If First 4 Shots Pro Average Rally Length gives us a picture of the final destination, would we all agree that it should not be used to dictate the beginning route or to block myriad roads to that destination?
There are many roads to that final destination. Many different ways to structure the practice court depending on learning style, personality, psychology, and game style. The practice court should be player centered, not purely data centered.
Data can be helpful but should not override a player centered approach. Currently many coaches are taking the latest pro data and using it to justify training primarily First Strike regardless of the player’s needs in front of them.
It’s sophistry that because top pros tend to have shorter rallies that we should all train shorter rallies at young ages.
That’s why I call it the Myth of the First 4 Shots.
For example, clay rallies at the top level are getting shorter, but most —if not all—of the top clay players grew up grinding and developing a high shot tolerance when they were little.
Then they got bigger and stronger and developed more weapons, which allowed them to end points sooner.
To use their pro stats to advocate a revolution in the junior practice court—arguing that consistency and shot tolerance arenot that important anymore!—is a seriously biased and flawed analysis of some good data.
Chris Lewit, Prodigy Maker