What to count, and why
Imagine you want to get better at throwing a ball into a basket. If you only guess how you did, you might be wrong. If you count "7 in, 3 out", you know. Match stats are just counting, so you can pick one thing to practise.
Before this course: you should know how a tennis or pickleball match works (courses 10.1 and 10.2). Coaching Basics (course 10.3.1) helps if you will be helping a child or friend. You do not need maths beyond division and percentages.
- A stat is a count of something that happens in a match. Good beginner stats are easy to see and easy to agree on.
- Common tennis terms (widely used definitions; some scorers have small differences):
- First serve percentage = first serves that landed in, divided by all first serves tried.
- Winner = a shot the opponent cannot reach or touch.
- Unforced error = you miss a shot you were expected to make, without much pressure from the opponent. A forced error is a miss caused by a very good shot from the opponent.
- Double fault = two serve faults in a row, so you lose the point.
- Pickleball terms you can count in the same way: serve in (the serve lands in the correct court), third-shot drop (the third shot of the point, a soft shot into the kitchen, see course 10.2.2) landing in, and errors such as hitting the net or out.
- Start with three to five things, not twenty. If you count too much, you will miss the play and the numbers get sloppy.
- The goal is not to judge a player. It is to find one thing to practise.
| Sport | Easy things to count |
|---|---|
| Tennis | First serves in, double faults, winners, unforced errors |
| Pickleball | Serves in, third-shot drops in, errors, points won at the kitchen line |
- Choose the sport and the player you will track (it can be you).
- Write down three things to count, for example first serves in, double faults and unforced errors.
- Write one plain sentence for each, so you always count the same way.
- Decide what you will do if you are not sure (for example, do not count it).
- Check: you have three stats, one sentence each, and a rule for unsure shots.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Do you really know how your serve is going, or are you guessing?"
[Text on screen: Count, do not guess] "Match stats are just careful counting."
[Text on screen: 3 to 5 things] "Pick three to five things, like first serves in, double faults and errors."
[Text on screen: One sentence each] "Write one clear sentence for each one, so you count the same way every time."
[Host] "Count a few things well, and pick one thing to practise."
Pick three stats for tennis or pickleball and write one sentence for each. Show a friend and ask: would you count it the same way?
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Match Stats & Video Analysis Basics: tally sheets, filming and simple numbers" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "What to count, and why". What the lesson teaches: - A stat is a count of something that happens in a match. Good beginner stats are easy to see and easy to agree on. - Common tennis terms (widely used definitions; some scorers have small differences): - First serve percentage = first serves that landed in, divided by all first serves tried. - Winner = a shot the opponent cannot reach or touch. - Unforced error = you miss a shot you were expected to make, without much pressure from the opponent. A forced error is a miss caused by a very good shot from the opponent. - Double fault = two serve faults in a row, so you lose the point. - Pickleball terms you can count in the same way: serve in (the serve lands in the correct court), third-shot drop (the third shot of the point, a soft shot into the kitchen, see course 10.2.2) landing in, and errors such as hitting the net or out. The exercise I'm working on: Pick three stats for tennis or pickleball and write one sentence for each. Show a friend and ask: would you count it the same way? I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it. 4. This is for learning only. Remind me to check with a licensed professional before I make a real decision about my own money, health or legal situation.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "What to count, and why" from the course "Match Stats & Video Analysis Basics: tally sheets, filming and simple numbers". Here's what the lesson says: Imagine you want to get better at throwing a ball into a basket. If you only guess how you did, you might be wrong. If you count "7 in, 3 out", you know. Match stats are just counting, so you can pick one thing to practise. Before this course: you should know how a tennis or pickleball match works (courses 10.1 and 10.2). Coaching Basics (course 10.3.1) helps if you will be helping a child or friend. You do not need maths beyond division and percentages. The activity: Pick three stats for tennis or pickleball and write one sentence for each. Show a friend and ask: would you count it the same way? Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time. Keep it general and educational. This is not advice for a real situation.
Sources
- Definitions of winners, forced and unforced errors vary slightly by scorer; this lesson uses common practice. Rules and terms for each sport: www.tenniscanada.com/ and pickleballcanada.org/
Filming safely and legally: consent and minors
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Setting up the camera
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Tally sheets for serves, errors and winners
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Simple numbers: percentages and ratios
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A simple spreadsheet
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Small samples, one goal and your next step
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Final project
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Quiz
What is first serve percentage?
First serves in divided by all first serves tried.
31 first serves in out of 52 tried is about what percent?
About 60% (59.6%).
For anyone under 13, who should give consent for filming?
A parent or guardian, in all but exceptional cases.
Whose consent should a sport group get for a photo or video of a person under 18?
A parent or legal guardian.
What does the Rule of Two say about digital messages with children?
They should be open, observable and justifiable, with a second responsible adult.
What should a consent note say?
What you film, why, who sees it, where it is stored, how long you keep it, and how to ask for deletion.
What is the best simple camera angle?
Landscape, still, high and wide, showing the whole court.
Why are tally marks grouped in fives?
It makes them quick to count.
How do you combine first serve percentage for three matches?
Add the first serves in, add the first serves tried, then divide once.
Why can 20 serves mislead you?
It is a small sample, so luck can move the percentage by around 20 points.
What kind of goal should you set?
One goal, as a number you can count, with a date.
What do numbers not tell you?
Why something happened; use the video to look for the cause.
Final exam
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Certificate
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