To improve your tennis: train the body, not the mind
Tennis is played by the body; a fact the mind refuses to accept. Consequently, a disconnect invariably arises between the two, that affects performance. There are many examples of how this disconnect affects performance, but today I will simply focus on one: the forehand.
This tip is not theoretical, it is absolutely practical, and therefore, if you truly interested in improving. I urge you to please go out on the court and try it.
So, on the forehand what are you trying to do when the ball is coming at you? I think most people would say that, at the very least, they are ‘trying to hit the ball’. The more things they are trying to do, the worse the performance will be and the better my suggestion will work!
This intention of ‘hitting the ball’ seems normal, obvious and completely acceptable, but yet these words create an image in our minds that can make a free, smooth and graceful swing impossible.
When one’s intention is to hit the ball, the focus naturally moves to the contact point and therein lies the problem.
Since ‘I’ have to hit the ball and hitting seems to happen at contact, it would make sense to conclude that I need to do something at contact for the ball to be hit.
This situation is exasperated by the fact that, existence, in its infinite wisdom, denies us the ability to see the ball at contact (even those with 20-20 vision cannot see the ball hit the strings).
So, I hope one can see the craziness of the situation here. On the one hhe player feels he has to do something at contact to hit the ball effectively, but on the other, he cannot even see the ball at that point.
Consequently, some sense of doubt HAS to arise at the moment around contact, because of the uncertainty of it all. How can it not?
This doubt will result in a number of symptoms all of which will prevent us from swinging freely and making contact cleanly. The doubt could cause us to slow down the racket or it could allow us to move the racket or even our body at contact in order to try and adjust. This adjustment or jerky motion happens because we don’t know what it is we need to do at contact and what we do know is invariably wrong!
The truth is we have to do NOTHINGat contact, we simply have to allow the momentum of the racket to continue along its merry way, unimpeded by our doubts.
There are numerous other symptoms that arise out of doubt, including, but not limited to, getting too close or too far, swinging early or late, being out of position, feet or hands not moving into position to hit the ball, etc.
Focusing on the symptoms without addressing the root cause, the doubt, will doom us to failure and change on a consistent basis will elude us. Being aware of doubt is the first step in addressing the doubt.
So what can be done?
By simply changing the word ‘hitting’ to ‘throwing’, we can actually change the technique of our swing. Do NOT try to hit the ball, but instead throw the racket at the ball.
What image does the word ‘throw’ conjure up in our minds?
Throwing involves a little risk and it is crucial to understand the vital importance of embracing the risk that is involved in each and every swing.
If we throw the racket at the ball, there is no emphasis on the contact; we may not even know what happens at contact. With throwing there seems to be some awareness of the beginning and the end, but none around contact.
Throw a ball and try to understand what I mean. In the throwing do you really know what happens at the point of release? And yet the throw still happens without hesitation or doubt. Ironically, if you focus too much on what is happening at the point of release or if someone tries to teach you what to do at that point, you may find that your ability to throw smoothly and effectively disappears.
If there is no focus on contact there is little chance that there will be any adjusting happening at that moment. When there is no adjusting or doing at contact, there is stillness instead. And stillness is essential for good contact.
What to practice?
Go out on the court and hit cross-court forehands with a buddy. When you see the ball in front of you, simply throw the racket towards the ball and see what happens.
Please try and accept the throwing image totally. For example, how tight is your wrist when you throw a ball? A tight wrist is about control and a loose wrist is the opposite. Hitting the ball is about control and throwing is giving up that control. A tight wrist will not allow you to throw effectively.
Yes your mind will have many questions like: when should I take the racket back or when should I throw the racket forward or how close should the ball be, etc.
Please ignore these questions, there are unanswerable and in fact do not need to be answered!. You will learn by experience and by experimenting, but believe me, if all calculations and preconceived notions are dropped and you are present, the timing will happen pretty perfectly.
In addition, you will see that the image of ‘throwing the racket at the ball’, instead of ‘hitting the ball’ will result in a much looser swing, which will result in more power in your shot, not to mention cleaner contact.
Enjoy the journey………….