Racket Skills
Racket Skills
Activity 1:
Battle Ships - Tennis Game
10 mins warm up
Method:
- You'll need 2 teams (1v1 or 2v2)
- Each team can have 3 targets 'battleships' - 3 cones or 3 hoops, which they place down in their half of the court (the court should be small so that the targets are close together).
- Using an underarm throw or an underarm serve, try to hit your opponents battleships. If you hit one of them, you get to take their battleship and put it in your half of the court.
- The game is finished when all of the battleships have been won by one team
- Start the game again - or find a new opponent to play
Teaching Points:
- Use controlled arm movements to ensure an accurate throw or serve
- Look at the target before you throw or serve. If throwing the ball, remain focused on the target. If serving, look first at the target and visualise the strike you'll need to do and then focus on the ball you are striking
Equipment:
Tennis Balls, Cones or Hoops
4 Way Fun Tennis
Activity 2:
40 mins
Method:
Set up a bench in the 4 corners of the room, they should be against a wall, they are for the hitting teams to sit on.
In front of the bench you'll need a hoop with 5 tennis balls in
In front of the hoop you'll need a spot marker for the hitter to stand on + a tennis racket (each corner should be a different colour - red, blue, yellow, green)
In the middle of the room you'll need 4 cones, with a foam tennis ball on each
Split your group into 5 teams (You'll need 4-6 players per team, you coul make it 3 way if you don't have enough players)
4 teams will be the hitters and one team the ball collectors
The coach should be the ball Feeder in the middle of the room - if playing with older groups, the ball collecting team could be bowlers and 4 of them could bowl at same time
Divide the playing time you have by 5 as you'll need each of the 5 teams to take a turn at being ball collectors
The batting teams should be on the benches in the corners, they need their first player to hold the tennis racket and stand on the spot
The coach then feed the 4 balls, one at each batter, in quick succession
Batters try to hit the ball (makes no difference if they hit it or not or where it goes if they do)
When they've tried to hit the ball, they can run to any other team and steal a tennis ball and bring it back to their teams hoop. If they have time they can then go and steal another
The time they have ends when the ball collecting team have returned the 4 foam tennis balls back onto the 4 cones in the middle
The first batters then join the back of their batting queue and the next player gets ready to bat. Repeat this process for the time you have.
Hitting teams score a point for each tennis ball they have in their hoop at the end of the time and the ball collecting team get a point each time they get the 4 balls back on the cones
When the time for the innings finishes, count how many points each team has and then swap the ball collecting team with a hitting team
Do this until all teams have been ball collectors
Teaching Points:
Ball Striking - Use one hand to hold the racket, keep your head still and watch the ball
Strategy - think about which teams have the most points and steal their points!
Equipment:
Bench
Activity 3:
Method:
Teaching Points:
Equipment:
