Research Insights

Research Insights

How coaching frameworks and sport science research inform structured practice.

Contents

OverviewKey Principles (What research generally supports)How we translate principles into training designNotes on the “percentage” visualsReferences

Overview

A Tennis Lab is designed around structured practice: consistent inputs, focused objectives, and repeatable repetition. Public research does not provide universal “exact percentages” for how everyone should train, but it does support several principles that guide how training emphasis shifts as players gain experience.

Key Principles (What research generally supports)

1) Deliberate practice is structured and goal-directed

Improvement is more strongly associated with purposeful, focused practice than with time spent playing casually. Deliberate practice emphasizes specific objectives, feedback, and repeatable training conditions.

2) Training emphasis evolves across stages

Long-term development frameworks propose that early stages should prioritize fundamental movement and skill acquisition, while later stages place increasing emphasis on tactical application and competitive performance.

3) Practice quantity is not the same as practice quality

Research also cautions that “more hours” alone is not a guarantee of expertise. The structure, feedback, and specificity of practice matter.

How we translate principles into training design

We translate these principles into an environment optimized for:

  • Controlled variables (consistent feeds to isolate mechanics)
  • High-repetition practice (repeatable contacts to build reliability)
  • Clear session objectives (one main focus per session)
  • Optional visual feedback (review after the session without interrupting flow)

This approach is especially useful for early and developing stages where repetition and consistency are foundational.

Notes on the “percentage” visuals

The charts and tables on our site are illustrative placeholders designed to show how emphasis often shifts with experience (e.g., from fundamentals and repetition toward match play and tactical decision-making). They are not a single research-derived prescription for all players.

“The distributions shown on this site are illustrative placeholders. Public research generally supports the direction of these training principles, but does not prescribe universal percentage allocations for all players.”

References

  1. Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363
  2. Ericsson, K. A. (2008). Deliberate practice and acquisition of expert performance: A general overview. Academic Emergency Medicine, 15(11), 988–994. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18778378/
  3. Macnamara, B. N., & Maitra, M. (2019). The role of deliberate practice in expert performance: Revisiting Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Römer (1993). Royal Society Open Science, 6(7), 190327. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190327
  4. Sport for Life. (2017). Long-Term Athlete Development 2.1. https://sportforlife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/LTAD-2.1-EN_web.pdf
  5. International Tennis Federation. (n.d.). ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review. https://itfcoachingreview.com/
  6. International Tennis Federation. (n.d.). Coaching resources (including Coaching & Sport Science Review). https://www.itftennis.com/en/growing-the-game/coaching/
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