# @mytenniscoaching on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DbabXwvOJgi
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68484649-mytenniscoaching-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/a95c680b09.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-30T10:03:29.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Steve Whelan | International Tennis Coach Developer (@mytenniscoaching) — https://gondola.cc/mytenniscoaching

## Caption

Tennis coaches cannot complain that players are poor decision-makers while continually removing decisions from practice.

Tennis is supposed to be fun.

Yet pressure from parents, head coaches and performance systems can push coaches towards sessions that look controlled, organised and technically productive.

The problem is that tennis itself is not controlled or predictable.

It is a continuous interaction between two players. The ball changes, positions change, intentions change and new opportunities emerge with every action.

I have sat in performance meetings where one of the biggest criticisms of players was that they were poor decision-makers and problem-solvers.

But then you look at how many of them practise:

“Two crosscourt, one down the line.”

The coach has already decided where the player should hit each ball.

So where is the decision?

What if the opportunity to attack down the line appears on the first ball?

What if going crosscourt on the third ball is no longer functional?

What information is the player learning to use if the solution has already been prescribed?

You cannot develop adaptable decision-makers by repeatedly asking players to follow predetermined patterns.

Players need practices that allow them to perceive relevant information, form intentions, explore possibilities and experience the consequences of their decisions.

That is also where enjoyment often emerges: players are not simply completing drills. They are actively solving problems, competing and discovering ways to win.

If we want better decision-makers, we must design environments in which decisions genuinely belong to the player.

Are your players learning to play tennis—or learning to follow your instructions?

#TennisCoaching #TennisCoach #DecisionMaking #ProblemSolving #skillaquisition

## Stats

- **Views:** 1,231
- **Likes:** 8
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 0

## Tags

skillaquisition, problemsolving, tenniscoach, tenniscoaching, decisionmaking

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