When we speak of motor skills, we are talking about the skills that build a foundation for further athletic success.

This foundation consists of many skills that are taken for granted, especially for beginners. These skills form the basis for not only success in hitting and playing, but also for the rate of skill acquisition for these players. Motor skills can be either gross or fine in nature. Gross motor skills involve very large muscle groups and include walking, skipping, running, jumping, pivoting on one foot, changing direction, throwing and catching.

Fine motor skills involve smaller muscle movements. Examples include writing, picking up small objects and controlling the angle and direction of the racquet. With fine motor skills, a player can add touch to a shot and control movement much more than with gross motor skills.

With beginners you may have to be more creative in teaching these skills (if not already acquired) and incorporating them into your lesson plan as part of a fun and interactive drill or game. Catching and throwing may have to be acquired by children as they learn related tennis skills such as volleys or serves. Overhanded throws are representative of the serve and overhead shots; sidearm throws are representative of groundstrokes. Exercises with a lightweight medicine ball and similar drills can help a player improve tennis-specific motor skills.