Planning analysis Upper body strength was developed during six weeks of training with each exercise being

trained twice a week (see appendix 1). The athlete lifted weights that were 80% of their 1RM using a 5 rep, 5 set principle. This repetition range has been shown to be the optimal range for increasing strength, therefore implementing the specificity principle (Fouad, 2013.) The training was based on improving strength specifically and the progressive overload principle was implemented over the six weeks, as it is necessary to gradually increase the demand placed on the body during a resistance training program to improve strength and avoid plateaus (Kraemer, Ratamess & French 2002). Once the athlete could complete the required weight, it was increased by 2.5kg to overload the muscles being worked. Coach and athlete feedback determined this. (see appendix 1). The participant's volley accuracy was measured pre and post of the six week coaching programme. They were required to volley 20 balls fed from the coach into a marked out area three times to calculate a mean score. Technique based training was incorporated throughout the sessions to improve volleys (see appendix 2). The participant also aimed volleys at a smaller target area to increase the demand of the task and sustain interest. After each session, self-evaluation and coach feedback was used to assess progress and plan future training sessions. (see appendix 3). The hand grip strength test was selected because it is a quick and reliable measure (Massy-Westropp, Gill, Taylor, Bohannon and Hill (2011) and an indicator of upper body strength (Norman, Stobaus, Gonzalez, Schulzke and Pirlich, 2011). Volleys are a test of grip strength therefore, without a strong grip the volley will be weak. The grip strength data was collected using a hand grip dynamometer by testing the dominant hand three times pre and post of the strength training program to calculate the mean and standard deviation required to assess real change.

Improving upper body strength and volley accuracy in 6 weeks Introduction/Athlete Demographics Age: 21 Gender: Male Sport: Tennis Skill: Volley Physical parameter: Strength Aim: To increase the subjects upper body strength and accuracy of volleys in tennis. Upper body strength was improved through six weeks of strength based resistance training in a gym, focusing on large compound exercises. A training session was observed prior to deciding which skill to concentrate on, it was observed that the subject lacked accuracy when performing a volley. Therefore, results of pre and post accuracy training for the volley were recorded to assess overall effectiveness of the skill.

Results Pre and post-training test results were analysed using SPSS. Hand grip strength test results were plotted on a graph to show differences (see figure 1). The coefficient of variance was calculated using the mean and standard deviation from the pretraining hand grip test results. For real positive change to have occurred, an improvement of 1.8% must have been noted or a score greater than 46kg. For the volleying accuracy, the mean amount of accurate balls to land in the target was calculated using the data from pre and post-training. An improvement of 11%, or mean accuracy above 12.6 was required to indicate real positive change. N Pretraining Posttraining 3 3 Minimum 10 12 Maximum 13 15 Mean 11.3 13.7 SD 1.25 1.25

60
Grip Strength (kg)

50 40 30 20 10 0 Post-training Pre-training

Table 1. Descriptive statistics from SPSS showing the pre and post-training of volleying accuracy.

Mean

Grip strength attempt Figure 1. Pre and post-training grip test results per attempt. Rationale Muscular strength is an important parameter in maximizing performance in tennis and should concentrate on strengthening the whole body. It can be defined as the ability of a given muscle or group of muscles to generate muscular force under a specific set of conditions (Siff and Verkhoshansky, 1996). A tennis player is required to be highly trained both anaerobically for performance and aerobically to aid in recovery (Kovacs, 2006), as well as possessing high levels of speed, power and agility. Since strength is a vital component of these skills, the strength requirements of a tennis player are high as stated by Bylak and Hutchinson (1998). An important technical skill in tennis is the volley, one of the most demanding shots to execute as it requires sound technique, fast reactions and good hand-eye coordination. A volley is a shot which involves striking the ball before it bounces on the ground this generally occurs whilst standing close to the net. It is an attacking shot and its primary objective is to reduce the amount of time for the opponent to react. A successful tennis volley does not have to be explosive or powerful, however the player should accurately hit the ball into an area of the court away from the opponent.

Programme and participant evaluation/conclusion After analysing the results for the hand grip test, the post training mean result was 50kg which shows real positive change which shows an improvement in upper body strength. Both pre and post means fell within the average norms of a 19 year old male (Davis, Bull, Roscoe & Roscoe, 2000). The results of the accuracy test indicate there was real change as the mean accuracy score for post training was 13.7 which indicated that there was an improvement in technique. Coach and athlete and perception of progress were recorded during the programme. Things that were discussed were how the athlete found the session, how intense they felt sessions were and the effectiveness of coaching. During the first few sessions more pre-instruction, concurrent instruction and modelling was needed. In later sessions it was evident that the athlete had progressed as they showed more confidence and quality performance therefore, less instruction was needed but more reinforcement was used. Limitations, of the strength training program were the effect of physiological factors such as the athlete feeling fatigued e.g. due to lack of sleep before certain sessions than others. A limitation of the volleying drill could have been a result of varying environmental conditions e.g. during the early stages of the programme the weather was calm however, towards the end there were high winds which could have affected performance and trajectory of the ball. In conclusion, real change was seen in both strength and volleying accuracy. This was supported by the athlete himself feeling more confident in their strength and tennis ability, while the coach also noticed significant improvements in his ability to carry out the tasks in hand.