Contents
The method: game, exercise, game
The Swiss Tennis / J+S coaching programme states the principle in one sentence: “Tennis soll als Spiel ganzheitlich entwickelt, vermittelt und gefördert werden” (tennis is to be developed, taught and promoted as a game, as a whole). Four markers follow from it:
| Marker | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GAG: global, analytical, global | Alternate game and exercise within the same session. | booklet no. 3 (2005), p. 6 |
| “Erwerben, Anwenden, Gestalten” (acquire, apply, shape) | How every exercise in the coaching programme is built. | Swiss Tennis / J+S Ausbildungsprogramm |
| The five game situations | “I start the point (serve) · I return the serve · My opponent and I both play from the baseline · I go to the net (attack) · I play a passing shot”. The current programme adds a “net play” row. | booklet no. 3, p. 4; Ausbildungsprogramm |
| The levels | In 2005: basics, beginners, advanced, experienced. Today: Einsteiger 1 and 2 (entry levels 1 and 2), then levels R9 to R3. | booklet no. 3; Ausbildungsprogramm |
The same five situations structure Louis Cayer’s “Singles tactics” paper published for the ITF and Tennis Canada (2005). Paak turned them into five of its eight drill themes, alongside doubles, match situations and physical work.
Organising 4 to 8 players on one court
The 2005 booklet offers three organisations: teaching as a group, in columns or in stations. The two Swiss booklets give the forms that keep everyone playing:
| Form | Players | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Red mini-courts across the court | up to 4 small courts, 2 to 4 players each | booklet no. 3, p. 3; booklet no. 55, p. 3 |
| Doubles games in the service boxes (“Table-tennis doubles”, “Flying racket”) | 4 per half court; more courts with the red ball | booklet no. 55, p. 14 |
| “Pole position” | 6 (three pairs) | booklet no. 55, p. 15 |
| “King of the court (lines)” | 2 pairs on numbered lines | booklet no. 55, p. 13 |
| Column training | 4 and more | booklet no. 55, pp. 4–5 |
| Indoor circuit (“Indoor stations circuit”) | 2 per station, 14 stations | booklet no. 3, p. 14 |
The group size the FFT recommends for its tennis school is not stated in the sources read. The doubles booklet also notes that tennis can be introduced on any surface, a school gym included, with a rope across the width and taped lines.
Feeding the ball well
Ten of Paak’s 44 drills start from a coach-fed ball. The guidance in the 2005 booklet (p. 9):
- Basket on the left for a right-handed feeder.
- 3 to 4 balls in hand to keep the continuity.
- No extreme grip when feeding.
- A slight slice: the ball is easier to return.
- With beginners, stand near the net and feed slow, precise balls; hand-feed if needed.
The four adaptation levers
When a task is too easy or too hard, the 2005 booklet (p. 13) works four levers, with one instruction: keep the spirit of the game.
| Lever | What you adjust |
|---|---|
| Space | court size, net height, target size |
| Rules | scoring, handicaps, one serve only, control touches |
| Equipment | lighter, softer or bigger balls; lighter rackets |
| Feeding | by hand, rhythm, speed, height, direction |
The session in Paak
Paak ships 44 tennis drills in French, English and German, all drawn from the two Swiss federation booklets (25 from booklet no. 3 of 2005, 19 from booklet no. 55 of 2009). They are filed in 8 themes and 4 age bands, and every theme × band cell holds at least one. The session builder puts together a warm-up, two main blocks on the chosen focus, a game block and a cool-down. Five foci to choose from: Serve & return · Baseline & defence · Approach & net play · Doubles play · Speed & movement.
| Theme | Game situation | From the youngest to the most advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | 1 | “Straight at the target (throwing)” → “Seven to win” |
| Return | 2 | “The funnel” → “Cool head” |
| Baseline | 3 | “The accordion” → “No-go zone” |
| Approach and net play | 4 | “Butterfly hunt” → “Serve and follow!” |
| Passing and defence | 5 | “Sandwich” → “Into orbit” |
| Doubles | cross-cutting | “Table-tennis doubles” → “No-Ad doubles” |
| Match situations | cross-cutting | “Snail doubles” → “Every game at 30–40” |
| Physical | cross-cutting (movement included) | “Wobbly balance tag” → “Sprint” |
Each drill states its play format (singles, doubles or both) and how the ball arrives: coach-fed (10 drills), cooperative rally (11), live ball (12) or scored play (11). For u9 and u13, the coaching points name the stage ball to use.
Frequently asked questions
How many players per court?
Should a session start with technique?
The drill does not work with my group. What should I change?
Sources
- OFSPO/BASPO mobilesport, practical booklet no. 3 “Tennis” (April 2005), S. Bachmann, M. K. Meier, R. Hunziker (Swiss Tennis / J+S): pp. 3, 4, 6, 9, 13 and 14.
- OFSPO/BASPO mobilesport, practical booklet no. 55 “Tennis – Double” (mobile 4/09, 2009), S. Bachmann, M. Meier (J+S Tennis head of discipline): pp. 1, 3, 4–5, 13, 14 and 15.
- Swiss Tennis + J+S, “Tennis: Ausbildungsprogramm”, published by OFSPO/BASPO on mobilesport.ch (file dated August 2023).
- L. Cayer, “Singles tactics (ITF)”, Tennis Canada / ITF, 2005.
- Paak tennis corpus, files 00 (knowledge map), 03 (technique, drills and pedagogy) and tennis-drills.json (44 drills), verified September 2026.