Game Based?

The GBA contains four components :

1. Tennis is Game Based

2. GBA uses a learner centered or learner "first" philosophy

3. There are four elements that players need to train - Tactics, Technique, Physical & Mental. This is sometimes referred to as a Global or Holistic/Performance Approach

4. Tennis is a open skill

Let's start with #1 - Tennis is Game Based.

Tennis is a game, therefore it has strategies and tactics. For a beginner a tactic could be to get the ball higher over the net to keep it deep and to make less errors. For a pro it could be mixing up speed, spin, height to compete against a player with a higher tempo and better groundstrokes.

Think of tennis as a cross between olympic diving and chess. Tennis involves a great deal of thinking and players have to perform complex physical tasks. With the GBA, players learn how to solve tactical problems using their technique. Rather than learning a series of "strokes" and having no clue how, when & where to use them. Teaching strokes only, is like teaching your students to be divers. They will be able to perform one specific task in one specific situation but won't know it's relationship to the entire game of tennis.

The GBA modifies the court, balls and equipment using progressions rather than basket feeding real balls to beginners at the baseline.

In my next post I'll describe #2 - A learner centered philosophy.

Look for more videos soon!