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Tennis Coaching Lessons in Barnet Parks 🍃
We help all ages and stages unlock their passion to play 🎾
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https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TenaceousTennis/Coaching

09/09/2026

Tennis didn’t teach me how to win.

It taught me how to keep going when I wasn’t winning.

When I was younger, I thought success in tennis was all about results.

Winning tournaments.

Beating better players.

Proving that all those hours of training were worth it.

But some of the most important lessons tennis gave me came from the moments when things weren’t going my way.

I lost matches I should have won.

I competed while doubting myself.

I trained on days when I didn’t feel motivated.

I experienced injuries, pressure, disappointment and moments when I questioned how far I could actually go in tennis.

And eventually, my playing career didn’t become the career I once imagined it would.

But looking back, I don’t think those years were wasted at all.

Because tennis taught me something much bigger than how to hit a ball.

It taught me how to stay when things become uncomfortable.

How to compete when confidence disappears.

How to accept that sometimes you can give everything you have and still lose.

And most importantly, how to get up and try again.

I think that’s one reason I care so much about the players I coach now.

Of course I want them to improve their technique.

I want them to compete well.

I want them to achieve their goals.

But I also know that one day, whether they become professional players or eventually put their rackets down, the person they became through tennis will matter far more than any trophy.

Because eventually you realise:

Winning is something tennis gives you sometimes.

Learning how to keep going is something tennis can give you for life.

What has tennis taught you?

Share your story in the comments. I’d genuinely love to hear what this sport has meant to you. 🎾

05/09/2026

Want to change direction down the line reliably?

Understand this first.

When someone hits cross-court to you, you can use the momentum behind it to help you hit the ball parallel to the tramlines.

And that incoming ball already has:

Speed
Spin
Momentum

When it meets your racket, all of those things will influence where the ball goes after it leaves your strings.

This is why deflection matters.

Think about it this way:

If you send the ball back in roughly the direction it came from, you’re working more naturally with the incoming ball.

But when you change a cross-court ball to down the line, you’re making the ball leave at a different angle.

That requires better control of your:

Racket face.
Racket swing.
Body position.

And the faster the incoming ball is, the less room you have for error.

That’s why when players try to change direction, they often see the ball fly wide.

It isn’t always because they “aimed badly.”

They may have been late for the contact, the racket may have opened up too much, or they may have allowed the incoming ball speed to deflect the ball away from their intended target.

So when you want to change direction reliably, you need to:

Understand the deflection.
Control your racket angle through contact.
Finish your racket swing.

Understand the incoming ball first, then you can redirect it comfortably and reliably.

Follow us for more tennis coaching tips like this.

30/08/2026

It was the first round of the Nottingham County Championships.

I'd only moved to Nottingham from Wiltshire that year, so it was my first County Championships there.

I was playing one of the county's top juniors.

And I started brilliantly.

⠀

I won the first set 6-2.

I was serving well, playing aggressively and controlling the match.

⠀

But the second set was much closer.

We ended up in a tiebreak.

I kept my nose in front and eventually found myself at 6-5.

Match point.

⠀

I returned his serve and was hitting my forehand to his backhand.

Then I got a shorter ball and attacked down the line, moving him well off the court.

He somehow reached it and dipped the ball back below the height of the net.

I'd already come forward.

There was plenty of open court.

All I had to do was put the volley away.

⠀

But I'd already started thinking about winning.

About shaking hands.

About the match being over.

And when the ball came back, I wasn't ready to play another shot.

⠀

The volley drifted about 10cm wide.

⠀

I lost the tiebreak 9-7.

Then lost the match tiebreak 10-2.

⠀

Looking back, the lesson wasn't that I should never have missed that volley.

Easy shots get missed.

Especially under pressure.

⠀

The mistake was thinking that being one point away meant the match was basically finished.

My opponent hadn't given up.

He'd made one more ball.

And I hadn't fully accepted that I might have to keep fighting.

⠀

That's something I see in club players all the time.

You get close to winning.

You see the finish line.

And suddenly, you're no longer playing the point in front of you.

You're playing the point you hope is about to happen.

⠀

But your opponent doesn't care that you're ready to shake hands.

They're still trying to win.

⠀

So the lesson I took from that match was simple:

**Don't mentally finish the match before you've actually won it.**

You might need to hit one more shot.

You might need to win five more points.

You might have to stay out there longer than you want to.

And

29/08/2026

It was the first round of an Under-16 Grade 3 tournament.

I'd never played my first-round opponent before.

And he beat me 6-3, 6-1.

⠀

I hadn't played badly.

My opponent was simply too good that day.

He was hitting a lot of topspin winners with pace, particularly from his forehand.

That forehand was his knockout blow.

He had bigger shots and better technique than me, and I didn't really have an answer for him.

⠀

The next day, we ended up playing each other again in the Under-18s event

Before that, though, we'd both lost our previous rounds.

I had lost my first-round match 6-0, 6-1.

⠀

I was frustrated with how that match had gone.

And at that point, it would have been very easy to let the whole tournament unravel.

Without picking myself up, it would have been a very poor tournament.

⠀

Instead, I decided to reset for my second meeting against the guy who'd destroyed me the day before.

But this time, I noticed something different about my opponent.

He seemed to be lacking energy.

He was becoming increasingly negative.

And the winners he'd hit so easily against me the day before were starting to turn into unforced errors.

⠀

When he got frustrated, he'd try to counter it by playing safer.

And that was my opportunity.

⠀

I knew I wasn't going to beat him by trying to hit bigger shots than him.

So I found another way.

I took more balls away from his strike zone by playing into his backhand.

I used low slice to keep the ball awkward on the carpet.

And when he played safer, I was able to step in and execute my own winning shots.

⠀

Mine probably weren't as good as his on paper.

But that day, I was able to execute more of them.

⠀

Most importantly, I stayed positive.

I knew that if I lost, it was okay.

He was still probably the better player.

But I also knew I had a chance to win if I stayed composed while he continued losing control of his emotions.

⠀

And I found a way to win.

⠀

But the tournament wasn't over.

The next day, I came back and won my final match 7-5, 7-6.

That made the win over him even more important.

Follow for more stories and tips like this.

27/08/2026

Want to rally longer?

Stop trying to control every ball.

A rally is unpredictable.

Some balls come deep.

Some land short.

Some bounce higher than expected.

Some arrive faster, slower, heavier or wider.

And one of the biggest mistakes I see is players trying to hit the same perfect shot from every ball.

That’s when consistency disappears.

Instead of controlling the ball, learn to adapt to it.

If you receive a comfortable ball?

Step in and play your normal rally shot.

If the ball pushes you deep?

Give yourself space, add height and play it back with margin.

If you’re pulled wide?

Don’t force the winner.

Create space, stay balanced and give yourself time to recover.

If the ball comes short?

Move forward and recognise that you may have an opportunity to attack.

Your job during a rally isn’t to make every ball look the same.

Your job is to find the right solution for the ball you’ve been given.

That means adjusting:

Your position.
Your height over the net.
Your pace.
Your spin.
Your target.

Sometimes the best rally ball is heavy and deep.

Sometimes it’s higher and safer.

Sometimes you’re simply trying to neutralise and get yourself back into the point.

Good players don’t force the rally to go exactly how they want.

They adapt until they receive the ball they want.

So next time you’re rallying, don’t ask:

“How can I control this ball?”

Ask:

“What does this ball allow me to do?”

Read it.

Adapt.

Recover.

Then do it again. 🎾

Follow Tenaceous Tennis for more tennis tips like this.

26/08/2026

Your footwork starts before the ball reaches your side of the court.

A lot of players think footwork means:

See the ball.

Run to it.

Hit it.

But if you only start moving once the ball has crossed the net, you’re already reacting late.

Good footwork starts on your opponent’s side of the court.

As your opponent prepares to hit, you should already be preparing too.

Watch their body.

Watch their racket.

And most importantly, time your split step around their contact.

As they hit:

Split.
Read.
React.

Once you recognise the direction of the ball, make your first move immediately.

Then use your adjustment steps to create the right distance between your body and the ball.

Now you’re not running desperately towards the ball.

You’re moving with a purpose:

Get behind it.
Create space.
Find your contact point.
Stay balanced.

And your footwork doesn’t finish when you hit.

As soon as your shot leaves the racket:

Recover.

Get yourself back into a position where you can cover your opponent’s next options.

Then prepare to split step again.

That’s the rhythm of tennis:

Split → Read → Move → Adjust → Hit → Recover → Split again.

When you get this right, something interesting happens.

The court starts to feel smaller.

The ball feels slower.

And you suddenly have more time to play your shots.

Not necessarily because you’ve become faster…

But because you’ve stopped starting late.

Great footwork isn’t just about how fast you move.

It’s about how early you’re ready to move. 🎾

Follow for more practical tennis tips you can take straight onto the court.

24/08/2026

Want more consistent groundstrokes?

Stop swinging harder and start preparing earlier.

A lot of players think the answer to a better groundstroke is:

More power.

A bigger backswing.

But if you’re preparing late, swinging harder usually makes the problem worse.

Because by the time the ball arrives, you’re rushing.

Your feet are still moving.

Your contact point gets late.

And suddenly you’re trying to create the entire shot with your arm.

Instead, prepare as soon as you recognise where the ball is going.

See the ball.

Turn your shoulders.

Get your racket prepared.

Then use your feet to adjust to the ball.

Now when the ball arrives, you don’t have to rush your swing.

You have time to:

Step into the court.

Transfer your weight.

Make contact in front.

Finish your swing.

And most importantly — recover for the next shot.

This is why good players can look like they’re barely trying while still hitting a heavy ball.

They’re not necessarily swinging harder.

They’re giving themselves more time to execute the swing properly.

Try this in your next rally:

The moment you recognise forehand or backhand, start your preparation.

Don’t wait for the ball to bounce.

You might be surprised by how much slower the ball suddenly feels.

Early preparation creates time.
More time creates better contact.
Better contact creates consistency.

You don’t always need a faster swing.

Sometimes you just need an earlier start. 🎾

Follow for more practical tennis tips you can take straight onto the court

22/08/2026

From 12–14, my tennis took no significant progress.

I was still training.

I still wanted to improve.

But I was stuck.

⠀

When I eventually changed coaches, I realised something important.

I couldn't always see the problems in my own game.

My new coach noticed technical and tactical things that had been allowed to slide.

For example, I wasn't setting up sideways on enough for my forehand.

There were also tactical issues around when to play cross-court and when to change direction down the line.

⠀

None of these changes transformed my tennis overnight.

They were small adjustments that gradually started to have an impact.

And my results started improving along with them.

⠀

That experience changed how I think about improvement.

Sometimes you're not lacking motivation.

You're not lazy.

You're not incapable of getting better.

You might simply be practising the wrong things, again and again - over and over.

⠀

And that's difficult to recognise when you're the player. You can't see what's in the jar from the inside.

You feel like you're working hard because you are.

But if nobody is helping you identify the patterns you're missing, it's easy to spend months repeating the same mistakes.

⠀

That's one of the things I try to do differently as a coach.

I don't want to give a cookie-cutter approach.

I want to understand your game, identify what's actually holding you back and give you something specific to work on. Starting with the most salient point.
⠀

That's also why I analyse video with my online players.

Sometimes the thing holding your tennis back isn't obvious while you're playing.

You need someone outside the court to spot it.

⠀

And that's why I continue to train and compete myself.

I want to keep experiencing the game, testing things and learning.

I can then bring that relevant knowledge back to the players I coach.

And importantly, I still enjoy doing it.

⠀

If you're an advanced club player who feels like you're putting in the work but aren't progressing, you might not need more motivation.

You might just need a different perspective.

DM me ELLIOT and let's talk about your game.

21/08/2026

If you want longer rallies, stop hitting every ball from the same position.

One of the biggest mistakes I see players make is thinking:

“The ball is coming to my forehand, so I just need to hit my forehand.”

But no two balls are exactly the same.

One ball is deep.

One is short.

One is high.

One is low.

One pushes you wide.

And your court position needs to change with it.

If the ball lands deep, don’t force yourself to stay on the baseline.

Give yourself space.

Move back, create time and play a solid neutral ball.

If the ball lands short, don’t wait for it to come to you.

Move forward.

Step into the court, transfer your weight through the shot and take advantage of the shorter ball.

If the ball pulls you wide, move with it.

Create space, stay balanced and recover after your shot.

Then get ready again.

This is what good rallying actually looks like:

Adjust → Hit → Recover → Read → Adjust again.

Your position should constantly change depending on the ball you receive.

Sometimes you’re behind the baseline.

Sometimes you’re on it.

Sometimes you’re stepping inside it.

The goal isn’t to hit every ball from the same place.

The goal is to put yourself in the best possible position for the ball that’s actually coming.

So if you struggle to rally consistently, don’t only look at your swing.

Look at where you’re standing.

Better players don’t just move to the ball.
They move to create the right contact with the ball. 🎾

Follow for more practical tennis tips you can take straight onto the court.

20/08/2026

When I was younger, my first coach started playing more and more golf.

And somehow, golf started creeping into my tennis lessons.

I'd get analogies and explanations based on golf rather than tennis.

⠀

At the time, I didn't really question it.

I trusted my coach.

I was young, I'd been playing since seven, and this was the person teaching me how to play.

⠀

But looking back, it's made me think about something important about coaching.

**A good coach needs to keep learning too.**

⠀

It's easy to keep teaching the same things you've always taught.

It's easy to rely on the methods that worked for you years ago.

And it's easy to stop looking closely at the individual player in front of you.

⠀

But every player is different.

Their technique is different.

Their movement is different.

Their strengths and weaknesses are different.

And what works for one player won't necessarily work for another.

⠀

That's something I've become much more conscious of since becoming a coach myself.

**I don't want to give a cookie-cutter approach.**

I want to understand why a player is making the mistakes they're making, then give them something specific that actually makes sense for their game.

⠀

That's also why I continue to train and compete myself.

I want to keep learning, testing things and experiencing the game from a player's perspective.

That means I can bring relevant knowledge to the court—and I'm still enjoying what I'm doing.

⠀

I think that's important as a coach.

You shouldn't stop developing just because you've started teaching.

⠀

If you're an advanced club player who wants more confidence when competing and wants to level up your game, DM me **ELLIOT**.

Let's work out what's actually holding your tennis back.

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