I was watching a lesson from afar recently, observing the coach run a session with his players. They were diligently following every instruction: “Hit at this height,” “Step into the volley,” “Now go down the line.” Everything looked polished and controlled. But the longer I watched, the clearer it became that something was missing.

The players were focused, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about what I was seeing. The coaching approach—while well-meaning—wasn’t helping these players truly prepare for the unpredictable nature of tennis. Instead, it was reinforcing a set of patterns and technical rules that didn’t reflect the realities of the game.

Here’s why this rigid, technically driven approach can actually harm player development, particularly from an ecological dynamics perspective.

1. The Overemphasis on Technical Perfection

As I watched the session, the focus was clearly on hitting the ball at a perfect height, executing precise volleys with exact footwork, and following preset shot patterns. On the surface, it looked great—everything seemed neat and controlled. But the truth is, tennis matches are rarely neat or predictable. They’re messy, chaotic, and full of unexpected situations.

Training players to seek technical perfection in such a controlled environment doesn’t prepare them for real match conditions. In a live game, players deal with countless variables—an opponent’s positioning, changing ball speeds, unpredictable bounces—and they need to learn how to adapt to these challenges on the fly, not just execute perfect shots in isolated drills.

While this style of coaching may create players who look technically sound in practice, it doesn’t teach them how to handle the unpredictability of a match, where perfection is rarely an option.

2. Reduced Decision-Making Opportunities

Another thing that stood out to me was how much the coach dictated the play. The players were instructed to follow specific patterns—crosscourt-to-down-the-line rallies, or volley techniques—and their actions were pre-determined.

The issue? They weren’t making any decisions for themselves.

Tennis is fundamentally a game of decision-making. Every point offers new challenges—where should I hit based on my opponent’s position? Should I play aggressive or stay patient? None of those questions were being asked during this session. Instead, the players were simply executing a coach’s plan.

When players are constantly told what to do, they don’t develop the ability to think critically or solve problems under pressure. They become reactive players who rely on external guidance, rather than developing the internal decision-making skills they need to be successful in matches. And when the coach isn’t there to tell them what to do, they’re left lost on the court.

3. Ignoring Variability: The Key to Real Learning

One of the most important aspects of learning in tennis is variability. The game is constantly changing—ball speed, spin, height, and opponent positioning are all variables that shift with every point. To thrive in tennis, players need to adapt to these changing conditions.

But what I witnessed in this session was the opposite. The coach had created a controlled, predictable environment where players repeated the same actions over and over. There was no variability, no opportunity to practice adapting to different challenges.

In the real world of tennis, no two shots are the same. The more variability players experience in practice, the better they become at adjusting to different situations. By eliminating variability and focusing on repeating patterns, the coach was training players for a version of tennis that doesn’t exist. When faced with new or unfamiliar scenarios in a match, these players will likely struggle because they’ve never practiced adapting to changing conditions.

4. One-Size-Fits-All: The Mismatch with Player-Centered Development

As I observed the session, it was clear that every player was being asked to meet the same technical and tactical objectives, regardless of their individual skill levels. This one-size-fits-all approach is one of the biggest problems in coaching today.

Learning isn’t linear. Every player develops at their own pace, and forcing everyone into the same mold can lead to frustration for those who are struggling to keep up and boredom for those who have already mastered the tasks. It doesn’t account for the unique needs and abilities of each player.

What was missing in this session was any sense of player autonomy. The players weren’t given the freedom to explore different ways of hitting, moving, or solving problems. In a truly player-centered approach, players should take ownership of their learning, make decisions, and experiment with different strategies—things that weren’t happening here.

5. Stifling Creativity and Exploration

The final concern I had while watching the lesson was the complete lack of creativity. Tennis is as much an art as it is a science, and the best players are those who can innovate and find creative solutions to problems on the court.

In this session, however, there was no room for creativity. The players were simply executing predefined patterns, with little opportunity to experiment or discover what worked best for them.

Creativity comes from exploration. Players need to be able to try different shots, movements, and strategies, even if it means making mistakes. If they’re always being told what to do, they won’t develop the confidence or ability to think outside the box when faced with difficult situations in a match.

Conclusion: Rethinking Coaching for Real Player Development

Watching that lesson was a reminder of why we need to rethink the way we approach coaching in tennis. Overemphasizing technical perfection, reducing decision-making opportunities, and eliminating variability might make players look good in practice, but it won’t prepare them for the realities of match play.

The goal of coaching should be to create adaptive, creative, and resilient players who can solve problems, adjust to changing conditions, and thrive under pressure. This won’t happen through rigid, prescriptive coaching. Instead, we need to create representative learning environments where players engage with the game in its full complexity and develop the skills they need to succeed on their own.

It’s time to stop thinking about tennis as a series of perfect technical steps and start seeing it for what it is—a dynamic, unpredictable game that rewards those who can think, adapt, and create in real time.