This week, I received a thought-provoking DM on Instagram from a coach in the States, which was also echoed during a recent assistant coach qualification course: “Surely you have to show beginners how to hit the ball?” My response is rooted in a fundamental question: What did players do before the advent of tennis coaches? What happens when no coach is available? The answer is simple—they just play and figure it out.

Most people stepping onto a tennis court for the first time have some understanding of the game. They know they need a racket and that the ball must go over the net. Whether from watching tennis on TV or observing others while waiting for their lesson, no beginner arrives without any context at all. I’ve never encountered a novice trying to hit the ball with the handle or confusing the ends of the racket—an exaggerated scenario, but you get the point.

So, why do we, as coaches, feel the need to meticulously “show” how to hit each shot? If you’ve been following my blog or videos, you’ll understand that there is no single correct way to execute a forehand. A forehand hit from mid-court looks different from one struck five feet behind the baseline. An attacking forehand varies from a defensive one. Why then would I spend time and the player’s money demonstrating something they might never actually need?

Each shot in tennis requires context, involving the player interacting with the game and discovering movement solutions. For complete beginners, I introduce basic rules (which I adapt to help them find temporary movement solutions) and basic tactics. I explain the realities of tennis: the objective isn’t just to rally but to outmanoeuvre the opponent by making them move. We aim to keep the ball out of the net by hitting it above head height. Tennis features short rallies, so it’s normal for points to end quickly. The best players in the world lose about 49% of their points over a year; making mistakes is essential for adapting movement and finding better solutions—it’s like solving a math problem, erasing and trying a different approach.

As a coach, my role isn’t to show players how to hit an out-of-context shot but to help them understand and interact with the game of tennis. However, technique sells. It’s easy for coaches to appear knowledgeable and perpetuate the myth that tennis is a predominantly technical sport. Just scroll through Instagram, and you’ll see countless posts about the perfect shot or improving your serve, often presented without context.

Attempting to simplify a complex, dynamic environment like tennis with guaranteed “correct” shots is misleading. There are no certainties that you’ll find yourself in the exact position, with the exact same ball twice. Much of this is, frankly, snake oil salesmanship. A good coach teaches you how to play the game and discover your own movement or technical solutions, tailored to the specific challenges you face on the court.