3 – Guided Discovery
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Description:
The player’s Discovery of the solution to a problem posed by the coach.
Objetive:
Establishing a cognitive dissonance for the student by proposing a challenge, the student has to solve the problem using his psychic and technical skills.
Session plan:
The planning corresponds entirely to the teacher (proactive decisions). The coach looks for the investigative process of the players, not complete, guided and focused on the process.
Session development:
Line of Action: Not giving away the answer to the player. Always wait until the player finds the solution to the problem, first verbally and after mechanically (technically). Reinforcing correct answers/solutions. Offering additional hints and suggestions in case of incorrect answers/solutions. Allowing the player to actively participate in the learning process – Discovery. Depending on the problem posed, the process can be narrowed to a more individual approach or widened to allow a group discussion involving multiple players.
Coach’s role:
The teacher guides the learning of the students but allowing them to investigate, make decisions and discover.
Player’s role:
Find the answer to the problem aroused.
Practical examples
Guided Discovery of the Top Spin Strokes:
The coach poses the following problem and the players have to find a solution to it: feeding the ball from the baseline (underhand), with both forehand and backhand strokes, the players have to hit the ball with maximum strength and speed (following an ascending trajectory with the racket) and try to find the way to make the ball go inside the bounds of the tennis court.
This way, with very little guidance from the coach, the players will Discover that in order to hit the ball inside the court with maximum strength and acceleration, they will have to learn to hit the ball with the top spin effect.
Variants: The coach can make use of a rope to double the height of the net (3 meters), and still ask the players to hit the ball over the rope, inside the court, with maximum strength and acceleration.
Guided Discovery of the proper follow through when hitting volleys
The coach poses the following problem and the players have to find a solution to it: the player walks forward towards the net while controlling the ball by hitting “volleys” upwards; when at the net, the player has to aim at one of 3 cones (set at a different distance from the net). This way the player will discover that in order to hit the volley to the longest cone the follow through will have to be much longer than hitting the volley to the closest cone, in which case the follow through can be much shorter.
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