Watch the Ball

INSTRUCTIONAL COLUMN

Cup of Joe Waking up to the facts and myths of winning tennis.

In “Cup of Joe,” we want to evaluate accepted methods of how tennis should be played and coached in the context of the modern game.

Some readers may conclude that many of the accepted ways of thinking are now obsolete; other readers may feel their importance is reinforced. Either way, we want to hear from you—about this current topic and on other topics you’d like us to address. Email me at joe@oncourtoffcourt.com and we will try to publish your comments in future columns.

‘Watch the Ball’

T

ennis started in the 1870s. Soon thereafter a player named Jill missed the ball completely and her boyfriend, Jack, thought she needed some help. “Jill, watch the ball,” he said.

Now, this persistent phrase carries with it the weight of 140 years of history. In recent years when Roger Federer, the most famous ball watcher of all time, rose to the top, this directive gained new momentum. Federer is cited as the perfect “ball watcher” and his success, along with his technique, is legendary. The photo of Federer here is classic: It looks like he’s watching as the ball hits the strings.

However, now take a look at the photos of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic (page 18).

While Federer tends to turn his head and appears to literally freeze his eyes on the strings at contact, other top players don’t. In fact, Federer often “cocks” or tilts his head slightly to the side to accomplish this task. Will players now be instructed to tilt their heads to try and watch the ball hit the strings?

I hope not.

Don’t get me wrong. There is definitely merit to the command, “Watch the ball.” After all, tennis is a complex and fast-paced sport. In a fraction of a second, players need to judge, prepare and position for each incoming ball. Plus, each ball has a combination of five unique variables—spin, arc, speed, direction and depth—making every incoming ball different from any other ball. Add to this the fact that your opponent is striking each ball from a different position on the court as well as height off the ground and you have an infinite number of possibilities. Of course you need to watch the ball!

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©FRED mullane

That said, there are legitimate questions that can be raised, such as:

Q: Can you really see the ball hit the strings?

A: No. Test it for yourself. Just bounce the ball off the strings up in

the air repeatedly. Even at this unrealistically slow ball speed, the event of ball contact happens too quickly. How fast? About 4 milliseconds.

But, even though you can’t see the ball hit the strings, the process of trying to see that point of contact can factually be helpful to many players. That effort may trigger several favorable things such as better breathing, concentration, and even more relaxed and full swings. Oth-

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er players can accomplish similar things in other ways. For instance, Lleyton Hewitt will yell out, “Come on!”

Q: Should you turn your head to try and see the

ball hit the strings?

A:

Federer does it, but is he the exception and is this an idiosyncrasy of his athletic genius? Many would say yes, others would say no. Try this: Turn your head quickly from one side to the other. You should see a short blur and then have an experience of your eyes getting refocused. Do you want to intentionally or unintentionally create a blur while swinging at a tennis ball? I doubt it.

Q: Is it better to watch the ball with one eye or two?

A: Two. Humans see best when both eyes work together to “fill in”

the field of vision. If you turn your head to the side to try and see the ball hit the strings on a groundstroke, your nose will actually block one of your eyes from seeing the ball. Seeing the ball with both eyes is sometimes referred to as “dual-optical vision.”

Q: Can someone train to increase their focus?

A: Yes. Create focus through engaging the eyes and the brain with

ball recognition and decision-making drills. One example is to rally with a partner and see how early each of you can call out loud “forehand” or “backhand,” predicting correctly to which side the incoming ball will arrive. Or, another exercise would be to call out “above” or “below” to designate whether you will be striking the ball above the height of the net or below it. Obviously, this awareness affects shot selection, and the sooner you are aware of the ball height of your next shot, the sooner you can decide what type of shot to hit.

Summary: While many players should rightfully continue to try and watch the ball hit the strings, others may want to change their focus.

Certainly we can all agree that the days are gone when all you need to know is “racquet back, bend your knees and watch the ball.” And, we all know that Roger Federer shouldn’t change a thing.

Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional in both the PTR and USPTA, a distinction awarded to only a handful in the tennis industry. He has published numerous books and videotapes, and is a frequent speaker at tennis conferences around the world. For more information, visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com. Email Joe at joe@oncourtoffcourt.com.

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