YEAR 9 PEFORMANCE STUDIES (PE)
TENNIS SCHEME OF LEARNING OVERVIEW
Rationale and Context of Unit:
Tier 2 & Tier 3 vocabulary explicitly taught:
In year 8 tennis, students developed the
following key concepts and skills:
1) Learn correct overhead serves so
you can make it difficult for your
opponent to return the ball.
2) Demonstrate shot placement
with depth and width so you can
move your opponent around the
court and set up winning shots.
3) Perform volley shots at the net so
you can win a point.
The focus of year 9 tennis is to make
staying in rallies far harder for the
opposition. Students will build upon
volleys to learn how to play the more
ferocious smash sot and close out points.
They will then build upon their forehand
and backhand shots to learn back hand
slice and forehand top spin. Finally,
students will spend lessons developing
game strategies such as baseline play and
net play.
In year 9 tennis, the scheme of learning will be
centred around the following key concepts and skills:
1. Learn smash shots with power and
placement so you can win points when at the
net.
2. Learn and demonstrate how to apply top
spin and slice so you can make it difficult for
your opponent to return the ball.
3. Develop your ability to use game strategies
and tactics to overcome your opponent in
singles and doubles.
Firstly, students will learn how to play a smash shot.
They will practice this in isolation initially, before
progressing to rallies. This will allow them to use
these in a game and win the point if the situation
presents itself. Top spin and slice will then be
developed, again in feeding to acquire the skill before
conditioned rallies. The final three lessons of the
scheme will focus on match strategies in
competition. Students will know when to play from
the baseline and when to move closer to the net to
attack. These skills will create successful tennis
players who can win points.
Advantage – advantage in tennis occurs after the score reaches
40-all and the winner of the next point will have taken the
advantage.
Back swing – is a motion of the swing that moves the racquet
into position to swing forward and strike the ball
Baseliner – is a tennis term describing a player whose strategy
is to play predominantly from the baseline - sometimes called a
counterpuncher.
Break point – means the player is one point away from
breaking their opponent's service game
Chip and charge – playing the 'chip and charge' is seen as an
aggressive strategy in an attempt to return the opponent's
serve with backspin and followed by a swift move forward to
the net for a volley
Deuce – Deuce is a situation when the tennis score is 40 all in a
game (40 to 40).
Jamming – jamming means hitting the tennis ball straight to
the opponent's body which does not usually allow them to
extend their racquet for the return ball.
Passing shots – passing shots are delivered passed the
opponent at the net without them being able to return the shot
Serve and volley – serve and volley is a tennis strategy whereby
the player serves and then charges forward to the net in
anticipation of playing a volley off of the return.
Top spin – playing topspin causes a forward rotation of the ball
after a shot. The ball spins forward often bouncing high and
dipping down sharply afterwards.