March 2006 -- Imagine this. A group of eight players of all different levels is on the move, laughing and running while hitting tennis balls that challenge them on every shot but come in rhythm and are perfectly timed to their speed and ability level. People love the class and everyone comes back for Cardio Tennis.
The next session is taught by a different professional. This pro is very encouraging and has a great personality. However, the participants never seem to hit two balls in a row, the shots have no timing, and the drills don’t flow. Everyone is getting very frustrated and ends up standing around and not having a good workout in spite of the pro’s honest effort.
What is the difference in these two classes? The first one is led by an excellent feeder who has great timing and can feed at each player’s level. The second pro has a feeding style that does not create rhythm, nor can he feed with enough control to lead people properly while adjusting for the needs of each player.
The two key characteristics you need in a great Cardio Tennis professional are to have a great personality and great feeding skills. There have been other articles written on the personality skills. I am writing about feeding. Feeding is an art and skill that is vital to the success of Cardio Tennis.
To run a quality Cardio Tennis class requires a level of feeding that is much higher than that required in a private lesson or a typical group lesson. The more advanced Cardio Tennis drills require that the professional be able to feed with the following qualities:
AccuracyFirst and foremost, the pro must be able to place the ball where he or she aims. Accuracy is especially important in beginner classes where precise feeding is essential to enable the player to experience success. The most common cause of inaccurate feeds is slapping across the ball with too much swing. To prevent this, practice finishing the feed with the strings pointing directly at the target. An easy way to practice this is to feed into a windscreen, aiming for the vent hole in the screen.
Speed or frequency of feedsIn order to keep a high-level group of players moving and hitting lots of balls, it is essential that the pro be able to feed with tremendous frequency. There are two things that make this difficult for most pros. The first is inability to get balls out of the hopper quickly enough. One cause of this is standing too far away from the hopper so the balls have to travel too far from the hopper. For Cardio Tennis, try keeping the hopper right in front of your left leg (for a right-hander). This makes it easy to bring the ball out of the hopper directly to your racquet. (This position also serves as a shield for balls hit at your lower extremities, a very important consideration in Cardio Tennis.) Speed out of the hopper is also impacted by how many balls you take out at once. Many pros are very good at pulling out three balls at once, feeding them rapidly, and then reaching back into the hopper for more. This works effectively for many drills; however, it always creates a lag time while digging back into the hopper. A method that makes it easier to have a consistent rhythm that can be maintained for an indefinite period of time is to reach into the hopper after every ball fed. Ideally you would keep an extra ball in your hand to feed if you reach down and do not pick up another ball cleanly. With this method there is never a break, and you can feed drills that require a sequence of more than three balls to maintain rhythm. This style requires practice, but once you get it the results are very consistent and comfortable. The only limitation is the difficulty in getting balls out when you have very few balls in a deep hopper. Baskets that are a little higher with slightly shallower beds are perfect for Cardio Tennis feeding.
The speed of feeds also is affected by a pro’s backswing. The time it takes for a big backswing and follow-through makes it impossible to feed fast. It is better to keep the motion very compact and use the wrist and forearm to create the pace in the feed.
Variety of feeds
All Cardio Tennis drills require that the feeds be varied according to the level of player. You will want to feed harder and flatter to the experienced players while feeding softly with a perfect arc to enable weaker players to make contact. Other drills require that you feed a deep ball followed by a short ball or a hard ball followed by a softer ball. You need to be able to feed a hard ball that skids when it bounces or a soft one that will sit up for an easy hit. The simplest way to feed with this kind of variety is feeding primarily with underspin. This enables you to feed with varied depths and arcs most effectively. Topspin or flat feeds are not as easy to control for all depths. The additional benefit of feeding with underspin is that you have a chance to practice a positive forehand volley with every feed. Teaching pros have been notorious for having poor forehand volleys, and this is primarily due to repeating sloppy feeding techniques.
Unfortunately, feeding technique has not been something that has been emphasized and taught a great deal in our profession. However, the importance of feeding in Cardio Tennis makes it imperative that pros improve their ability to feed. Try the simple ideas we have shared with you here. Like any skill it requires practice.
USPTA and the Tennis Industry Association are proud to sponsor the new Cardio Tennis Feeding Shootout! This contest will highlight the importance of feeding. At most USPTA division conventions, a feeding contest will be held. The contest will consist of feeding from halfway between the baseline and service line into three targets above the net going from right to left in sequence. The pro will receive 1 point for every ball fed into the proper target in one minute. The division winners will receive a trip to the USPTA World Conference in Las Vegas in September 2006 and compete for the national championship.
I hope you will start practicing your feeding so that you can be crowned the national champion feeder of the Cardio Tennis Feeding Shootout! Even if you do not aspire to be the champion, improving your feeding skills will enhance your lessons, make your students better, and turn you into a much better Cardio Tennis professional.
