Effects of stimulus cueing on the acquisition of groundstrokes by beginning tennis players.

The coach taught beginning tennis players a short four-step script. Players said the steps out loud while hitting forehands and backhands.

The study used a multiple baseline across players. Each player served as their own control.

Groundstroke success jumped more than 45 percent once players used the script. Gains showed up right after the cueing started.

Burgio et al. (1986) did the same thing one year earlier with soccer. They faded full physical prompts; Ziegler (1987) swapped in short verbal cues. Both got fast skill jumps, showing the prompt-and-fade recipe works across sports.

Rasing et al. (1992) and Smith et al. (1994) replaced spoken cues with written task lists for adults with mild disabilities. Skills still soared, proving the cue can change form yet keep its power.

Brobst et al. (2002) later added public posting and goals to girls’ soccer practice. Skills rose in drills but barely moved in real games. That twist warns us: cues plus feedback grow skill, yet we must plan for game-day transfer.

You can borrow the four-step script tomorrow. Pick any new motor skill, write four short cues, and have learners say them while they move. The chain keeps attention on key body parts and boosts hits fast. Remember to fade the script later so the skill stays when the words stop.