REPRISE: Tennis and the Power of Rotation (From May 29, 2011)

Video: Rotational Power of Federer and Nadal
By: TUENTRENADOR

Why is a rotating object so pleasing for us to see?
Think of any rotating object - a ball, a sphere, or even a coin. Why do we like to watch it? Why are we sometimes even mesmerized by it? Because there appears to be a "smoothness" or "fluidity" or "flow" to such an object which the human eye is naturally attracted to. Indeed, there seems to be something strangely hypnotic and appealing about the object's rotating quality.

Think again about more rotating objects. Think of a spinning top. Think of the waves of the ocean at the beach. Think of that old toy for kids called the "Slinky". Think of a swinging pendulum. Think also of watching a video of a tennis ball rotating in slow-motion hit by your favorite pro. And on "contact" the spin of the ball changes, and it suddenly spins in a different direction.

The sight of rotation for most of us appears to be magnetic.

Why is rotational force so fundamental to our world?
The power and constancy of rotation is self-evident everywhere in our world. And it appears to be a primary force in our universe in creating energy and motion. Our Earth rotates on its axis, and also rotates around the sun. Our sun and solar system rotate within the galaxy. Our galaxy itself rotates around its core, and rotates within our observable universe.

And on the other side of the cosmic scale, at the sub-atomic level, electrons rotate around protons and neutrons. The electron itself was recently measured by scientists at the Imperial College London as the purest spherical object in nature, and itself always rotating or spinning on an axis. Thus, rotation is fundamental.

How does rotational power work in tennis?
Rotational power in tennis essentially comes from rotating your hips and shoulders into the shot. Your arm and racket head follows from behind your body and completes a full follow-through in a circular motion. Some coaches describe this as "sinking and coiling, and lifting and uncoiling". You are using your body's largest parts to power the racket head "through the line of the shot", and the shot "through the body of the court."

This is the bio-mechanical generation of power and spin through the release of the human kinetic chain:
1. From ground to foot & ankle
2. ankle to knee
3. knee to hip
4. hip to shoulder
5. shoulder to elbow
6. elbow through forearm
7. wrist & hand into ball contact point

Best,
Gary

The Most Important Points

"Playing to the score - Every point in a match is naturally important but there are certain points in each game, certain games in each set, and certain sets in a match which are crucial. The player who knows those points and games, and makes a special effort to win them, will greatly increase his chances of victory. The crucial points in a game are the third and the fifth. The crucial games in a set are the fourth, particularly the seventh and the ninth. The crucial sets are the first, in a two-out-of-three match, and the third, in a three-out-of-five match."

-Bill Tilden, How to Play Better Tennis (1950) 
Chapter 16, "Maintaining Pressure on Your Opponent"

The Ultimate Tennis Test for Hand-Eye Reaction

Enjoy! 
Gary 

Video: (FSN Sport Science) Reaction Time - Tennis Test 
By: OldSport85

The Tennis Forehand in "Motion Capture Data"

Enjoy,
Gary

Courtesy: mocapdata

The Forehand Slice



The Forehand Lob



The Forehand Hard Hit

Tennis Quote: Wanna Have Better Tennis Concentration? Get Back to Nature . . .

"Philosophers, writers and laypeople alike have long suspected that interacting with nature can have a positive effect on our ability to operate at our best. Recently, scientists have confirmed these ideas.

Taking a three-mile hike through a tree-lined arboretum enhances people's concentration skills . . . Even spending 10 minutes (yes just 10 minutes) looking through pictures of natural scenes lead to improved focus and concentration . . .

Why might being in nature (or simply viewing it) alter brain power?

Williams James, one of the founders of modern-day psychology . . . made a distinction between two types of attention . . . involuntary attention . . . and voluntary or directed . . . attention . . . which is at the heart of our ability to concentrate.

When you're in nature, your surroundings (whether it's a bird chirping or a beautiful sunrise) modestly grabs your involuntary attention, which gives your directed attention time to rest and replenish.

The ability to stay focused in an important match - to concentrate on what you need to do to outsmart your opponent on the court - is just as important as the physical skills your bring to the court . . . nature seems to rejuvenate the very brain processes [directed attention] that are so important for success."

"Walk in the Woods",
Sian Beilock, Ph.D.
Psychology Professor
Tennis Magazine
May 2012, Page 46.

Video: Nature, Music and Relaxation
By: Scenic Videos

The Finals - 2012 Sony Ericsson Open

Photo: AP

Key Biscayne, FL - World No. 1 Novack Djokovic (SRB No. 1) showed why he is still the man to beat this year in men's tennis.

Djokovic (SRB No. 1) defeated Andy Murray (GRB No. 4) for the Men's Singles Championship in straight sets, 6-1, 7-6 (4) on a warm South Florida afternoon before a sell-out crowd.

Djokovic displayed powerful, pinpoint groundstrokes and overpowering serving and returning to overcome a determined and talented opponent.

It was his third Key Biscayne title, and put his win-loss record at 20-2 for Year 2012.

And it well-positioned him to confidently start the clay court season in Europe on a glidepath to the next Grand Slam tournament - Roland Garros (French Open) in May.

"I delivered the best when I needed to, and I came up with some good serves when the opportunity was presented," he remarked. "That's what matters the most, really. And that's something that gives me a lot of confidence for the next challenges."

Meanwhile, Agnieszka ("Aggie") Radwanska (POL No. 5), upset Maria Sharapova (RUS No. 2) for the Women's Singles Championship in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.

It was Radwanska's biggest win of her career, her 9th WTA professional title, and put her at 26-4 for Year 2012.

Sharapova was clearly frustrated by the slender 5' 8" Radwanska who deftly played a creative, all-court game.

It was a masterclass performance by a rising star in the women's game, and by the first Polish player to win a Key Biscayne title.

"I was trying from the beginning to focus on my serve, and put my first serve in and go for it. I think I did a really good job today and the serve was the key," explained Radwanska.

Congrats to all the winners, players, fans and supporters of the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne.

Well done, and see you next year!
Gary

Patience in Tennis

"When a man hurries, the devil smiles."
Old Polish proverb

Here's brief discussion by Coach Greg Moran of patience in tennis, and why it's so important.
Best,
Gary

From Greg Moran, USPTA, USPTR
Tennis Server

It is often said that in the game of life, patience is a virtue. In the game of tennis, patience is what separates the players from the pretenders. While players spend hours working on their "huge" serve or their "monster" forehand, they devote virtually no time developing what is undoubtedly the most important weapon a tennis player can have ---- Patience!

Why is patience so important? Simply, because it is the more patient player who will usually win the match. As I have said, many times, tennis is a game of errors as opposed to winners with roughly 80% of all points played, at every level, being decided by someone making an error.

In his fabulous book "Intelligent Tennis," Skip Singleton describes the typical tennis match as "two players trying to give each other each game by making a series of errors until finally someone gives the match away. The winner feels like he has won the match because he was the better player, and the loser feels like he has lost because he has beaten himself. Actually, the loser just gave away the match first! Most matches are lost, not won."

"The name of the game," continues Singleton, "then becomes avoiding errors and playing consistent tennis. Even though this may be the most basic of the basics, it is forgotten time and time again. Your ultimate tactic in tennis should be consistency, no matter at what level you play the game."

What causes errors? Forced errors, as I said, are caused by your opponent's strong shots and there is not much you can do except try to stay out of situations where your opponent can press you, i.e., short balls, weak second serves, etc.

Unforced errors are caused mainly by a psychological breakdown. Our mind wanders and we get sloppy without technique or, more frequently, our shot selection. I believe that a vast majority of unforced errors are the result of a player trying to hit too hard or too difficult a shot when they should simply get the ball back into play.

Unforced errors are the disease of every tennis player. A disease where there is really no 100% cure but whose symptoms can be dramatically lessened with the proper antidote. That antidote? PATIENCE!!!!!