Intrateam Communication and Performance in Doubles Tennis

Abstract

Verbal and nonverbal communication is a critical mediator of performance in team sports and yet there is little extant research in sports that involves direct measures of communication. Our study explored communication within NCAA Division I female tennis doubles teams. Video and audio recordings of players during doubles tennis matches captured the communications that took place between and during points. These recordings were coded and sequential analysis computed using the Discussion Analysis Tool software (Jeong, 2003). Results indicated that most communications were emotional (i.e., > 50%) or action statements (i.e., > 25%). Winning teams exhibited significantly different communication sequences than losing teams. In particular winning teams had a more homogeneous model of communication, which perhaps makes message interpretation more reliable. Finally, winning teams exchanged twice as many messages as losing teams.

Verbal Communication in Doubles Tennis: An Analysis of Close Games

“…This result is consistent with other findings (Foushee & Manos, 1981;Lausic et al, 2009;Mosier & Chidester, 1991;Orasanu, 1990;), which suggest that frequent use of communication patterns facilitates performance through the enhancement of within team coordination (see Eccles & Tenenbaum, 2004) …”

“…Consistent with the previous findings (Bowers, Jentsch, Salas, & Braun, 1998;Lausic et al, 2009), winning teams used substantially higher number of action statements than losing teams. In fact, action → action patterns may have yielded significant benefits for winning teams as the players in these teams used these communication patterns twice as many times when winning than losing.…”

“…The present study focused on communication in doubles tennis. Doubles tennis provides a fertile ground for examining team communication because tennis games include action planning, decisionmaking, and effective communication between teammates (Lausic et al, 2009). In addition, doubles tennis scenarios lend themselves to graphical representations to be used during training by the practitioners (Blickensderfer, Reynolds, Salas, & Cannon-Bowers, 2010).…”

Teamwork in sport: a theoretical and integrative review

“…Thus, the team's success is just as dependent on the effective communication between the coxswain and the rowers as it is on the physical abilities of the rowers. Studies have begun to delve into the importance of communication for improving team performance in sports (e.g., Lausic et al, 2009;Sullivan & Feltz, 2003). For instance, Lausic et al (2009) found that more successful doubles tennis teams engaged in a greater frequency of information exchange and also utilized more action plan statements during matches (e.g., talking about the upcoming rally: 'I'll serve it wide and you make a fake move to the net') compared to less successful teams who had more task-irrelevant statements (e.g., 'this shoe is driving me crazy').…”

“…Studies have begun to delve into the importance of communication for improving team performance in sports (e.g., Lausic et al, 2009;Sullivan & Feltz, 2003). For instance, Lausic et al (2009) found that more successful doubles tennis teams engaged in a greater frequency of information exchange and also utilized more action plan statements during matches (e.g., talking about the upcoming rally: 'I'll serve it wide and you make a fake move to the net') compared to less successful teams who had more task-irrelevant statements (e.g., 'this shoe is driving me crazy'). While communication patterns in terms of both quantity and quality will vary across sports, studies from organizational settings as well as recent research in sport clearly show that effective communication is vital for successful team performance.…”