Tennis coaching has evolved. But many coaches are stuck repeating the same outdated methods—and players are paying the price.

The Myth of Basket Drills

For years, I coached the way I was taught. Basket drills, technical instructions, repetition, repetition, repetition. And on the surface, it looked like it worked.

Players had clean strokes. They hit targets in practice. Parents were happy.

But then came match day. And it all fell apart.

Why?

Because those closed drills—the classic basket feeding setup—don’t prepare players for the real game. They strip away the pressure, decision-making, and chaos that tennis actually demands.

Here’s the problem:

• No opponent = no cause and effect
• No score = no emotional pressure
• Same ball, same feed = no variability
• Coach as puppeteer = no player decision-making

Without those elements, there’s no way for players to develop skill that sticks. You might see improvement in practice, but it rarely transfers to matches.

Why We Keep Doing It

Let’s be honest. Basket feeding is easy.

• It’s low effort for the coach
• It looks good to parents
• It fits within traditional coach education

Many coaches copy what they see around them. Or they repeat what worked for them as players.

But that’s not coaching. That’s cloning.

Add in survivorship bias (“The Spanish do it!”), confirmation bias (“It worked for this one kid!”), and peer pressure from clubs or federations, and it becomes hard to break the cycle.

Yet here’s the truth:

“Repetition without context doesn’t create skill. It creates dependency.”

And when players lose in matches? They don’t blame the drill. They blame themselves.

A Better Way: Representative Practice

Now contrast that with an adapted game. In the video example I shared, the players could only hit backhands. But they played points. Against each other.

What changed?

• They had to problem-solve
• They made real decisions
• They felt pressure from the score
• They got feedback from each shot’s effect

There was still repetition, but it came with variability. And it looked and felt like actual tennis.

Coaching this way is harder. You have to:

• Design better practices
• Guide instead of instruct
• Ask questions instead of giving answers

But this is where skill lives. Not in biomechanics or textbook form. In the interaction between player, task, and environment.

Why Coaches Stay Stuck

• It’s easier: Less planning, less energy
• It’s safer: No one questions a drill
• It’s embedded: From coach education to club culture

Yet if you want to stand out—if you want players who actually improve—you need to shift.

Start by asking yourself:

• Does my session look like the game?
• Do my players make decisions?
• Is there pressure? Variability? Opponents?

If the answer is no, it’s time to change.

Final Thought

Stop coaching the way you were coached. Start coaching the way players actually learn.

Players need context. They need tension. They need to adapt.

And most of all, they need you to guide them through it.

Want more practice ideas that actually transfer to matches?

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