I’ve been coaching Rafa and I’d like to share my experience with you.
After giving me a short description of how he is playing at the moment, he told me that his intention was to achieve more power in his forehand. He said that sometimes and particularly under challenge, he would revert to brushing up too much, creating too much spin.
After he had described how he would like to set up the practice – type of feed and exchange, I explained that instead of telling him what he needed to do I was going to ask him for his experience as this was important for the learning and change process.
He wasn’t too sure what I meant as he was used to being directed, so I said that although I and the other coaches watching here, know quite a bit about the technical side, what we don’t know is what you are experiencing as you hit each ball. So, I am interested in anything that you notice as you hit these next few balls – what are you feeling, seeing or hearing, and I might ask you some questions if that is ok?
After only hitting a few balls he looked quite tight as if there was some kind of interference impeding his learning. Rather than continue in this mode, I stopped the process and asked him ‘What are you noticing?’ ‘ Nothing’, was his reply. ‘What are you trying to do?’ I asked. He said, ‘I am trying to hit the ball more in front as I think this is helping…’ My next suggestion, made him pause and smile. I said instead of trying to hit the ball in front, would you be able to hit each shot and just be aware how far in front your contact is relative to your hip, i.e., is your contact behind, level or in front of your hip?
He went back to hit a few more balls and as he was monitoring his contact point by calling out after each shot; ‘level’ ‘in front’ level, in front, in front.. he started to relax and his shots looked more fluid again. He hit one shot which seemed to have more power than any of the others and I stopped and asked him ‘what did he notice on that one?’ and also, ‘if that was the kind of power, he was looking for?’ (his original goal).
He said yes that was the sort of power he was after. He was now really engaged and focused in the process and commented, ‘Wow, my wrist seemed to go forwards through the ball more now, and not go up so much’. ‘Is this something that is interesting to you? – Would you like to observe what is happening with your wrist?’ I asked. ‘Yes’, he said animatedly, ‘I could notice on each shot if my wrist goes through the ball or comes up?’ ‘That sounds great’ I said. ‘Let’s do it’. Within about 10 shots a big smile appeared on his face. ‘This is great! I am really hitting through it now and getting more power too’. ‘Yes, you are’, we all agreed.
‘Thank you, Andy! That was really helpful’.
‘You’re very welcome’, I said.
My aim in the coaching demonstration above was to see how far we could get to in the learning process by following the players experience increasing their awareness and helping them to focus, linked to the Inner Game Principles of Awareness, Choice and Trust.
BTW – Rafa stands for ‘Relaxed aware focused always’
This is an excerpt taken from a recent coach education course in which I coached a coach on something that they wanted to improve in their game.