Tennis Lesson Plans (KS3)

Tennis Lesson Plans KS3 includes:

To be able to hold the racket using the correct grip and be able to alter this grip during a rally as appropriate to the shot to be played. Students should be able to identify different areas of the court and be able to move between these areas using a variety of movement techniques before returning to the ready position. Basic forehand and backhand groundstrokes as well as vollies should be evident in ½ court cooperative and competitive singles rallies, and these rallies should be started with a legal underarm serve that lands in the opponent’s service box. Throughout the phases students are constantly asked how to outwit opponents; evaluate performances; analyse strengths and weaknesses; whilst developing, adapting and refining skills, strategies and tactics to produce high levels of performances and high quality techniques. Students should understand the importance of and the principles considered when preparing for and recovering from a tennis session.

To be able to use a basic overhead serve (punch serve) to begin rallies. Groundstrokes on the fore and backhand should be played with more power and accuracy with sound basic technique in backswing, contact and follow-through, as should the volley. Students should understand more tactical and strategic principles that apply to these shots and these should be evident at a basic level in both ½ and full court singles games. Students should also be able to perform basic drop shots, lobs and smashes to outwit opponents, as well as being able to describe in their own words whether these are attacking and defensive shots and why. The students are to be constantly asked and tested on their knowledge and  understanding of how to outwit opponents; evaluate performances; analyse strengths and weaknesses; whilst developing, adapting and refining skills, strategies and tactics to produce high levels of performances and high quality techniques. These should also be evident in the competitive singles games that are to be umpired and line judged by fellow students.

To be able to use the full swing serve to begin competitive singles and doubles games that are again, umpired by fellow students. Students should be able to anticipate the serve of an opponent and use this information to prepare for returning the serve effectively. Students should be able to perform more advanced volleying and lobbing techniques and more intricate strategic and tactical awareness surrounding these shots should be evident in general play. Students should also be able to perform a basic ½ volley to return a ball played close to their feet. Students should know how to and be able to add spin to various shots and understand how spin affects the flight and bounce of the ball in particular shots such as the drop shot. The overhead smash should be used with greater power and an increase in accuracy with more purposeful direction to gain ascendancy in rallies and enable them to start to outwit opponents. The strengths and weaknesses of player’s techniques and positional play should be analysed and described by students and this information should be used as constructive feedback for performers. Following this,  the students are to be constantly asked and tested on their knowledge and  understanding of how to outwit opponents; evaluate performances; analyse strengths and weaknesses; whilst developing, adapting and refining skills, strategies and tactics to produce high levels of performances and high quality techniques. Students should also understand the different physical demands that are placed on the performer during a variety of physical activities.