The Tiebreaker Test How do you develop champions? How to you build programs? How do you develop teachers? Quick answer: Know all the detailed factors to have students pass our Tiebreaker Test. The tiebreaker test is a skill test, a benchmark , a wake-up call and a large piece of humble pie. There is a history to everything. Watch the attached video and you will see the tiebreaker test is just a simple scoring system synchronized to a simple six ball drill. In the 70s when I worked for All-American Sports at their tennis camps all instructors would do the six ball drill at the same time. We all sounded like auctioneers yelling out tennis directives. Even though I was in my early twenties I remember thinking how stupid is this, no one will learn how to play by hearing cross-court and down the line. The young boy on the tape loses the tiebreaker test in short order. He was a regular-school-kid who periodically spent time with us in Florida. The tiebreaker test makes players respect and understand technical development. The feeds were compatible to his level of play. Certainly feeds can be tough. When I think of the late Mr. Hopman or Robert Landsdorp feeding the tiebreaker test I see a world class player being challenged. At the end of the clip I cover a more advanced version of the test and state we used to call it the Stanford Test. Back in the day Stanford, under Dick Gould, won 17 NCAA titles. I did a great deal of work for the University of Illinois teams, first with the women and then with the men because the university had hired coaches that previously worked with me. The mens team eventually had wins over Stanford. But keep in mind one has to take the test and then go back in and put all the detailed facts (grip, swing, body, etc.) together. And in the end, a goal-oriented player needs to know a match is a test. Yes a match is a test of competitive spirit, fitness, knowledge and skills. (strokes) When you have to hit one serve that climbs three feet up the back fence to earn the chance to hit the next six balls, you indeed could could call the test the Federer Test. Especially when you place the rope half way between the service line and base line and feed the balls like a rocket. You will quickly find your students are not ready for increasing the difficulty of the exam. I would suggest you break the exam down and work backwards with one ball at a time. For example, first just hit one volley into the middle of the service box. Then add the approach shot. Then add the groundstroke and just focus on one side first and be sure to not always start with the forehand because the backhand will not be given equal time. Remember tennis is defined as running and hitting targets with a score. In the end, my experience is most kids like the tiebreaker test. Yet even though they like the tiebreaker test they, overall 98% across the board, never to the drill without being told to do the drill. Dumb. If kids really wanted to get better they should be calling each other up to find an empty court to feed each other the tiebreaker test. Tennis is like life, one gets the test first and the lesson second. Make the test a lesson. Pass the tiebreaker test over and over but be sure to hit with match-play pace. The boy on the tape went on to play division three tennis. More importantly, he learned skills to play the lifetime sport of tennis and give back to the game by teaching The Great Base. Thanks for helping us help tennis. Steve Smith
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 12:59:02 +0000
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