| Have Some Real Fun Playing With a Beginner | |
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Variations
- Be flexible about your goals at each level. An essential value of step-by-step progressions is the emphasis on success at each step. (This idea is central to the PTR teaching philosophy, developed by Dennis Van der Meer.) There's no harm in starting with six twice or twelve once, for example, as a goal on Level One, then if that's too easy, bumping it up to ten/twenty. If this reduction proves best for Level One, try the same for Level Two, then four for Level Three, and four again for Level Four.
- If you're both having fun at a certain level, try to see how far above your goal you can get. Getting bigger and bigger "records" can be exciting.
- If two Bs want to play, put them both on the same side of the net, and hit alternately to each of them.
- With three Bs, Levels One and Two will work safely. All three can be at net or the service line, each hitting back to you in turn. Another alternative is to hit with one B while the other two hit with each other, then each time you "pass" a level with one B, rotate partners until you have passed with each of the Bs. (With two Bs working together on Level One, it might be safer to have one of the Bs toss to the other, with the volleyer trying to hit so that the tosser can catch.) If you're all on one court, it's probably not safe to try Levels Three and Four in any formation with more than two Bs, because the greater hitting distances will make ball placement and ball chasing too hard to control.
- If B wants to compete a little, you can turn any one of the levels into a game that will challenge both of you. The basic idea is that your shots have to go to B, or at least within a restricted area or depth, but B's shots can go anywhere in the singles court. You start each point with an easy feed to B, and you play to ten. The game version of Level One is especially fun. You feed an easy ball to B, who then tries to volley it so you can't get it. You'll work your tail off and still probably lose.
Next week, we'll take a look at how you can play serious, full court tennis with an opponent much below your level, yet still make it a challenging and enjoyable match for both of you.
Additional Resources:
Have a Challenging Match with a Weaker Player
Buying a Racquet for a Beginner
Winning Singles Strategies at the Beginner Plus Level
