Happy Friday from Better Tennis, the weekly email keeping you in the loop with practical stuff about tennis!
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Looks like we’re going to have more tournaments going on and the season is picking up. Yay. 🔥
We hope that you are having a good time and actively using our tips to improve your performance. 😉
The right concentration in tennis👏🏼🎾🤨
Concentration is a direct connection between what your eyes see and how the body, legs, and arms respond to the ball in space and time.
Of course, it is very important for a tennis player to see the ball, but it is also important to focus correctly.
In order to best focus on your thoughts and actions, you have to think about it. For example, try to force yourself not to think about a pink elephant, and you will feel how difficult it is to remove this image from your thoughts - something always remains in your head.
So it is preferable not to force yourself not to think about something (for example: I have 2 shots left to win and I am the winner, but now is not the time to think about it), but to learn to focus on something more important, for example, assignments to your hands , legs, etc., and it is preferable to ask yourself such questions (tasks) to which you can get a quick answer (complete).
When playing the ball, try to concentrate on each individual shot, so you can successfully develop the ability to concentrate and accurately perform the required action.
What is Concentration:
Concentration in tennis has two main functions:
to prepare for the point and
to be collected and attentive during the rally, which requires both observation of the flight of the ball and the assessment of its flight characteristics, as well as some tactical assessments.
Evaluating the shot characteristics of a ball involves determining when and at what point in space your racket will make contact with a ball flying from an opponent.
Each time you have to decide about your shot:
to beat from the summer?
Kick on the rise (on an upward ball)?
to hit before the second bounce (on the falling ball)?
In this case, it is desirable that the point of impact was in a zone of space convenient for you: somewhere between the shoulder and the knee.
Determination of the contact zone (impact zone):
Simulate the impact movement without the ball and stop the racket at the expected point of contact with the ball. Do it first with your eyes open, then with your eyes closed: is it the same point?
Once you have determined the point of impact in terms of ball height, distance from the body, and timing (timing assumes temporal estimates of the impact), notice the distance between the point of impact and the leg. As you move to the right (for a forehand), estimate the distance between the point of impact and the right foot, whether it be an open stance kick or a left foot step.
Moving to the left to perform the backhand, estimate the distance from the point of impact to your left foot, assuming a step with your right foot as you enter the shot.
Whenever your opponent shoots the ball to your side, quickly answer yourself three questions:
- in which direction is the ball flying?
- where will the rebound be?
- at what point do you need to shot?
Opponent's shot direction:
This question will help you to quickly respond to the direction of impact: the ball is flying towards you to the right or to the left. Watch the ball even before the opponent shots. Watch the ball bouncing off your opponent's racket and prepare (pivot) your shoulders before your feet begin to kick off.
Where will the rebound be?
This question will help you evaluate which trajectory you need to go to the ball: attack it on the rise, or vice versa, retreating, hit the falling ball.
It is more common to see players bumping into the ball rather than not reaching it (this is especially true for beginners). This means that the player does not accurately place the "back" foot in front of the ball, which leads to unnecessary raising of the point of impact, a violation of timing (rhythm) and, as a result, a poorly executed shot.
When to hit?
This question will help you choose the right moment to hit. Timing determines not only the direction of the shot, but also its depth. If you are in a hurry to get your racket into the ball when hitting from the right, the ball will fly towards the opponent's left, and if late - towards the right. At the same time, if you are in a hurry to hit, the ball will fly shortly or even hit the net. When the racket is pulled out late, the ball flies longer.
When the swing is over, keep your gaze at the point of contact of the racket with the ball, and then, while tracking the trajectory of the ball, ask yourself the above three questions again.
Most beginners, and perhaps even intermediate players, take their eyes off the point of contact too early, and thus their head does not remain down after the end of the strike. They are more interested (in vain) in how the ball they send flies. Better, instead of admiring your blow, ask yourself a question to the right or left, and the answer will fly to you.
Ask yourself three questions already at the beginning of preparation for the match, during the warm-up and during the first draw of points. Pay attention to this during critical moments of the game. You will have enough time to control the ball, which is especially important when fatigue sets in closer to the end of the match.
Useful concentration tips 🎾 😉
Recent FUN 😂🎾
Don’t worry, be happy 😉
Thanks for reading 🙌
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