❔ Question ❔
How do you guys teach a non-tennis player a (kick) smash?
would you start by having them throw a football or regular tennis ball to explain mechanics and pronation? obviously the basics are clear: 1) Stand sideways 2) get below the ball 3) prepare in trophy position with non playing hand tracking ball Etc..
thanks in advance :)
Comments (11)
u/zemvpferreira1w ago
It’s tricky. Personally I’d start by teaching them a winter smash, then a flat smash, and only after they have good mechanics on those progress to kick. It’s just easier to go from simpler to complex versions.
If I wanted to start at the kick directly, I’d do the bare minimum isolated technique and focus on the results I want instead, then sprinkle in the most needed technique cues for the individual. It would look something like:
-Hit the ball when it’s over your head
-Throw the racket at the ball as quick as possible
-Brush the ball from front to back
-Aim to hit the ground before the T.
That should do it.
3
u/TacticalStf1w ago
With a lot of patience and practice.
Maybe start from the rulo, to teach the racket movement, and then evolve to the complete kicksmash.
3
Noted.
How would you break down the mechanics though?
1
u/HumbleWorkerAnt1w ago
tons of videos on youtube about just this, best to just look it up. honestly it's not gonna come from someone writing the right words on here.
watch tutorials, try, try, try, repeat.
good luck bud
4
u/NeitherShare42101w ago
stand sideways is underrated
3
u/Percevaul1w ago
That's such a very important point that took me way too many months to internalize. It actually sped up my process after that a ton.
I'd say:
- Move your feet quickly to put yourself under the ball
- Change grip to eastern backhand (I use my other hand and leave the racket parallel to the ground or pointing at the ball slightly)
- Stand sideways. Shoulders and feet looking at the fence (drive side)
- Trophy pose, short prep is easier, push with the knees
- Hit the ball at the highest point, slightly (!) behind you gives you more kick (the farther you are from the net, the more behind you should hit)
- Loose the wrist to a side brush only when hitting
- Long follow through, body weight forward
Edit. I forgot to add the grip change. For me it was key.
3
u/kenigmalive1w ago
tbh its more so on closing your lead shoulder (which yes aligns with standing sideways) but sometimes in my case, standing in a extremely closed stance messes up my shoulder rotation so i always put my lead foot facing towards the cross net post (like tennis kick serve) while maintaining a closed shoulder
to each his own i guess
1
u/dirtydansie1w ago
Thought this was decent for building muscle memory [https://www.instagram.com/p/DVgIU6CjaXE/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVgIU6CjaXE/)
1
u/Top_Paint74421w ago
rulo first because you can use that a lot in every match
Kicksmash, it's fun, but hardly used in a match.
There's tutorials, if you can't learn it from a tutorial, it's probably better not to waste too much time on it.
1
u/theAGENT_MAN1w ago
I would teach flat smash and rulo. Don’t bother with a real kick smash unless you’re advanced.
1