Foam Ball to Regular Ball Training Requirements

LEVEL 1: FOAM BALL/RED BALL MINI-TENNIS

Learn proper fundamental techniques for all strokes, including serves and volleys, through Progression System. Learn beginner serve or “Jaws” technique serve.
Start groundstrokes with drop and hit; then progress to feeding with basic, proper footwork movement in all directions with proper recovery. Introduce lob and touch shots. Dink-ums is a great drop shot game for touch shots.
Once the student can rally reasonably well play mini-tennis match-play.
A player that plays 3-5 days a week, with good coaching, will move up to orange ball level within 2-3 months depending on their level of passion and as they are coachable. If a student is very young (ages 5-7), it can take longer because their coordination may not be where it could be if they were older. Also, students need to get into match play within the first 3-4 weeks.

LEVEL 2: ORANGE BALL

Players can hit full spectrum of tennis shots with solid technique, greatly improved footwork and recovery needed to cover the bigger court size. Ball speed is faster requiring quicker reaction time and improved focus.

Improved accuracy of serve with abbreviated backswing on serve. Intro to full motion on serve.
Improved shot tolerance and accuracy required. Intro to Level 2 - Find It, Feel It, Finish It control portion of Progression System. Introduce approach shot volley combination with Level 2 Progression System. Also add in Level 2 overhead.
Implement Level 2 portion of fitness system required at this level.
Level 2 strategic training implemented.
Introducing split step & open stance groundstroke movement patterns. Split step is used for volleys also.
Introduce abbreviated serve.
Intro to orange ball USTA tournaments.
A player that plays 3-5 days a week with good coaching will move up to green dot ball level within 2-3 months depending on their level of passion and as they are coachable.

LEVEL 3: GREEN DOT BALL

Full motion on serve taught with intro to targets and spins (slice, topspin & flat). Level 3 control portion of Progression System implemented for all strokes.
Teaching slice and topspin ground strokes. Introduce Level 3 approach shot, volley & overhead combination. Introduce tournament level drop shot.
Solidify volleys and overhead. Introduce Level 3 low, medium, high volley and half volley. Introduce swinging volley.
Level 3 match play strategy implanted with singles and doubles strategy.
Introduction to 1st strike tennis; developing a weapon.
Introduction to visualization. The mind doesn’t know the difference between what is and what’s imagined.
Intro to green dot tournaments through USTA.
A player can get to the regular ball level in 2-3 months, playing intensely 3-5 days a week with proper coaching and match play every week.

LEVEL 4: ADVANCED TOURNAMENT PLAYER W/ REGULAR MATCH BALL

This is on a regular size court requiring explosive movement, technique and athleticism. Ball speed is extremely fast at the higher levels.
Full motion on serve taught with calculated accuracy to targets and spins (slice, topspin & flat) improved with power accuracy serve system. Level 4 control portion of Progression System implemented for all strokes.
Implement Level 4 footwork and fitness to impose 1st Strike tournament tennis technology. Implement Level 4 tournament level shot tolerance. Introduce tournament level 1st strike groundstroke volleys, overhead & drop shot.
Solidify volleys and overhead. Introduce knife volley. Improve low volley and half volley.
Implement Level 4 singles and doubles match play strategy and fitness.
Implement tournament level visualization and positive mental attitude.
Intro to green dot tournaments through USTA.
A player playing intensely 4-5 days a week can get a Southern California satellite ranking with proper coaching and weekly match play. The three ranking levels above this are Open, Sectional & National level rankings. There are tournaments at all these levels and serious players play at least 1-2 tournaments a month. If a child really loves tennis, they can work hard and get a college scholarship like I did (or if they have a special passion and ability become a professional tour player).