The Effect of Using Special Exercises on Learning Some Basic Tennis Skills Among Students

Abstract

The study aims to examine the effect of using special exercises on learning some basic tennis skills among students of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Bilad Al-Rafidain, specifically the skills of serving, forehand, and backhand groundstrokes. The researcher employed the experimental method using a two-group design (experimental and control) with pre- and post-tests, applied to a randomly selected sample of 40 students. The experimental group underwent an instructional program consisting of 18 teaching units that incorporated special exercises based on motor learning principles, while the control group followed the traditional curriculum used in the college. Statistical analysis results revealed significant differences in favor of the experimental group in the post-tests, indicating the effectiveness of the special exercises in improving students’ technical performance. The findings confirmed that gradual progression in difficulty and variation in learning situations contributed to enhancing learning efficiency and developing motor and skill abilities. The researcher recommended adopting these exercises in tennis instruction and integrating them into future academic and training programs.