Whether it is simply loading up with 5 balls in each pocket, using a Hip Hopper pouch, ball clips around the waist, or a tube product around the waist which holds three extra balls, beginners need to come prepared with extra balls. A practice hopper is really not the best option since there is a guaranteed 10-second pause to go to the hopper to get another ball. The only purpose of this exercise is to encourage continuous play and take the emphasis off of the errors. When a mistake is made, they stay in the same place and try the same shot again by simply taking another ball out of their pouch or pocket. This reduces the anxiety of making mistakes since they don t have time to dwell on them.
Players learn to simply see mistakes as part of the journey and make instant corrections.
The positive mental and psychological freedom of this experience is powerful. Cooperative skill building - One tremendous benefit of tennis as a lifelong sport is that it is fun and very social. All too often practice sessions become competitive with winners and losers - not an ideal learning and growing environment. Here we see four players demonstrating a cooperative game which could easily apply to any practice situation focusing on any single shot or combination of shots. Our players are simply paired together hitting volleys back and forth.