An Exploration of Influences of Drill-based Practice Design on Tennis Player Development: Delphi Technique

The study aimed to explore experts’ opinions concerning the drill-based practice design (DPD), and to propose a model of DPD based on the experts’ consensus to develop tennis players’ skills. The sample consisted of 18 China tennis coaches and professional athletes gained by purposive sampling. The instruments were a structured interview form, and a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The statistics employed for the data analysis was mean, standard deviation, and frequency. The findings were 1) The individual expert rated opinions towards the questionnaire at the highest level in 8 aspects of general concepts, pre-judgment and response, return of receive, baseline shot: ground stoke, backhand, volley, endurance training, and general opinions. The rests of 9 aspects of warm up, preparing posture, movement and footwork, service, forehand, smash, speed training, strength training, and flexibility were rated at a higher level. The total opinions of 17 aspects were at a higher level with the mean score of 4.48. The experts’ consensus occurred in 3 items of 7, 11, and 51, out of 79 items, in the aspects of warm-up, preparing posture, and backhand, and it did not affect the aspect level as a whole, 2) The proposed model based on the experts’ consensus, suggested by the researcher, consisted of three main factors of general concepts, practice procedures, and expected outcomes.