My Tennis Coaching Videos

Enhance Your Skills with Practical Coaching Drills and Techniques

Watch My Coach Videos for weekly video blogs featuring practical coaching drills, technique breakdowns, and real-life coaching scenarios. Gain valuable insights and tips to improve your coaching methods and elevate your players’ performance. Learn, apply, and transform your coaching practice.

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LATEST VIDEOS

Get My Free Practice Design Guide: https://mytenniscoaching.com/PRACTICE-DESIGN/ Most tennis coaches already suspect drills don’t transfer to matches. So why do we keep relying on them? In this video, I break down: • Why drills feel productive but fail under match pressure • What research actually shows about coach behaviour and practice design • The hidden reason coaches default to drills — even when they know better • Why “more reps” isn’t the answer to poor transfer This isn’t about blaming coaches. It’s about understanding why good coaches get stuck in bad environments. If you’ve ever thought: “They look great in practice… but it disappears in matches” This video will change how you see practice design forever.
Why Drills Don’t Transfer to Matches (And Why Coaches Keep Using Them)
Get My Free Practice Design Guide: https://mytenniscoaching.com/PRACTICE-DESIGN/ Most tennis coaches already suspect drills don’t transfer to matches. So why do we keep relying on them? In this video, I break down: • Why drills feel productive but fail under match pressure • What research actually shows about coach behaviour and practice design • The hidden reason coaches default to drills — even when they know better • Why “more reps” isn’t the answer to poor transfer This isn’t about blaming coaches. It’s about understanding why good coaches get stuck in bad environments. If you’ve ever thought: “They look great in practice… but it disappears in matches” This video will change how you see practice design forever.
Why Drills Don’t Transfer to Matches (And Why Coaches Keep Using Them) 📱
In this episode, I unpack a brilliant question from a top coach “What are the non-negotiables for representativeness in tennis and can you trade some for others?” We explore: • Why throw tennis isn’t representative (and what it teaches us) • The 6 core elements of representative learning design in tennis • The difference between looking like the game vs. functioning like the game • What coaches might be getting wrong when designing “game-based” sessions • How to balance exploration and transfer in your practices If you’re serious about designing sessions that actually transfer to matches—this episode is a must.
What makes A Practice Real?
ou’ve heard it a hundred times: “Play with better players, and you’ll improve.” But what if that advice is only half true? In this podcast session, I’ll break down: Why constantly “playing up” can stall learning, not accelerate it What ecological dynamics says about challenge, attunement, and information How to design matchplay that’s representative and actually helps players grow What parents and coaches often misunderstand about competition level Whether you're a coach, parent, or player, this is a must-watch if you're serious about real development, not just chasing better opponents.
Why ‘Play With Better Players’ Isn’t Always Good Advice
Are we preparing kids for tennis, or for a game they’ll never actually play? Most red stage programs still rely on throwing and catching, but research shows these skills don’t transfer to striking sports like tennis. In this Live, we’ll break down the science, explain why hitting matters, and show you the 5 principles that must guide early-years tennis. What you’ll learn: Why throwing & catching games don’t prepare kids for tennis. What early childhood research really says about fundamental motor skills. How expert striking sports develop anticipation & perception–action coupling. The 5 principles of Red Stage practice you can use to check your own sessions. How to use the RPAT tool to measure whether your practices are truly representative. 👉 Want the game-based examples (Two Touch Tennis, Zombies, Stop & Serve, etc.)? They’re all inside My Tennis Coach Academy. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6008161490960384
Why Kids Must Hit (Not Catch) to Learn the Game
Become A Better Coach 👉 https://mytenniscoaching.com/the-modern-tennis-coach-event/ This approach didn’t just change my sessions...it changed my career 👉 https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-coach-newsletter/ This week, I had a moment that pushed me over the edge. Another self-proclaimed expert posting pseudo-science. No evidence. No context. No coaching experience—just bold claims and surface-level content. I’m tired of it. So this live is different. 🎯 I’ll share the story of what happened 🎯 Break down why most online coaching advice is disconnected from actual learning 🎯 And explain why I’m launching the Modern Tennis Coach Conference 2026—to give real coaches a real voice. If you’re tired of model worship, cookie-cutter drills, and Instagram coaches selling illusions—this one’s for you. 📅 NEW! Weekly Live Podcast – From Drills to Skills 📍 LIVE Every Friday | 10:30 AM UK Time 🎙️ Coaching insights, game-based drills, and expert interviews designed to help you ditch outdated methods and create engaging, high-impact sessions. 🎥 Must-Watch Coaching Videos: ✅ Why You Shouldn't Break Down the Serve: Whole vs. Decomposed Training – The real way to teach serving. 🎥 • Surprisingly EASY Way to TEACH the Serve t... ✅ How to Develop a Beginner's Backhand in Minutes – A real on-court session using CLA. 🎥 • FIX Your Backhand in UNDER 2 Minutes for F... ✅ Random vs. Blocked Practice – Why It Matters for Match Performance – The science of training for real competition. 🎥 • Random Practice Is the KEY to Becoming a T... ✅ Why Burnout Happens Mid-Season (And How to Prevent It) – Keep players engaged & avoid exhaustion. 🎥 • Is Burnout Affecting Your Tennis Players' ... 🔴 Subscribe now and turn on notifications 🔔 so you never miss a live session or a new video! Join Our Growing Coaching Community! 🌐 Website: https://mytenniscoaching.com (Get free drills & coaching resources!) 📸 Instagram: / mytenniscoaching 💬 Comment on the video & join the conversation! What's your biggest coaching challenge right now? 🎾 Let's transform the way tennis is coached-together! #TennisCoaching #EcologicalDynamics #FromDrillsToSkills #ConstraintsLedApproach #TennisTraining Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6008161490960384
Everyone Online Telling You How to Coach Is Lying
This approach didn’t just change my sessions...it changed my career 👉 https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-coach-newsletter/ Read the paper here 👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029225001347?via%3Dihub Tennis coaches are told to teach “technique,” improve “decision-making,” and help players “build game plans.” But what if the entire way we think about cognition in coaching is flawed? In this live session, we break down a bold paper from Duarte Araújo and Keith Davids on cognizant action—and what it means for how players actually learn. We’ll unpack: Why planning and memory-based models don’t explain real performance How perception and action emerge in the moment And what this means for your drills, instructions, and feedback Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6008161490960384 📅 NEW! Weekly Live Podcast – From Drills to Skills 📍 LIVE Every Friday | 10:30 AM UK Time 🎙️ Coaching insights, game-based drills, and expert interviews designed to help you ditch outdated methods and create engaging, high-impact sessions. 🎥 Must-Watch Coaching Videos: ✅ Why You Shouldn't Break Down the Serve: Whole vs. Decomposed Training – The real way to teach serving. 🎥 • Surprisingly EASY Way to TEACH the Serve t... ✅ How to Develop a Beginner's Backhand in Minutes – A real on-court session using CLA. 🎥 • FIX Your Backhand in UNDER 2 Minutes for F... ✅ Random vs. Blocked Practice – Why It Matters for Match Performance – The science of training for real competition. 🎥 • Random Practice Is the KEY to Becoming a T... ✅ Why Burnout Happens Mid-Season (And How to Prevent It) – Keep players engaged & avoid exhaustion. 🎥 • Is Burnout Affecting Your Tennis Players' ... 🔴 Subscribe now and turn on notifications 🔔 so you never miss a live session or a new video! Join Our Growing Coaching Community! 🌐 Website: https://mytenniscoaching.com (Get free drills & coaching resources!) 📸 Instagram: / mytenniscoaching 💬 Comment on the video & join the conversation! What's your biggest coaching challenge right now? 🎾 Let's transform the way tennis is coached-together! #TennisCoaching #EcologicalDynamics #FromDrillsToSkills #ConstraintsLedApproach #TennisTraining
You Will Never Coach Good Players Until You Fix THIS!
This approach didn’t just change my sessions...it changed my career 👉 https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-coach-newsletter/ 🔴 LIVE: Why most tennis coaches unknowingly fail to improve their players — and what to do instead. 🎥 Watch my backhand development journey, from isolated drills to constraint-led coaching 🧠 Understand why copying how you were coached doesn’t work anymore 🎾 Welcome to My Tennis Coaching – The Home of Modern Tennis Training! 🎾 If you're a tennis coach looking to modernize your sessions or a player wanting to train smarter, you're in the right place! I'm Steve Whelan, and I specialize in Ecological Dynamics & the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA)-helping you move From Drills to Skills with real, match-relevant training. 📅 NEW! Weekly Live Podcast – From Drills to Skills 📍 LIVE Every Friday | 10:30 AM UK Time 🎙️ Coaching insights, game-based drills, and expert interviews designed to help you ditch outdated methods and create engaging, high-impact sessions. 🎥 Must-Watch Coaching Videos: ✅ Why You Shouldn't Break Down the Serve: Whole vs. Decomposed Training – The real way to teach serving. 🎥 • Surprisingly EASY Way to TEACH the Serve t... ✅ How to Develop a Beginner's Backhand in Minutes – A real on-court session using CLA. 🎥 • FIX Your Backhand in UNDER 2 Minutes for F... ✅ Random vs. Blocked Practice – Why It Matters for Match Performance – The science of training for real competition. 🎥 • Random Practice Is the KEY to Becoming a T... ✅ Why Burnout Happens Mid-Season (And How to Prevent It) – Keep players engaged & avoid exhaustion. 🎥 • Is Burnout Affecting Your Tennis Players' ... 🔴 Subscribe now and turn on notifications 🔔 so you never miss a live session or a new video! Join Our Growing Coaching Community! 🌐 Website: https://mytenniscoaching.com (Get free drills & coaching resources!) 📸 Instagram: / mytenniscoaching 💬 Comment on the video & join the conversation! What's your biggest coaching challenge right now? 🎾 Let's transform the way tennis is coached-together! #TennisCoaching #EcologicalDynamics #FromDrillsToSkills #ConstraintsLedApproach #TennisTraining
99% of Tennis Coaches Never Improve Their Players Because of This
This approach didn’t just change my sessions...it changed my career 👉 https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-coach-newsletter/ For years, I coached the way I was taught: drills, technical cues, progressions that looked great on paper. But players kept falling short in matches — until I made one shift: I stopped planning what to teach… and started designing how players learn. In this video, I share the 3-phase coaching framework that transformed my sessions, my players, and my career. 🎾 Here’s what you’ll learn: The 3 key phases that make players adaptable and match-ready Why traditional drills don’t build real skill How to design practices that mirror the chaos of competition The difference between “instructing” and “guiding” How to use player reflection to lock in learning Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC09L6HV0QTJ0eKsR07RiEkg/join 🎾 Welcome to My Tennis Coaching – The Home of Modern Tennis Training! 🎾 If you're a tennis coach looking to modernise your sessions or a player wanting to train smarter, you’re in the right place! I'm Steve Whelan, and I specialise in Ecological Dynamics & the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA)—helping you move from Drills to Skills with real, match-relevant training. 📅 NEW! Weekly Live Podcast – From Drills to Skills 📍 LIVE Every Friday | 10:30 AM UK Time 🎙️ Coaching insights, game-based drills, and expert interviews designed to help you ditch outdated methods and create engaging high-impact sessions. 🎥 Must-Watch Coaching Videos: ✅ Why You Shouldn’t Break Down the Serve: Whole vs. Decomposed Training – The real way to teach serving. 🎥 https://youtu.be/0x6SdlQArSI?si=q4OxtflhXBxwikyP ✅ How to Develop a Beginner’s Backhand in Minutes – A real on-court session using CLA. 🎥 https://youtu.be/l65STewAKAw?si=6C8t4hTATDJnSRSs ✅ Random vs. Blocked Practice – Why It Matters for Match Performance – The science of training for real competition. 🎥 https://youtu.be/sOWyffgY1So?si=gqCyVjbPq9DlpdJD ✅ Why Burnout Happens Mid-Season (And How to Prevent It) – Keep players engaged & avoid exhaustion. 🎥 https://youtu.be/5sj_uGMjskI?si=oZeDUkEUg_Vd-psp 🔴 Subscribe now and turn on notifications 🔔 so you never miss a live session or a new video! Join Our Growing Coaching Community! 🌐 Website: https://mytenniscoaching.com (Get free drills & coaching resources!) 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytenniscoaching/ 💬 Comment on the video & join the conversation! What’s your biggest coaching challenge right now? 🎾 Let’s transform the way tennis is coached—together! #TennisCoaching #EcologicalDynamics #FromDrillsToSkills #ConstraintsLedApproach #TennisTraining
Revolutionise Your Tennis Training: 3-Phase Shift Transforms Explained
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    My CONFESSIONS OF A TENNIS COACH

    Welcome to "Confessions of a Tennis Coach," where I, Steve, offer an honest and unfiltered look into my day-to-day life as a tennis coach, educator, and business owner. In this Vlog series, you'll get a genuine glimpse into the realities of tennis coaching, without any bold claims or perfect drills—just my honest thoughts and reflections.

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