The USTA Player Development Journal

Tennis Technology and Training

The USTA Player Development Program produced a document in 2013 that continues to serve as a focal point for players to assess and track their tennis training. The “Player Development Journal” consists of three major sections. The first is an overview of the various playing styles so a player can understand the aspects of their own game. The second part is template pages for practice evaluation. The last section provides forms for post-match assessments. The “PD” (as insiders apparently refer to it) is available for free public download from the USTA at the link provided at the end of this post.

Tom Gullikson wrote the PD when he was the Lead National Tennis Coach for USTA Player Development. However, the playing styles documented in that resource stem from an article that he was tasked to write for Tennis magazine back in the early 1990s. When coming up the playing definitions, he started with the dominant playing style from his own professional career, “Serve and Volley.” Jimmy Connors was the first prominent player to break that mold and was the prototype for the “Aggressive Baseliner.” Bjorn Borg was the model for the “Counter Puncher.” The “All Court Player” captures players who exhibit a mix of the other types of playing styles.

It is kind of startling to realize that the commonly accepted descriptions of playing styles was something that Gullikson apparently pulled out of thin air. However, the definitions work well enough and nothing better has emerged in the interim. The heavily male dominated origins that influenced the definitions of the terms don’t seem to detract from the utility.

The PD is targeted at players who have mastered the basics of tennis technique and are moving on to develop patterns of play, tactics, and strategy. The PD can guide weapon development and is good for understanding the mindset required to compete with and against each playing style. It is a good starting point for a long term roadmap for tennis improvement.

The practice evaluation template prompts the player to take a critical look at each practice session to assess engagement, energy, attitude, and quality. That for also has space to record key take-aways and opportunities for improvement in future practices and match play.

The post-match template collects details about the match and conditions as well as the tactical game plan that was set prior to the match. The same pattern is repeated with mental and emotional goals set before each match. After the conclusion of the match there is space to assess performance against each of those objectives. There is also a place to identify and assess any adjustments made during the match and to record positives. The template also has prompts to record opportunities for improvement.

Missing from the PD journal is explicit direction to regularly review this information and use it to guide and inform practice and player development efforts. It is probably assumed that a player who is collecting that kind of information will automatically take that step. For players in the USTA Player Development Program, the paid coaching staff undoubtedly assists.

One of my personal objectives for 2022 is to maintain my own Player Development Journal throughout the year. I would love it if other people would join me on that journey and share your own experiences.

1. Player Development Journal, USTA, viewed 12/31/2021.
2. Game Styles With Coach Tom Gullickson, Compete Like a Champion Podcast, November 1, 2021.