasting your time then with the USTA stuff. If you want to know where your son stands, he has to hit with the best international boys. Until you see him hit with the very best international boys, any conclusions you are drawing about his potential are irrelevant.
Professional men's tennis is dominated by non Americans....so why would results against only American boys tell you anything at all? Why would a ranking in California even matter?
How many boys from Spain has your son played? Russia? Serbia? Switzerland? France? Great Britain? Argentina? Until he does you don't have anything to go on in regards to world class potential.
Right now there are 100 boys in Russia who are 12-14 years old, tall, fast as lightening, strong...battling each other every day for every scrap. They made the cut from 20000 who tried out. They are playing for their survival. Same with Serbia. There are boys just as tall as your son, but with muscular legs like grown men. They can lift 3 times what he could, run faster, and are solely focused on being the best, school be damned. That is the reality of the competition, not Roy Lederman.
Any results vs USTA ranked boys will not tell you a darn thing about your boys pro potential. You are living in a fish bowl compared to the huge ocean of players that are coming.
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Understood. I do know Roy Ledderman. He's not as good as Stefan, but a very good player. Deiton IS no joke to have beaten him like that. I can't wait to see him play!!!
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tenniscrazed
Guest
Agreed, and thanks.
Hallelujah.
How about saying he just wasn't very explosive on the short balls today, or he just wasn't playing well and is too young to have anything more than an A game, and since we've been honing in on his A game it just went away. These are the realities of the game and are not excuses, they are a parent who accepts his sons abilities and is working on changing them
Hallelujah.
If you think your son is anywhere NEAR world class I have beachfront land in front of Mighty's Arizona home for you. Take some of those miles you earned going to Florida and head for Barcelona, or Argentina, or even Mexico City you can get there by car and see what 10 - 13's are doing and only competing in interclub leagues and matches, they are prohibited by ITF rules to play sanctioned tournaments. Then the "drop back" becomes more of a viable option or even free throws. Remember tennis is just too easy for him.
BradBaughman
Banned
trust when i say he didnt hit 3rd gear at all ,having said that i know different players line up differently against one another ,theres certain boys that give deiton trouble yet they lose to kids deits begaling .
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
flowrider, I have also seen Roy play several times. Like I said, nice little player.
But like my last post said, tennis is not America's game anymore. A group of coaches I met at a seminar took a tour of Russia, Serbia, and then over to Spain. The videos they took show what is coming and it is jaw dropping.
There are young boys whose speed would amaze you. These boy's shots would literally rip the racquet out of Roy Lederman's hand. I'm talking an army of Nadal's, the next generation which will be even stronger and faster.
And you will never hear of almost all of them, only the top few will emerge.
The USTA and the tennis parents on this forum have absolutely no clue what is coming. We live in a bubble.
