One Question I Ask Before Every Session

The Question Every Practice Should Answer

For a long time, I planned sessions by asking the wrong questions.

What drill should I run?
What technique needs work?
How do I keep them busy?

The sessions looked good.
The baskets were full.
The players were moving.

But something didn’t add up.

When matches came around, the behaviours didn’t show up.

That’s when I realised I was missing a more important question.

Not about drills.
Not about technique.

But about learning.

The Question

What is this practice teaching the player to perceive?

Because players don’t act on instructions.
They act on information.

If the environment doesn’t demand reading space, time, or an opponent — the player never learns to respond to it.

No matter how clean the reps look.

3 Signs the Question Isn’t Being Answered

1. Players execute without deciding​
   They know what to do, but not when or why.
2. Everything looks good in practice, then disappears​
   Because the information in matches was never present.
3. Coaching becomes louder​
   When the environment doesn’t teach, the coach fills the gap.

2 Simple Ways to Fix It

1. Design for a decision​
   Before the strike, create a reason to choose.
2. Let the environment do the talking​
   Use space, scoring, and rules to highlight what matters.

When the information is right, learning takes care of itself.

1 Practice Design You Can Use This Week

Practice Design of the Week

Returners Survival
When starting positions change, so do the invitations. Players must respond to what’s actually happening, not what usually happens.

I no longer ask, “Did the drill run well?”​
I ask, “What did the player have to notice?”

That question shapes everything.

And in 2026, that’s the direction I’m committing to:
less instruction, better design, and practices that actually transfer.

If you want help designing sessions like this:

• Reply to this email for a 1-to-1 or staff session
• ​Or follow along as we build toward the Modern Tennis Coach Conference 2026, where practice design takes centre stage

Better questions.
Better environments.
Better players.