Why I Decided to Teach My Daughters Tennis

Do you consider that every tennis coach has a duty to introduce their children to tennis? Even if only to teach them the basics so they can enjoy it later with their friends?

These were questions I was asking myself as my baby daughters were turning 4 and 5 years old. 

Many days and nights had I thought about it: what if they didn’t like tennis? Is there a social expectation from a tennis coach to have his children pick up the sport he likes so much? 

I was young and did not have answers to those questions…

One of the biggest thoughts that I could not shake off was the one that eventually made me decide to take this step and introduce my daughters to tennis:

“Would I forgive myself after 20-30 years if I did not teach them to play tennis?”

No, I would not. 

And this is how I got my daughters started with this sport. 

There is more to this story, but I have to keep it short – 

My daughters began with group classes so they could see other kids enjoying tennis, and only after they got a taste of this sport, they asked me to be their coach. 

It was not easy because my daughters have strong personalities. And they “knew better than me” how to hit the ball and would not accept anybody telling them how to do it. 

Even though their father was a tennis coach…
They knew tennis better than I. 🙂

Teaching your kids is not an easy task, but it would give a parent great satisfaction seeing them grow in the sport, become competitive, and learn to work hard to develop their skills… not to mention the hours you spend with them on the court is just… priceless.

So yes, I did manage to teach my two daughters to play tennis and we did this process together for 9 years. 

Best part?

Occasionally, my wife would record some of their lessons. 

If you want to see how I did it, and learn the techniques, the games, and the ways I interacted with my daughters on the tennis court, you can watch the whole 9-year process in this WebTennis24 section called My Daddy / My Coach.

Was it easy, or was it hard? 

It does not matter. 

The time I spent with them on the court during all those years is just precious. 

If you are teaching your children or intend to do it soon, I am here for you. 

I’ve done it, so I know what you will be going through. 

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Perfect Tennis Technique or Games-Based Approach?

kids practicing tennis

I was recently asked about my preferred teaching style: do I strive for the “perfect” technique or do I let my students learn tennis through games (lately there have been more and more tennis coaches who embrace the games-based approach).

The answer is simple: tennis should be fun regardless of the level of performance.

I do like to stress the proper technique at the beginning of the lesson just to start with the right fundamentals, but I want to make sure that at least 60% of my lessons are actually exciting for my students by introducing games and drills that have them work on placement, friendly competition, and strategies. 

In my teaching career, I’ve often paid attention to the faces of my students: when they are put through the repetitive drills of learning the “perfect” technique and when they are presented with the opportunity to play tennis games

The difference between the two is enormous; and here is why: 

1. When a coach stresses the technique most of the time, the students might end up “looking great” on the court, but deep down in the back of their minds they will consider tennis boring and repetitive. 

2. The games-based approach gets players thrilled to be on the court and, even though their technique will not be as good in the beginning, the fact that they enjoy playing tennis will make them do this longer and not only that… they’ll encourage their friends to get involved into it because people want to share things they love.

I’m not advocating that technique should be eliminated from the tennis practice – just not over-emphasized.

My suggestion would be that a player/student should practice their technical elements at the beginning of the lesson (let’s say for about 15 – 20 minutes) but then they should be exposed to applying the learned fundamentals into a fun-related tennis activity.

Keep tennis practice fun and exciting. You’ll play tennis longer and live healthier.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

How to “Enforce” Proper Tennis Technique

teaching proper tennis technique

I was recently asked: “How can I get my students to stick with the technique I teach them and not poke at the ball once they begin playing games?”

This is a very good question because I remember doing this as a kid only for the sake of winning a match. In my attempt to not miss I would just “push” the balls over the net.

The upside was that I was winning matches playing this way… in the beginning.

The downside? Well, this kind of play does not lead to real progress in the long term.

Poking the ball will annoy your opponents first but they will soon figure you out and make you work hard for the points.

The players should understand that developing relaxed and full swings will benefit their tennis in the long run.

A player who cares for their proper development knows that in the beginning, it’s not about winning. They are patient to develop a comfortable technique that allows them to swing at the ball with power and less effort.

Many people want to sacrifice the process of properly developing a solid technique for the sake of winning a few matches.

As a coach, you must not allow players to become “sloppy” when playing; especially after a lesson where you put so much effort into teaching them the proper technique.

With my students, every time I see them not following the technique we studied, I stop and ask them to do shadow strokes (swing with the correct technique, without a ball). I do this with them until they know that not sticking with the proper strokes will interrupt their fun games. (:

If you follow this method, you’ll see that the players will develop a better awareness of how they swing and the proper tennis technique.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

6 Ways to Use the SLICE Shot to Your Advantage

tennis slice

In today’s game, dominating and finishing points with aggressive topspin groundstrokes is the norm for most tennis players. However, I would like to emphasize the many advantages of practicing slice (underspin) groundstrokes and using them more often in your matches.

Here are six reasons why you should add slice spin to your repertoire:

  1. Slice groundstrokes keep the ball low to the ground, making it difficult for your opponent to attack you with an aggressive shot. This is especially effective when playing against players who have a big topspin forehand or backhand. 
  2. Slice approaches keep you away from receiving balls down at your feet. This is because your opponent will be forced to hit up on the ball, which will give you more time to react and hit a good ‘high’ volley.
  3. Slice groundstrokes are great for doubles play. When playing against a team that loves to lob, a slice approach will make it almost impossible for them to send the ball high over your head.
  4. Slice groundstrokes add variety to your shots. Mixing up your shots with slice and topspin will help to disrupt your opponent’s timing and make it more difficult for them to read your next shot.
  5. Slice groundstrokes can give you time to recover when you are pushed wide by an aggressively angled groundstroke or serve. The slower pace of the slice will give you more time to get back into position and be in balance for the next shot.
  6. Slice spin is essential for hitting drop shots. The backspin on a slice shot will cause the ball to drop quickly and sharply, making it difficult for your opponent to reach.

Quick Technique Tip:
When executing a slice groundstroke, remember to begin the downward motion with the racquet high above the point of contact. This will help you to generate more underspin and keep the ball low to the ground.

Practice slice groundstrokes as often as possible. There will be times in the match when you will need them.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.