In short, each video should be taylored to the specific strengths of the athlete. No two coaches have the exact same criteria as to what they are looking for. In my experience here is the process we like to follow unless a particular coach sends some specific requests to include in the mix.

The target length of a video is 10 minutes. Some guidance says shorter but I’ve never been able to show everything in the five minute range and I’ve been asked for more footage on occasion with reels edited down to that length in the past.

We get there by shooting about 1.5 hours of footage highlighting forehands, backhands, serves, volleys, footwork, movements and point play. But for the coaches who prefer a short summary, I like to load a good variety of stroke production into the first minute to intice them into viewing more.

I also like to have a brief introduction by the athlete, name, DOB, residence, where you train and when you graduate so the coach knows how you sound. This is psychological by enlarge. A good team member should be engaging and communicate well with coaching and team mates. I don’t like to overproduce a video either, that’s trying too hard and sometimes it looks as if you are hiding something.

The reality is most videos are often an after thought, so they are shot in one session. Usually with a peer (hopefully of equal or better skill) as a hitting partner or coach if necessary. In a perfect world, its good to also include some footage from an actual tournament or high intensity liveball points. This speaks vollumes to a coach although now a UTR vallidates much of this. You may consider trying to capture some prior to this session even if its jsut on your phone or GoPro.