The Lesson Process: Forehand

How are the technical factors interconnected in a good forehand? The lesson process in tennis is complicated and can entail many pitfalls that delay or stall a player's progress. As a coach and trainer I find that virtually every individual that arrives at my door is a product of some or most of these pitfalls. Some difficulties are not the fault of the player himself/herself, but the result of poor instruction or poor practice regimes. Some can be overcome, and sometimes, others can't. For example how much time club players really have to spend practicing is usually limited by other commitments, regardless of their desire to improve. Each stroke also has its own technical pitfalls that can make the teaching process more difficult. You can spend hours talking about the complexities of the strokes. But does that necessarily help the student? My feeling is that there are two keys to making lessons effective for players. These are simplicity and efficiency. As I have evolved as a teacher I have made these concepts the basis for my approach. In teaching strokes it is important to know which information to impart, but equally important, to do it in the right sequence. Too...