"What Your Tennis Coach Forgot to
Mention? How A Fraction of a Second Can Dramatically Improve Your Tennis
Game...."
by
Todd Scott
I'm sure you've heard it so many times, it makes you wanna toss your
racquet:
'Watch The Ball!'
If you're anything like me, you may have thought to yourself:
I AM WATCHING THE BALL, what else can I do...?
Take a gander at this simple 'graph,' and keep reading
to find out what it means to your tennis game:
>>>>>>>>>
A 1 2 3 4 B
<<<<<<<<<
According to a few statistics, there's a lot you can do.... And it only
takes a fraction of a second.
These few statistics to show how vital it is that the eye must be kept
on the ball UNTIL THE MOMENT OF STRIKING IT.
About 85% of the points in tennis are errors, and the remaining 15% are
earned points.
As the standard of play rises the percentage of errors drops until, in
the average high-class tournament match, 60% are errors and 40%
cracker-jack-shots.
Any average *superior* to this is **super-tennis.**
So...
Getting the ball back over the net so your opponent gets another chance
to miss....
Can't be over-emphasized.
There are several causes for missing a shot:
- 80% are from taking your eye off the ball before contact
- 15% are from bad footwork
- 5% are from bad stroke mechanics or bad bounces
The eye is a small camera. If you've ever tried to take an action shot
with a camera, the result is one of two things:
1) Either a blurred moving object and a clear background
or
2) A clear moving object and a blurred background.
Both suggest speed, but only one is a good picture of the object you
attempted to photograph.
In the first case the camera eye was focused on the background and not
on the object, while in the second, which produced the result desired,
the camera eye was firmly focused on the moving object itself.
The human eye is exactly the same. It will give both effects, but never
a clear background and moving object *at the same time,* once that
object reaches a point 10 feet from the eye. The perspective is wrong,
and the eye cannot adjust itself to the distance range fast enough.
Now the tennis ball is your moving object while the net, the court, and
your opponent are your background. To hit the ball cleanly you can't
look at the other factors involved,
but concentrate solely on focusing firmly on the ball, and watching it
*all the way until the moment of impact with your racquet.*
.... On to the graph and what it means to your tennis game....
Science has proved that a given tennis ball passing from point A to
point B with the receiving player at B, that if the player at B keeps
his eye on the ball throughout its full flight, his chance of making a
good return at B is five times greater than if he took his eye off the
ball at a point 4, or 4/5 of a second of its flight.
>>>>>>>>>
A 1 2 3 4 B
<<<<<<<<<
Likewise it is ten times greater at B as it is if the eye is removed
from the ball at 3, or 3/5 of a second of its flight. Why increase your
chances of error by five times or ten times when it is unnecessary?
A fraction of as second could mean the difference between slamming a
winner or slugging one over the fence....
All of that is fine and dandy...
It's also been proven that when we're tired at the end of a match,
fatigue hinders our ability to focus and concentrate. This is when all
of the 1/5ths of a seconds add up.
How many times have you just been worn out, at the end of a match... not
really focusing on the ball all the way to the moment of impact? Maybe
taking your
eye off the ball at point 3 or 4 on the graph... just wanting to get the
ball back into play, and sometimesfailing to even get it over the net?
Well, I have more times than I care to mention, and have played tennis
both in the best shape of my life and in the worst shape of my life...
Maybe you have too?
... wouldn't you agree that it's a lot easier to focus on the ball all
the way to the point of impact when you're not huffing and puffing for
air...?
Keeping your eye on the ball and focusing is one thing...
Not being able to, is a completely different topic...
It has an INSTANT effect, and will determine whether you get the ball
past your opponent or shank it over the fence..
...and if you're reading this Mailbag right now, and thinking to
yourself, 'Man, you're right I do seem to lose concentration and focus
towards the end of a match... I need to get the fitness part of my game
handled...'
Then you're right.
There's no better time than the present.
Here's an interesting thought...
Not too long ago, I spoke to a tennis pro, a guy who owns my Igniting
Your Game Project.
He told me that he's gone over the videos over 5 times...
Why do you think he's watched these videos so many times?
Because he still picks up new tips every time he watches it...
Because, literally, in the first 2 weeks he could feel the dramatic
affects it was having on his tennis game...
What am I trying to say here?
I'm trying to say that it's JAM-PACKED with Incredible information that
will have an
IMMEDIATE affect on your game, if you put it to use...
This is the best program you'll find on improving your tennis game off
the court that doesn't involve a big fancy training room with big bulky
equipment.. and I highly recommend that you check it out.
It's here:
http://IgnitingYourGame.com
...and it's also important that you'll gain Immediate access... And
start improving your
game immediately, there's no waiting for a package to come in the
mail... As soon as
you decide you want to improve your game, it's only a mouse click away.
'til next time, Train Hard & Win Easy!
Todd Scott
http://IgnitingYourGame.com
As one of the nation's most in-demand tennis fitness trainers, Todd
Scott is a training advisor to Men's Fitness and Muscle & Fitness Hers
magazines. You can find his articles on news stands today and in nearly
every issue of Men's Fitness or Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines for the
past 2 years. A high school champion tennis player-turned-fitness expert
finally decided, after a little arm twisting by his tennis fitness
clients, to allow public access into his Tennis Specific Fitness
Databank to help people just like you develop strength and power to hit
stronger shots and win more matches. Tennis Fitness Tips is a website
designed to help you "Train Hard & Win Easy!
