USPTA Complete Study Questions And Answers With Verified Solutions

The four basic grips - ANS continental, eastern, semiwestern and western Eastern Forehand grip advantages - ANS 1. Easy to generate power 2. Waist-high balls 3. Adaptable to different surfaces 4. More support 5. Topspin 6. Good for beginners Eastern Forehand disadvantages - ANS 1. Grip change 2. Weak on slice 3. Low volley 4. Finesse and touch shots 5. Difficult to hit high balls Eastern Forehand - ANS • Contact point in front of the body with a vertical racquet face. • Often referred to as the "shake hands" grip. Eastern Forehand Heel - ANS Panel 3 Eastern Forehand Base knuckle index finger - ANS Panel 3 Eastern backhand Heel and base knuckle - ANS Panel 1 Eastern backhand advantages - ANS 1. Easy to generate power 2. Waist-high balls 3. Adaptable to different surfaces 4. More support 5. Topspin 6. Good for beginners Eastern backhand disadvantages - ANS 1. Grip change 2. Weak on slice 3. Low volley 4. Finesse and touch shots 5. Difficult to hit high balls Eastern backhand - ANS • Contact point is slightly in front of the body with a vertical racquet face. • This grip calls for a definite change between forehand and backhand positions. Continental heel and base knuckle - ANS Panel 2 Continental advantages - ANS 1. Low balls 2. Slice 3. No grip change 4. Adaptable to different strokes 5. Degree of versatility 6. Topspin on serve 7. Late hit on forehand side 8. Good serve and volley 9. Good for hit touch shots Continental disadvantages - ANS 1. High balls 2. Weak wrist or forearm 3. More difficult to generate topspin than eastern grip 4. Requires good timing Continental grip - ANS • Contact point is just as far in front of the body as with the eastern grip. However, the player must learn to ad- just the racquet face with his or her wrist in order to hit flat or topspin shots. • Tennis teachers recommend this grip for netshots where there is little time for grip change. • Should be used on the serve, this grip makes it easier to hit a slice. Semiwestern forehand heel and base knuckle - ANS Panel 4 Semiwestern forehand advantages - ANS 1. Topspin 2. High balls 3. Disguise 4. Passing shots 5. Power Semiwestern forehand disadvantages - ANS 1. Low balls 2. Underspin 3. Major grip change to backhand 4. Serve 5. Low volley Semiwestern forehand - ANS • Contact point for the semiwestern grip is more forward of the body. • This is the grip that most of today's competitive players are using for a number of reasons. • In this grip, the inclination of the hand is toward the western grip. Many players prefer this grip because of the comfortable feeling of the hand behind the racquet. Full western forehand heel and base knuckle - ANS Panel 5 Full western forehand advantages - ANS 1. Topspin 2. High balls 3. Disguise 4. Passing shots 5. Power Full western disadvantages - ANS 1. Low balls 2. Underspin 3. Large grip change 4. Serve 5. Low volley Full western - ANS • Contact point is very early and preferably higher than your waist. • This grip closes the face of the racquet and is used for exaggerated topspin and groundstrokes where contact is preferably made in front of the body. • Some players who use the western grip for forehands keep the same grip for backhands, hitting the ball with the same face of the racquet. Two handed grip advantages - ANS 1. Power 2. Topspin 3. Sharp angle 4. Disguise 5. Helps tennis elbow 6. Early success - confidence 7. Gives support Two handed grip disadvantages - ANS 1. Weakness at net 2. Difficult to slice Instructors should first - ANS The teacher should learn several things about a pupil, such as how long he or she has played tennis, prior lessons, if either singles or doubles have been played primarily, any competitive experience (ranking or rating), the style of play enjoyed and strengths/weaknesses. Discover the student's tennis goals, both during that lesson and long-term, and whether he or she wants a lesson on a specific technique or tactic, or a series of lessons to cover several areas. Instructors should - ANS Use the student's name a lot. Maintain eye contact when talking or making a point. Enthusiasm. At times, verbalization is inadequate in conveying a concept to a student. Another form of communication, which can be very effective, is the use of touch: - ANS the kinesthetic method. Another means of getting a point across, which is very effective with many students, is the _____. Mimicry is a powerful learning tool; the learning process may be expedited if a student is given a vivid picture. - ANS visual technique Progression: - ANS 1. Demonstrate the stroke 2. Shadow the stroke 3. Make contact with the ball while utilizing proper technique. 4. Hit balls that are fed 5. Learn to drill 6. Create a point play situation 7. Actual match play It often is easier to isolate the cause of the problem and offer a concise correction by breaking the diagnosis and cure into three definitive phases: - ANS preparation, execution and follow-through. One of the major deterrents to learning, especially skill development, is the tendency of a student to violate the _____: A person can concentrate on only one dominant thought at a time. - ANS "Law of Dominant Effect" The pro should spend a few minutes near the end of the lesson to do two more things: - ANS Give a sound review of the lesson and summarize or highlight the critical points that were covered. End each lesson with an assignment to be completed before the ensuing lesson. Talk to student and find out his background. - ANS 1. Previous tennis teachers 2. Goals and objectives 3. How he rates himself as player 4. Other sports he has played Discuss his playing behavior: - ANS 1. How often does he practice during the week? 2. How many times a week does he play? 3. How many lessons does he intend to take each week? 4. What are his learning interests now and for the future? You have three choices in deciding the "cure": - ANS 1. Pick a theme. 2. Use a progression (step-by-step). 3. Determine and focus on the primary problem for each player. Concentrate only on the primary problem. - ANS 1. Be careful not to say something different to student each time he hits the ball. 2. Go to the secondary factor only after you resolve the primary problem. Give student sound practical advice and homework for both on and off the court. - ANS 1. Demonstrate homework for student. 2. Have student demonstrate homework in return. 3. Use a check-off sheet. 4. Student should keep a record of days and the amount of time spent practicing. 5. Test student on homework at next lesson. With beginning players: - ANS A. Go over all parts of the stroke. B. Make explanations clear, concise and direct. Use verbal, visual and kinesthetic methods. C. Be brief and to the point. D. Develop clue words. E. Develop resources (ready references with information related to lessons you plan to give). F. With beginner player, use a progression (step-by-step) of teaching the strokes. With an intermediate/advanced player: - ANS A. Demonstrate all parts of each stroke. B. Eliminate biggest flaw in player's game. C. Do not change for the sake of changing. D. Determine if change is major or minor. If major: 1. It will require time to administer and may not be appropriate in a 30-minute lesson. 2. It is important that student go along with the change. Student must be sold on benefits of change. Diagnose the problem and establish a cure (suggested approach) - ANS A. You have three choices in deciding the "cure": 1. Pick a theme. 2. Use a progression (step-by-step). 3. Determine and focus on the primary problem for each player. B. Identify the cause of the problem for the intermediate to advanced player. C. Use a progression (step-by-step) for the beginner to advanced beginner. D. Avoid confusing symptoms with causes. E. Determine student's grip. F. Watch ready position, especially the racquet. New teachers make the mistake of watching the ball instead. G. Watch pivot or turn, footwork to the ball, backswing, stance at contact, forward swing, contact point, follow-through, position of the head of the racquet. H. Concentrate only on the primary problem. 1. Be careful not to say something different to student each time he hits the ball. 2. Go to the secondary factor only after you resolve the primary problem. I. Use the simplest way to correct the problem. J. Be positive, patient, persistent. K. Avoid going to extremes. L. In an imaginary shot, have the student concentrate on contact point, "freezing" the swing; with advanced player, have him close his eyes while doing this in order to establish in student's mind the "feel" of the correct stroke. Ages 8 to 12 years: - ANS Still keep lessons fun, but switch drills about every 10 to 15 minutes. Make the drills simple and competitive so that the student can keep track of how many times the ball goes over the net, or into a certain target area. Minitennis is great for touch and control. Experiment at this age with spin, pace and trajectory. This also is the time to try the one-handed backhand even if the child has already established a two-hander. Remember, ultimately even two-handed backhands need an alternative one-handed backup on very wide and low balls. The teacher needs to evaluate whether this shot should be encouraged. Ages 12-18: - ANS The serious player can be pushed pretty hard. Challenge him or her and encourage development in all parts of the game. The student should be helped to honestly analyze his or her strengths and weaknesses, and to set short-term goals (accomplished within two or three lessons), and long-term goals (may take six months to two years, i.e. changing a grip). Emphasize that performance goals (improvements in technique and attitude on court) are more important than result-oriented goals (tournament wins or rankings), be- cause the player can control performance goals in practice and matches. Advanced juniors: - ANS These players should drill intensely with frequent, short breaks so that concentration doesn't wander. Most practice sessions don't need to be more than two hours, but they should be of high quality. In a practice session, the drill should be switched every 15 to 20 minutes or less, and fitness exercises should be used, such as wind sprints, ball drills, footwork, sit-ups, pushups or jumping. It is best to work on technique during the first part of the practice because the student is fresher. The practice session should be structured in the following manner: Teach specific techniques, possibly breaking down a stroke without much movement, but using the full stroke. Practice specific techniques with some movement. Play some sets or do fitness drills. Use fitness drills without using racquets. Progression levels: Junior tiny tots: - ANS Students usually are 4 to 8 years old, are able to follow directions and can relate to the instructors in a group setting. The emphasis of the program is on FUN, as well as on developing hand-eye coordination and basic tennis skills. PL: Junior young beginners: - ANS Students generally are 7 to 9 years old and have little or no tennis skills or experience. The emphasis of the class is on fun and on developing an interest in tennis among the students. Instruction includes basic tennis skills, hand-eye coordination drills/games, basic footwork, tennis rules and scoring. PL: Beginner to low-intermediate juniors: - ANS Students usually are ages 9 to 12. This clinic again is based on fun and developing enthusiasm for tennis, with classes that are instructive as well as entertaining. These students range in ability level from the player with little tennis experience, to those who have completed the young beginners program. The goals of this program are to improve consistency and rallying capabilities. Students also will learn basic singles and doubles strategy. PL: Intermediate to advanced juniors: - ANS 10-14 years old, have tennis experience and are more serious about tennis. Students in this group are able to keep the ball in play, direct their shots, have a consistent serve, and are proficient in playing at the net. The program emphasis is more on developing strokes and advanced strategies, learning more specialty shots, and practicing more competitive game situations. PL: Junior tournament drills: - ANS These students usually are ages 11 to 17. This is a competitive level, with participants who are playing school tennis or tournaments and are very serious about their tennis games. The emphasis is on working hard to improve competitive playing skills. Advanced strokes and strategy are fine-tuned through drilling and match play. PL: Beginner adult clinic: - ANS This is structured to teach adults the basic strokes and strategies, rules, and scoring of the game, and is appropriate for the player with little or no tennis experience. The clinic emphasizes getting students proficient quickly in the basic strokes and strategies so they can play a game. Students become discouraged and will drop tennis if they feel it takes too long to learn to play. Try to encourage former players to give the game another try. PL: Advanced-beginner adult clinic: - ANS The player with some previous tennis experience, who is proficient in the basics of the forehand, backhand and serve, will enjoy this clinic. Its goals are to introduce the approach shot, volley, lob and overhead strokes; to learn to direct shots with more pace; to improve footwork; and to learn more singles and doubles strategies PL: Intermediate adult clinic: - ANS Participants are able to hit consistent serves, sustain a rally and control the net with volleys and overheads. These players also are playing at least once a week and are fairly serious about tennis. The goals of the intermediate clinic are to learn more advanced strategies for singles and doubles, to learn additional specialty strokes, to improve the serve by adding power, and to introduce spin to groundstrokes and the serve. PL: Advanced adult clinic: - ANS This adult has been playing for a while and plays a couple of times a week. He or she hits with good pace and with spin, is able to meet the ball on the rise, and can control all shots. The goals of this clinic are to perfect the mechanics of all strokes, to work on advanced singles and doubles strategies (controlling the net and poaching), and to improve competitive skills. PL: Adult drill session: - ANS A great way for students to practice all their shots in a structured drill format. This fast-paced session has students hitting only with the instructor, not with other students, so that all ability levels may be accommodated. The goal of this session is to hit a lot of balls and to get a workout; it is not oriented toward instruction. Examples of tennis skill games: - ANS Highest number of bounces down and up off the racquet Team contests: First team to hit 30 forehands and/or backhands over the net Relay races: First team to race from the baseline to the net while balancing a ball on their racquet strings. Examples of tennis games: - ANS -Around the world -tennis volleyball Look for the primary cause of problems: - ANS A. Start from the beginning of shot preparation. B. Examine how students get themselves and racquets ready. Preparation is critical - good professionals watch the player, not the ball. Interdependence: - ANS A. One problem can cause another. Learn clues. For example: Student has weight on rear foot, and shoulders are tipped back. The problem isn't balance, it's the late preparation. Cure: - ANS A. Show them what should be done: Have them "shadow" the shot. B. Develop cue words. C. Use analogies (compare bending the knees with another activity the student is familiar with, i.e., skating, skiing, sliding). D. Be sure to use all communication skills including verbal, visual, kinesthetic and use of imagery. Concentrate on one thing at a time: - ANS A. In their eagerness to do a complete job, inexperienced teachers often over-teach. B. If student has more than one problem, pick out the primary one and ignore the others until it is corrected. C. Learning tennis requires muscle knowledge, which is acquired through repetition. Watch the hand and racquet: - ANS A. "Racquet work" refers to how one "handles" the racquet, the use of the hand. It is the steering wheel of the whole mechanism of body, arms, legs and head. Progression for analyzing a stroke A.) Areas where changes can occur: - ANS 1. Ready position 2. Grip 3. Pivot or turn 4. Footwork 5. Backswing 6. Stance 7. Forward swing 8. Contact point 9. Follow-through 10. Position of the racquet head 11. Use of nondominant hand 12. Recovery 13. Explain kinetic motion and its importance to all of above. A ___ or eastern grip should be used in feeding. Extreme grips make feeding difficult for the instructor and may make the feed hard for the student to hit. - ANS continental The follow-through is heavily influenced by the depth, height, direction, speed and spin of the shot. It is also influenced by the grip of the player, particularly on groundstrokes. For example, an ___ grip would result in a follow-through more toward the intended target. The ___ grip would result in a high finish over the opposite shoulder, with knuckles of the hitting hand close to the opposite cheek. The ___ grip would finish up across the opposite hip pocket. - ANS eastern semiwestern western A shorter backswing is used to develop ___, while the longer backswing will produce ___. The faster the oncoming ball, the ___ the backswing should be, while a slower ball may be hit with a ___backswing. - ANS control power shorter longer Topspin: - ANS If a ball has topspin, the top of the ball is rotating in the direction the ball is traveling. As the ball rotates, this forces the ball downward, creating a high pressure area on the top of the ball and low pressure below the ball. This forces the looping effect commonly seen with topspin groundstrokes. Backspin: - ANS The opposite effect is usually observed with underspin. The bottom of the ball has a high pressure area with the top of the ball having a low pressure area. The result is that the ball tends to stay in the air longer as it travels across the net. The intent of most underspin groundstrokes is to drive the ball deep into the opponent's court with a low trajectory. There are five special elements to movement and footwork: - ANS 1. Predicting 2. Intercepting 3. Preparation 4. Recovery 5. Positioning 1. Predicting: - ANS A. Sequential Dependencies: 1. Speed of ball 2. Spin on ball 3. Trajectory of ball 4. Angle of ball's path B. Landing point of ball C. Adjustments to sequential dependencies following ball's impact with court. D. Final position of ball at receiver's "power point". 2. Intercepting: - ANS A. Three types or ways of initiating movement to the ball: 1. Basketball "cut off the baseline" step (outside foot towards the ball). 2. Small step opposite the direction of the ball to push off 3. Gravity step B. Movement with head and shoulders level and lower body moving (no bouncing). C. Heel up with running heel down when preparing. D. Maintaining balance. 3. Preparation: - ANS A. Outside foot placed behind the path of the ball. B. Outside foot closer to the net on wide balls. C. "Load" the outside leg D. Body balanced with weight on the inside of the loaded leg E. Transfer weight, either to the inside or forward prior to ball contact F. Possible directions for weight transfer during a ground stoke: 1. Forward (toward the net or target) 2. Backward 3. Outside (away from the center of the court) 4. Inside 5. Up 4. Recovery: - ANS A. Inside weight transfer from "loaded" leg to groundstroke B. Angle of outside leg less than 90 degrees when landing from a small hop created by weight transfer up or slightly outward. C. Plyometric explosion when landing from small hope toward the optimal recovery position D. Crossover step and run when necessary to cover more than a 3 or 4 yard distance. 5. Positioning: - ANS A. Recover to the geometric center of opponent's hitting options, hedging slightly to backhand side. B. Hips and shoulders should be facing the ball for complete recovery. C. Perfect recovery would require repositioning before the ball hits the court on the opponent's side. Scalability factors that can be modified to fit any skill level: - ANS 1. Speed 2. Height 3. Depth 4. Direction 5. Frequency 6. Spin Changes in stroke (11): - ANS 1. Ready position 2. Grip 3. Pivot or turn 4. Footwork 5. Backswing 6. Stance 7. Forward swing to point of contact 8. Contact point 9. Follow through 10. Position of the head 11. Use of the non-dominant hand 3 phases of a shot: - ANS 1. Preparation phase 2. Hitting phase 3. Recovery phase Preparation phase components: - ANS 1. Foreperiod 2. Reaction time 3. Movement time Hitting phase components: - ANS 4. Shot selection 5. Footwork 6. Strike-zone setup 7. Backswing 8. Forward swing 9. Contact Point Recovery phase components: - ANS 10. Follow-through 11. Recovery 1. Foreperiod components: - ANS a. positive physical response b. relaxation c. planning d. rituals e. visualization f. anticipation g. ready position h. grip 2. Reaction time components: - ANS a. intro of stimulus b. brain impulse c. muscle impulse 3. Movement time components: - ANS a. final grip b. time to strike-zone Reaction time + movement time = - ANS Response time a. Positive physical response: - ANS Pump your fist for a won shot, or clap the racquet if your opponent hit a great shot. Confident image and body position. Say "no problem" "let it go" "it's ok" or "yes" "come on". Consistent level of positive energy. Shadow the missed shot and visualize hitting it successfully. Do not show any emotion. Move the racquet to the non-dominant hand. b. Relaxation - ANS shake out your hands. Breathe deeply or slowly. Keep eyes on a fixed object (strings). Think relaxing thoughts like "settle down". 5 countdown deep breaths. c. Planning - ANS Visualize the next point, thinking about the score and your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Project a strong and confident and aggressive image. d. Rituals - ANS When you return to the baseline to serve or return, do a ritualistic act. If serving, bounce the ball 2 or 3 times and pause. When returning, bounce on your feet or sway, but your eyes should be fixed on the ball. Returning ritual ends with a split step and moving forward just prior to server's contact with the ball. No self-talk. e. Visualization - ANS Visualizing serve or return of serve prior to each point facilitates execution. Visualization facilitates instinctive and automatic execution. It is the most important part to the psychological part of play. f. Anticipation - ANS Broken down into 2 classifications: total and partial. Total is predicting what the opponent will do, partial is predicting what the opponent will not do. Partial is the most common in tennis. Anticipation: 4 major factors: - ANS 1. Type and Quality of opponent's shot. 2. Patterns, tendencies, strengths and weaknesses. 3. Opponent's court position 4. Cues from your opponent's stroke. g. Ready position - ANS The ready position should be a position of balance that best allows a player to move. Slight knee bend or bouncing. Takes part based upon anticipation. Ready position should allow the player to face the ball, not the net. h. Grip - ANS Generally, a player waits with a specific grip and shifts to a precise grip while bouncing into a split step and moving towards the strike zone setup. Movement time includes: - ANS Time between the muscle impulse and the completion of a movement. It includes: change to the final grip and time to strike zone. Response time: - ANS the reaction time and movement time required to make the exchange. Semi-open stance footwork: - ANS load-explode-land Traditional footwork: - ANS turn-step-hit Preparation phase contains: - ANS foreperiod- the time between points or between hits in a rally where the person prepares physically or mentally for what's next. Reaction time- the time it takes for the brain to recognize what to do and muscles to begin to move. Movement time- the time it takes to move to address the incoming ball. The split step occurs: - ANS between ready and introduction of the stimulus. 1). First step towards the ball: (forehand) - ANS Jab- right foot moves out towards the ball, hips turn slightly; a lateral motion. Gravity step- hips turn, right foot steps under the body or base, the body leans and motion is initiated with gravitational assist. 2). Next steps towards the ball: - ANS Crossover step- follows a jab or a gravity turn, leg crosses over other leg to cover more distance. Running- longer steps taken towards ball. Positioning steps- shorter steps used to position the player in the optimum strike zone. Open stance: - ANS the hips and shoulders are parallel to the net before contact Neutral/square stance: - ANS hips and shoulders are diagonal to net Closed stance: - ANS the front leg steps across body before contact Shuffling: - ANS recovery used when distance is short, or when time to recover is ample. Running: - ANS used when recovery distance is great, or when time to recover is brief. Running steps to shuffle steps: - ANS the high performance variation that flows from the open stance. Gravity step to running to shuffle steps: - ANS high performance variation that comes from the open stance, but allows more robust movement. Loading step: - ANS final step in the adjustment of the strike zone setup and should happen on every shot. Loading is the storing of energy for an angular stroke, facilitated by a rotation of the shoulders and hips and a slight knee bend. Force is generated from: - ANS loading weight primarily on the inside of the outside leg. Brake step: - ANS first recovery step after a shot. Allows for a change of direction. Balance step: - ANS step after a recovery shot when a player wants to continue momentum in that direction. Two commonalities between all modern topspin forehand backswings: - ANS 1. looping. The loop provides for a better transfer of momentum and helps players handle the varying heights of incoming balls. 2. the body is used to prepare the racquet. The first move is always with the foot, hip and shoulders and helps the backswing from getting too large or too far away from the body. Backswing: single-unit turn: - ANS Moving the racquet back in synchrony with the shoulder turn. This movement implies a rotation of the whole racquet arm about the shoulder. Used with a more compact swing. Backswing: elbow-leading turn: - ANS 1.Moving the elbow back in sync with the right shoulder 2. Pointing the tip of the racquet to the oncoming ball 3. Closing the racquet face as the elbow is raised. 4. Pivoting the forearm and racquet about the elbow so the racquet is rotated up to a position above the elbow and shoulder. Used by players with better timing skills. The highest point of the loop should be ___ the level of the incoming ball. - ANS above Commonalities in the modern contact point: - ANS 1. Hips and shoulders are parallel to the net (or perpendicular to the target area) at impact during the loaded open-stance forehand. 2. Ball contact is in front of the body 3. On forehands, the free hand plays a key role in balancing the body weight for contact 4. Racquet head acceleration culminates at maximum speed at contact. The follow-through is an extremely significant part of the shot that provides: - ANS 1. The completion of rotation required for maximizing angular momentum. This full rotation also plays a key role in body positioning for maximum recovery efficiency. By following through in the direction of the target, the dominant-side shoulder and hip continue to rotate and are pulled to their final position, taking full advantage of angular momentum. 2. A path for the racquet to follow. This helps a player maintain balance throughout the shot. 3. Appropriate acceleration through impact. This is particularly important for imparting spin and control. If the follow through is shortened, the racquet will have to slow down before contact. 4. Normal racquet head deceleration. This can help reduce arm related injuries. 5. A way for professionals to judge the quality of the stroke. Vertical follow-through: - ANS Finishing on the same side of the body, straight up and over hitting shoulder. Elevated follow-through: - ANS Finishing on the opposite shoulder. Horizontal follow-through: - ANS Finishing around the opposite arm, chest high. Inverted follow-through: - ANS Finishing around the opposite hip/thigh. With topspin, the boundary air on top of the ball is going in the ___ direction as the airflow encountering the ball. This causes a high amount of turbulence ___ the ball that brings the ball downward. - ANS opposite above In backspin, the bottom of the ball is rotating in the ___ direction the ball is traveling. Turbulence is ___, so the ball tends to stay in the air longer. - ANS same underneath Topspin rebound bounces occur at a ___ angle, but bounce higher because of their approach angle. - ANS lower Backspin bounces are at a ___ angle because the ball pushes forward against the court at contact. - ANS greater Forehand sequence step 1: - ANS Early preparation Non-dominant hand close to racquet At least a semi-western grip Forehand sequence step 2: - ANS Footwork