Coaches often ask me why players look great in drills but struggle when the scoreboard comes out. This paper offers an important clue. Our beliefs about how skill is acquired shape everything we do on court. The practices we design, the feedback we give, and even what we choose to value are all rooted in assumptions about learning. If tennis is dynamic, variable, and information-rich… …why do so many practices remove those very elements? Maybe it’s time to stop asking: ❌ “How can I get players to repeat the correct technique?” And start asking: ✅ “How can I design environments that help players adapt to the problems the game presents?” Because every shot is different. Every opponent is different. And every player brings their own unique constraints to the court. The goal isn’t to create identical players. The goal is to develop adaptable ones. If this carousel challenged your thinking, save it for later and share it with another coach who might benefit from a different pe...