A Tennis Nerd’s Dilemma
Ben, a self-confessed tennis nerd with a deep love for the game, reached out with a familiar but powerful question: How do you help a player fix their forehand using a constraints-led approach—without falling back on traditional, technical instruction?
He described a common scenario—an aspiring performance player (his daughter, in this case) who had developed a forehand that lacked spacing, broke at the wrist, and lost consistency. The natural instinct? Fix the swing path. Teach the kinetic chain. Focus on repetition. But Ben also wanted to understand how this fits into a more dynamic, ecological approach.
And so began a thoughtful exchange on what it really means to “fix” a player’s movement.
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Technique
One of the key shifts in Ecological Dynamics is the rejection of traditional technique-first thinking. Rather than viewing a player’s swing as “wrong” or “bad,” we see it as an adaptation—a response to the environment, past experiences, and coaching influences they’ve been exposed to.
“No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher,” as one wise karate sensei once said.
Instead of focusing on prescribing the “correct” movement, the ecological coach asks:
What constraints can I introduce that will invite a more functional movement solution to emerge?
For example, if a player is hitting too close to their body, try a forehand-only game with multiple touches allowed. This invites better spacing, decision-making, and engagement with the problem.
Repetition Still Exists—Just Not the Way You Think
One of Ben’s great questions was about repetition. Surely players still need volume and repetition to refine movement?
Absolutely. But not through rote drills.
In the CLA world, we talk about “repetition without repetition”—where:
- The task intention stays the same
- The movement challenge is slightly different each time
- The player becomes more adaptable through variability
This builds skill in context, not technique in isolation.
The Player Still Leads—But Within a Designed Environment
This doesn’t mean coaches just “let them play.” On the contrary—practice design becomes even more intentional.
The coach shapes the environment:
- Sets boundaries and rules
- Adjusts constraints based on the player’s response
- Guides attention subtly without prescribing movement
It’s not a free-for-all. It’s a carefully designed interaction between player, task, and environment—where the player becomes an active problem-solver.
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
Ben shared his daughter’s journey, from strong foundations on red and green ball, to a noticeable change in her forehand after transitioning to yellow ball and clay courts.
From a traditional lens, it looked like a breakdown in technique. But from an ecological perspective, it was simply a change in task demands:
- The ball bounced higher
- The surface slowed the game
- Her previous solutions no longer fit the new environment
What she needed wasn’t a reset—but support in adapting to the new challenge.
And that’s exactly what Ben did.
He experimented with:
- Tap-ups
- Two-ball feeds
- Zone hitting (forehands only, hitting inside-out)
- Simplified environments
He reduced interference, increased task clarity, and kept things alive.
That’s representative design in action—even if it wasn’t labelled that way at the time.
From Technique to Skill: A Key Shift
This conversation highlighted one of the most important distinctions in modern coaching:
- Technique is how a movement looks.
- Skill is how a movement functions in a real situation.
Ben’s daughter didn’t need a better-looking swing. She needed a more adaptable forehand—one that worked under pressure, on different surfaces, and in different scoring scenarios.
The Power of Curiosity and Care
Ben’s closing comment captured something deeper: this wasn’t just a coaching question. It was a story of a father supporting his daughter. A curious learner reflecting on years of watching coaches, trying things, learning what worked—and what didn’t.
And now, he’s considering stepping into coaching himself.
From what I saw in that conversation, he’s already started.
Final Thoughts: Coaching as Craft, Not Control
This isn’t about having the “right method.” It’s about:
- Observing the player in context
- Designing problems worth solving
- Trusting the process of adaptation
If you’ve ever felt unsure about letting go of drills, or worried that you’re “not coaching” unless you’re prescribing every movement—this story is for you.
Because good coaching isn’t about control. It’s about creating environments where better solutions emerge.
Whether you’re coaching full-time or simply guiding someone you care about, your curiosity and connection will always be the most powerful tools you have.
