TARGET SYSTEMS

We are very excited to now offer tennis coaches and players a wide selection of visual target systems, divided into both Air Targets and Court Targets. One on-court study with 64 players showed up to a 66% increase in depth control using an Airzone with players hitting over the horizontal cord. Further informal studies confirmed dramatic increases in control for players aiming through specific targets, when those targets are achievable with a solid percentage of success. Gone are the days when coaches can have students aim for a single cone and call it effective target practice. When a player only succeeds in hitting a target when they are lucky (try aiming for a single cone with a serve), there is minimal carryover of that activity to real game situations. Ideally, a highly visual target system should be used that a player knows he or she can aim for and have a fairly good chance of hitting through or into. Be sure to use a progression to allow players of all levels succeed. Then, remember that it is critical to gradually remove the visual training aid (a technique called "fading"), to allow the players to continue to practice the skill without developing a dependence on the training aid itself.