Cat and Mouse – the Waiting Game – Training for Positioning and Movement
Mouse: cornered, no options desperate, will move first Cat: playful quick, waits for the mouse to move then pounces And for sure on court it is fun to be the cat! To play very well, you must hit sound shots and move quickly, and very little else. But … the real time connection between hitting and…
Footwork Patterns
David Bailey the prominent footwork Trainer on Carlos Alcaraz, his court coverage, quickness, speed and so much more, all about the starting move … “I was watching Alcaraz and believe the reason he is so quick and effortless is his use of anticipationary splitting steps……..see photos above This technique helps him keep his momentum and…
Transitioning to the Net
The most difficult aspect of the game, may be the ability to play in “open” areas Meaning, closed skills are repetitive – the serve, bowling, movements that are repeatedly similar Open skills are totally random, each event may be different from the previous – and for sure when learning how to follow your shot to…
Agility – Hsieh Su-wei
Agility – the ability to move quickly and easily Perhaps we overlook this basic training approach – nothing about force, power or even strength Just about posture – turning hips and shoulders to the ball as the leading foot drops just a bit and preparing the racquet when about to hit instead of running with…
Footwork Secrets -and the “Crazy Rich Asians” by Jon M Chu
There is a story here. Some many years ago a talented high school senior filmed “The Secrets of World Class Footwork” (sowcf) He had been a tennis student – and this was Jon M Chu If you have seen Crazy Rich Asians you may know of him, of his vision, his talent – and for…
ETI 048 | 8 Board on Court
Lagging A dog wagging it’s tail Centered Balanced Simple but deceptively difficult
ETI 046 | Gravity Motion
Agility = moving quickly and easily. We know when we are gliding, we know when we are moving heavily. Equally, when can see on the adjacent court who moves well and who does not. But often more than strength training or explosive movement, the secret can be in a subtle unweighting where the body leads…
ETI 029 | Tap Tap Tap
Balance, holding your finish, placing your weight precisely against the ball.
Yes there are many ways to hit the ball, and many ways to play this game, but with all the variety of styles and technique – our best professionals are balanced more often than perhaps we readily notice.
ETI 027 | The 3R’s of Tennis
Ready Read React – the all important “3 R’s” of tennis.
But the question, once you have been ready and now have read the incoming direction of the ball – how do you react? What is your first move?
The first move is about quickness, it is about simplicity, but equally if not more importantly, it is about committing and reacting to only and simply what you have read.
If you want to be quicker and find more time to hit the ball – improve your first move.
ETI 024 | Split Step – Be Quick
Three R’s – ready read and then react.
Ready – feet spread, knees softly bent, weight on the balls of the feet
Read – as quickly as possible read the ball, see clearly is this ball coming to the forehand or backhand side
React – turn your shoulders and hips to the ball as quickly as possible.
ETI 017 | Moving to the Ball – Turn and Go
Tennis – moving and hitting – not really much more to it. Quicker players have an advantage, consistent power hitters have an advantage.
When it comes to improving the moving, the footwork, your getting to the ball and recovering back to center – there are many training methods to chose from. The first and most obvious choice concerns weight training, where stronger muscles may help you “explode” to the ball. Another variation includes actual dance and balance exercises, where the goal becomes moving with more grace and less effort.
ETI 016 | Positioning for the Hit – Moving in Twos
Hopefully you have seen and worked through the podcast entitled Weighting and Waiting.
And as a subtle review, baseball batters “wait” on the pitch with their “weight” back. Similarly, pitchers and quarterbacks start their throwing motion with their “weight” back.
ETI 004 | Balance – in the extreme
Many years ago, in my training with Tom Stow (I was in my early 20’s and had already played 4 years of college tennis) he totally remade my game with constant reference to balance, to posture, to playing with less effort and more “conk.”
Watching our very best players, you can see a similar poise, balance if you will. Federer is the acknowledged master of all this. But you too can start by working on how you carry your head.
As amusing (hopefully) as the drill in the video appears, see if you can see if you can perform your swings with a “ball on the hat.”.
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