Smooth Operators: Promoting Skill Acquisition in Novice Tennis Players

According to different skill acquisition theories, top-down/bottom-up processes will differentially impact on motor skill improvements and should inform the pedagogic approach adopted by the teacher/coach. Despite these predictions, there are few studies that compare different teaching/coaching approaches from these perspectives. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of different coaching approaches when acquiring the tennis forehand drive shot among secondary school children (N = 24, age 12–13 years) in Kuwait. Specifically, three methods were compared: demonstration only, verbal instructions with demonstration and a design informed by the constraints-led approach. Measures of performance outcome, expert coach rating, learner understanding and preference, as well as upper-limb kinematics were obtained following a practice block, at delayed retention test after 1 week and on a transfer task. ANOVA revealed no significant differences between conditions for performance outcome or expert coach ratings. However, there were significant differences in the upper-limb movement kinematics (p < .05), as measured by jerk, indicating that VID had lower levels of jerk compared to CLA in all phases. Additionally, when questioned after the study on their perceptions, 92% of the participants preferred being coached using verbal instructions with a demonstration. Overall, findings indicate that the more prescriptive coaching method in this case led to improved understanding and movement smoothness and was also preferred by most participants. Teachers and coaches are therefore encouraged to carefully consider what methods are employed against learner needs and expressed preferences.