Year 9 Tennis

Unit Topic: Ground stokes, Year: 9 (intermediate) Unit Length: 4 Weeks

Volleys, Serves, Smashes &
Specific Tennis Movement.
Unit Overview/Aims.
Students will learn about:

Groundstrokes
Develop topspin on both forehand and backhand.
Begin to use a slice backhand for wide or short ball.
Increase power and consistency.
Improve ability to hit targets on the court.
Volleys
Gain confidence to approach net in a singles or doubles match.
Improve control of the racquet head on volleys and drop volleys.
Develop attacking volleys through hitting the ball early.
Develop confidence in holding the correct continental grip.
Improve the split-step movement on approach volleys.
Serves and Smashes
Increase service percentage on first and second serves.
Develop placement of serves to the opponents weakness.
Develop confidence in holding the correct continental grip.
Improve movement and set up position for smashing.
Begin to use continental on second serves to impart spin.
Specific Tennis Movement.
Improve speed and court coverage.
Use correct tennis movement (side-step recovery to the centre, run backwards while facing
the opposition).
Develop open stance forehands and backhands (especially for wide shots to aid recovery).
Develop the split step return of serve and on approaching net.
Move forward and take the ball on the rise whenever possible.

Unit Learning objectives.

Understand that (big idea/concept):

Students will have an understanding of the need for groundstrokes, volleys, serves and smashes, as
well as specific tennis movement. In conjunction with the knowledge to perform these skills, students
will develop an understanding of when to use these skills during a game in an effective manner.

Know (facts, topic terminology, definitions):

Students will know basic tennis terminology, and have the capacity to score games independently.

Be able to (show content knowledge, thinking skills, participation skills, study skills):
Students will be able to confidently and concisely perform groundstrokes, volleys, serves and smashes.
They will also be able to move about the court in a manner that enhances their tennis game.
Content/Instructional/assessment adjustments (i.e. implementation of recommended practices for
students with gifts and talents, EAL/D, learning disabilities and learning variance):

The entirety of this class is organised into various groups based on varying skill levels. If a student is
deemed too strong to be in the intermediate group, they will be moved to the advanced group. If a
student is deemed inexperienced, or need extra attention, they will be moved to the beginning group.

These groupings and movements between groups are decided based on the professional opinion of the
teacher.

Planned unit assessment tasks to measure and inform learning:

Pre-assessment:

Half-court Tournament: Students playoff against each other in a small half-court tournament,
establishing a rough pecking-order based on ability. This assessment method will be used to assess the
skill levels of each of the skill learning areas (ground stokes, volleys, serves, smashes & specific tennis
movement).

Skill Tester: At the beginning of each learning area, a skill tester will be undertaken by each student to
tests the primary skill/s of that area. As a pre-assessment, the skill tester will serve as the base level from
which each student needs to advance from.

Statistics: Students will have certain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) recorded during a series of games
early in each week.
Groundstrokes forehand winners, backhand winners.
Volleys successful volleys, volley errors.
Serves and Smashes successful smashes, smash errors, first-serve percentage.
Note: For all statistic exercises, the same exercise needs be performed for the pre and post-test.

On-going:

Observation: Observation will be used as the primary form of assessment for all practical tasks. This will
be used in each stage of the assessment process throughout each practical task undertaken to help assess
progress, skill development and identify areas of improvement.

Summative:

Skill Tester: At the end of each learning area, a second skill tester will be undertaken by each student to
test the primary skill/s of that learning area. As a summative assessment, this will provide the students
with some feedback on their progression through a specific learning area.

Statistics: Students will again record KPIs to assess if there have been any improvements in performance.
Pre-Assessment Task Overview of learning

Week 1

Lesson 1 Year 9 Camp

Lesson 2 Seaview Doubles Tennis Classic

Week 2

Lesson 3 NAPLAN Testing

Lesson 4 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Rules and Etiquette

Go over rules and sporting etiquette as a refresher.
Ensure that students all score every point and call decisions out
loudly and clearly.

Basic Skill Tests/Games.

How many times can you bounce the ball on racquet? (forehand,
backhand, flipping).
Tag while running along the lines with a ball balanced on the racquet.

Half-Court Tournament
First to 10 points.
Half-court matches, tramlines included.
Winner of the point serves.
Winner of game moves up one half-court, the loser moves down.
Loser serves first to start game.
Loser keeps the ball form the game previous.

Week 3

Lesson 5 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
 Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Skill Tester Groundstrokes

Students take in turns of completing the skill tester.
2 skill testers going on each court.
Non-participating students help time and direct other students.
Students may have practice run first.

Statistics
Students remain in their pairs.
Students to take statistics on their partner.
Depending on numbers and space, half court matches, or Fast 4
doubles games.
Students will record Forehand and Backhand winners.

Lesson 6 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.
DOUBLE POINTS for groundstroke winners.

Groundstrokes Technique
Run through technique with students.
Highlight key points (grip, stance, movement).
Grab a partner and hit down the line using forehand strokes only.
See how many hits each partnership can get in a rally.

100
Doubles matches.
All 4 players play off the baseline.
No deliberate short shots (depending on skill level, can shots must go
beyond the service box).
The ball is feed over to the other side.
The amount of shots in the rally equates to the number of points
awarded for the rally.
Each shot must be counted out loud.
First to 100 wins.

Catching Game.
All students start on the baseline opposite the feeder.
The ball is feed to the students one ball at a time.
If they hit the ball in they got to the back of the line, if they miss,
they join the feeder on the other side of the court.
 Student how are out can catch the ball to go back in and join the line.
If your ball is caught, you are out.
Keep going until there is one student left.

Week 4

Lesson 7 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Skill Tester Volleys

Students take in turns of completing the skill tester.
2 skill testers going on each court.
Non-participating students help time and direct other students.
Students may have practice run first.

Statistics - Squares
Students remain in their pairs.
Students to take statistics on their partner.
Students will play games of squares.
Games played on half-court.
Only use service boxes.
Serve: Ball is rolled off the net.
Ball can bounce once.
Firsts to 15 points.
Students will record successful volleys and volley errors.

Lesson 8 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.
DOUBLE POINTS for Volley winners.

Volleys Technique
Run through technique with students.
Highlight key points (grip, stance, movement).
Grab a partner and hit to each other over the net.
See how many hits each partnership can get in a rally.

Four Square
Depending on numbers, one or two games going.
Played in the 4 service boxes.
 Win the game and move up a place.
King always serves.
Serve, feed over the net to the 2nd square.

Zig-Zag Drill
Two players on the baseline on one side of the court, two players at
the net on the other.
Baseline players hit cross court, net players hit down the line.
Swap positions after a couple of minutes.

Week 5

Lesson 9 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Skill Tester Smashes and Volleys

Students take in turns of completing the skill tester.
2 skill testers going on each court.
Non-participating students help time and direct other students.
Students may have practice run first.

Statistics
Students remain in their pairs.
Students to take statistics on their partner.
Depending on numbers and space, half court matches, or Fast 4
doubles games.
Students will record 1st serve percentage, smash winners and smash
errors.

Lesson 10 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.
DOUBLE POINTS for Aces and Smash winners.

Serve and Smash Techniques

Run through technique with students.
Highlight key points (grip, stance, movement).
Grab a partner and alternate serves to each other over the net.
See how many serves each partnership can get in a row.
Grab a partner and lob the ball to them, while they smash.
 Alternate smashes and lobs and see how many each partnership can
get in a row.

Serve Off
In partners or small teams.
3 hoops are placed in the service box, each with different point value.
Each team member gets 3 serves at the hoops, not including faults.
Teams have 4 turns each, 1 from each service spot.
The most points at the end wins.

Groundstroke, Volley and Smash

Each participant lines up on the baseline.
The feeder will feed 3 balls to the student.
One will be for a groundstroke, one for a volley and the last being a
smash.
The student cannot progress to the next feed unless they win the
preceding point.
Whether they win or lose, the student will head to the other end of
the court to compete for points.
A student is deemed the winner when the complete all 3 feeds 3
times.

Week 6

Lesson 11 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Skill Tester Tennis Movement Fitness Test

Students take in turns of completing the skill tester.
2 skill testers going on each court.
Non-participating students help time and direct other students.
Students may have practice run first.

Statistics
Students remain in their pairs.
Students to take statistics on their partner.
Depending on numbers and space, half court matches, or Fast 4
doubles games.
Students will record each time the player approaches the net, and
each time the player returns to the baseline from the net.

Lesson 12 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
 Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.
DOUBLE POINTS for approaching the net.

Movement Patterns Technique

Run through important movement patterns with students.
Highlight key points (stance, movement).
Grab a partner and hit to each other over the net.
Set up a marker at the baseline and in the service box.
The player must be continually moving between the markers.
See how many hits each partnership can get in a rally.

Continuous Tennis
One line at each end.
Ball is fed to one of the lines.
Once hitting the ball, the player must run around the opposite side of
the net to line-up again.
If a player makes 3 mistakes, they are out.

Oversized Table Tennis

2V2
Serve: Ball is served by bouncing into own service box first.
Players must alternate hitting each hit.
First to 15 wins.
Play each pair once each.

Week 7

Lesson 13 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Statistics Post-testing
Due to the extended list of statistics to take, students will perform this task in
groups, splitting the recording load between the members.
Students to take statistics on their partner or group.
Depending on numbers and space, half court matches, or Fast 4
doubles games.
Students will record Forehand and Backhand winners, successful
volleys, volley errors, 1st serve percentage, smash winners and smash
errors.

4-Man Knockout Tennis

 4 people per team.
The ball is fed in from the side.
Play out the rally as per normal.
If a player makes an error, they are out.
If a teammate hits a winner, a person can come back in.
Depending on numbers, have two games going.

Lesson 14 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Skill Tester Post Testing

Students take in turns of completing each skill tester.
2 skill testers going on each court.
Non-participating students help time and direct other students.
Students may have practice run first.
Students must complete each skill tester at least once.

Half-Court Tournament
First to 10 points.
Half-court matches, tramlines included.
Winner of the point serves.
Winner of game moves up one half-court, the loser moves down.
Loser serves first to start game.
Loser keeps the ball form the game previous.

Week 8

Lesson 15 Warm-Up Games

Games of Fast 4.
Matches the best of 4 games, NOT to 4 games.
Depending on numbers and space, as many doubles games as possible,
with remainders playing singles or American doubles.
End when first person/pair win.

Students Pick #1
Being the last lesson of the unit, students will be given the option to
choose one of the last activities the class does.

Students Pick #2
Being the last lesson of the unit, students will be given the option to
choose one of the last activities the class does.

2-Court Tennis
 Tennis played across two courts.
One player to each quarter of the court.
Ball is feed in at random.
Must go over the net on either court.

Lesson 16 Student Free Day