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To be
eligible to take the PTR Certification Tests, all members
must attend an approved PTR course such as the PTR Teaching
Essentials Certification Workshop or a Van der Meer Tennis
University. The Teaching Essentials Certification Workshop
is a 10 hour course that will prepare you for the PTR
Certification Test. At the completion of the workshop,
the PTR tester will administer the five-part PTR Certification
Test.
Workshops
are held frequently around the USA and the world. Consult
the PTR Workshop Schedule for locations near you. Please
note that new workshops are added weekly and if you have
a site that has six or more people looking to get certified,
we will schedule a workshop at your facility. Just contact
Jack at jack@ptrtennis.org. |
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To become
PTR Certified you must pass all five of the PTR Certification
Tests. Your overall certification rating is the lowest
of your five test scores. The highest certification rating
is Professional, followed by Instructor and then Associate
Instructor. For example, if you score Professional on
four tests and Instructor on one, your overall rating
will be Instructor.
You may
retest any of the five tests 60 days after your most recent
testing date. Retesting fees will apply. You are allowed
to keep all of the scores that you are satisfied with
while retesting only those that you wish to improve. Should
you score lower on a retest than your original score,
your original score is kept.
The five
tests include the Drill, Error Detection, Skills, Teaching
and Written as described below.
Drill
Test
You will be asked to perform one of the drill tests
featured on the Preparation for Certification DVD.
You will be evaluated on your ability to:
•
organize and the drill with attention to safety at
all times
• adjust the speed and placement of the ball
to the student’s level and objective of the
drill
• demonstrate slow (single rhythm) & fast
(double rhythm) feeding and live ball drills
• provide personalized constructive comments
with appropriate voice tone
• position yourself and the ball hopper appropriately,
etc. |
Error
Detection Test
The tester will demonstrate three errors on each
of the following: serve, forehand groundstroke and
backhand groundstroke.
The
tester will demonstrate each of the errors several
times, one error at a time. Your task will be to
identify both the error and the appropriate corrective
technique for each shot.
Examples
of errors and corresponding corrections are on the
DVD. Please note that the errors and corrections
on the DVD are a sample and the tester may demonstrate
additional errors and corrections at the Teaching
Essentials Workshop. |
Skills
Test
You will be asked to perform all of the strokes
in tennis. All strokes will be reviewed during a
“dead ball” feed or in a rally situation.
Although ball control, accuracy, depth and spin
are evaluated, the mechanics of the stroke are weighed
more heavily in the rating. Examples of mechanically
sound strokes are demonstrated on the DVD. |
Teaching
Test
You will be asked to conduct a 25-30 minute group
lesson on either the serve, forehand groundstroke
or backhand groundstroke. You will teach three to
four students and while the tester will want to
see your personality and style, you should strictly
follow the PTR standard lesson structure. Examples
of each lesson are shown on the DVD. |
Written
Test
The written test offers a review of the standard
lesson structure and specialty shot progressions.
You will also be tested on your basic knowledge
of the game, its strokes and grips, organizations,
rules, scoring, strategy and tactics.
The
test has 100 questions totaling 100 points. It is
composed of questions in the form of multiple choice,
matching and placing steps of progressions in order.
The six major categories of questions on the exam
are:
•
Corrective Techniques
• General Tennis Knowledge
• Rules of Tennis and Basic Strategy
• Standard Lesson Teaching Techniques
• Teaching Progressions
• Tennis Terms and Grips |
The PTR certification process
combines a basic, fundamental teaching style with a standardized
test. Testers provide grades and the PTR office reviews
the results and determines final ratings to help ensure
that each member is treated equally in the rating process.
Once you
have passed all five tests, you become a certified member
in the world’s largest organization of international
tennis teachers and coaches.
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