Method and system of using drill progression, skill mastery, and color progression in tennis instruction

Abstract

A method and system of using drill progression, skill mastery, and colors to show progression in tennis instruction for a tennis player includes the steps of providing color levels to indicate proficiency of tennis ability, the color levels progressing from least to most proficient as follows: white, gold, orange, blue, dark blue, green, dark green, red, purple, grey, and black; testing the tennis player against predefined requirements for one or more of the color levels; providing feedback to the tennis player about the testing; awarding the tennis player with the color level if the predefined requirements are met; providing the tennis player with a grip or band for a tennis racket, the grip or band having a color corresponding to the awarded color level; and offering additional instruction to the tennis player to improve the tennis player's proficiency.

1 . A method of tennis instruction for a tennis player coached by a tennis instructor, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing color levels to indicate proficiency of tennis ability, the color levels progressing from least to most proficient as follows: white, gold, orange, blue, dark blue, green, dark green, red, purple, grey, and black;   (b) conducting an initial assessment of the tennis player to determine a starting color level;   (c) placing the tennis player in the starting color level;   (d) coaching the tennis player in tennis skills;   (e) certifying the tennis instructor by requiring the tennis instructor to complete a written test and demonstrate an ability to conduct the initial assessment and evaluate the on-court skills of the tennis player, the written test being completed through an Internet website;   (f) evaluating the tennis player against predefined requirements for one or more of the color levels, the evaluation including a written portion and an on-court portion, the written portion being administered through an Internet website;   (g) providing feedback to the tennis player about the evaluation;   (h) providing feedback to the tennis instructor about the evaluation of the tennis player;   (i) awarding the tennis player with the color level if the predefined requirements are met for that color level;   (j) providing the tennis player with a grip or band for a tennis racket, the grip or band having a color corresponding to the awarded color level; and   (k) offering additional instruction to the tennis player to improve the tennis player's proficiency;   
       whereby the tennis player is encouraged to improve tennis skills and seek the next color level in the progression. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the on-court portion of the step of evaluating the tennis player comprising the following, per color level:
 (a) for the white level, successfully demonstrating an ability to hit a tennis ball over a tennis net from a tennis court baseline;   (b) for the gold level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control the tennis ball crosscourt or down a tennis court side line and to hit a forehand volley and a backhand volley down the side line;   (c) for the orange level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control a forehand volley and a backhand volley down the side line and an ability to begin points with a serve;   (d) for the blue level, successfully demonstrating an ability to directionally control groundstrokes, perform a backhand slice, an overhead, a serve, and a return, and control a crosscourt volley;   (e) for the dark blue level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control direction and service-line depth on forehands, backhands, volleys, and overheads, hit wide serves and T serves, and direct a return crosscourt or down the side line;   (f) for the green level, successfully demonstrating an ability to hit beyond a depth line on groundstrokes, consistently strike a volley and a backhand slice past the service line, and hit an angle shot and a drop shot;   (g) for the dark green level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control groundstrokes and volleys beyond the depth line, strike an overhead accurately and deeply, hit a forehand and a backhand on the run, hit T, body, and wide serves with consistency, and strike backhand slices and returns consistently and accurately;   (h) for the red level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control a groundstroke to the outside third of the court, consistently strike a volley past the depth line, accurately perform T, body, and wide serves, and consistently execute a drop shot, return, backhand slice, and angle shot;   (i) for the purple level, successfully demonstrating an ability to precisely execute a groundstroke to the outside third of the court and past the service line, accurately volley and overhead in both depth and direction, serve to one-third lanes, return with directional precision, and hit combinations and sequences of shots consistently;   (j) for the grey level, successfully demonstrating an ability to control multiple groundstrokes to the outside third of the court and past the service line, precisely and deeply strike volleys and overheads, control service at a professional level, and consistently hit a topspin lob and a slice past the service line and directed to a target; and   (k) for the black level, successfully demonstrating an ability to precisely execute all components of serves, groundstrokes, transition shots, and the net game.   
     
     
         3 . A method of tennis instruction for a tennis player to be taught by a tennis instructor, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing color levels to indicate tennis skill level, the color levels, progressing from lowest to highest skill level, being as follows: white, gold, orange, blue, dark blue, green, dark green, red, purple, grey, and black;   (b) testing the tennis player against qualification standards for one or more of the color levels;   (c) providing evaluative information to the tennis player regarding the testing; and   (d) awarding the tennis player with the color level if the qualification standards for that color level are met.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of providing the tennis player with a colored designator, the colored designator having a color corresponding to the awarded color level and being shaped and dimensioned to fit over a tennis racket handle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the colored designator comprising a tennis racket grip. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of conducting a preliminary assessment of the tennis player to determine a starting color level. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , the step of testing the tennis player comprising administering a test having a knowledge portion and a practical skills portion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , the knowledge portion being administered through a website. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , the knowledge portion comprising questions regarding one or more of the following tennis topics: tennis courts, equipment, professional tennis, tournament play, styles of play, responses to an opponent's mode of play, tennis rules, nutrition, fitness, and the physical aspects of training. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , the practical skills portion comprising demonstrating a predetermined quantity of forehand shots down the line, forehand shots crosscourt, backhand shots down the line, and backhand shots crosscourt. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , the practical skills portion further comprising demonstrating a predetermined quantity of serves, overheads, and drop shots. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of certifying the tennis instructor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , the step of certifying the tennis instructor comprising having the tennis instructor complete a written test and demonstrate an ability to test the tennis player against the qualification standards. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , the written test being completed through a website. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of offering additional instruction to the tennis player to improve the tennis player's proficiency. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of providing an instruction book corresponding to each color level, the instruction book being used by the tennis instructor to teach the tennis player. 
     
     
         17 . A system for providing tennis instruction to a tennis player, the system comprising:
 (a) eleven skill levels, progressively comprising a first skill level through an eleventh skill level;   (b) eleven qualification standards, progressively comprising a first qualification standard through an eleventh qualification standard, the first qualification standard through the eleventh qualification standard corresponding to the respective first skill level through the eleventh skill level; and   (c) an allocated color for each of the eleven skill levels, the allocated color for the respective first skill level through the eleventh skill level being white, gold, orange, blue, dark blue, green, dark green, red, purple, grey, and black;   wherein the tennis player is correlated to an allocated color based on having satisfied the respective qualification standard.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a colored designator, the colored designator having a color corresponding to one allocated color and being shaped and dimensioned to fit around a tennis racket handle. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising an instruction book corresponding to each allocated color, each instruction book describing one or more drills to teach the tennis player at least one tennis skill. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising an Internet website for interaction with the tennis player, the Internet website providing tennis education materials and a list of tennis players along with each tennis player's correlated allocated color.