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TENNIS INSTRUCTION Instruction Learning From The Pros I | Learning From The Pros I |
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| Jul 14, 2007 at 12:30 PM | |
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If you watch a professional player the most amazing thing about it is how easy he makes all shots look. Almost playful! Sometimes pros can even fool you into believing tennis is just a game. Tennis players are great showmen and actors, they love to play for the gallery. Remember that silly shot Roger Federer played in between the legs at match point for himself to win the final against Marat Safin at the Australian Open 2005? How many choices do you think Federer had 4? 5? Yes, he did have several choices but he chose the worst, to play for the gallery! He lost the point and Safin ended up walking away with the title. Tennis players are also a little bit like the girls in Synchronized Swimming, it all looks easy, the girls even smile, but underneath those legs and feet do not cease to move! When you watch a tennis match forget for a while about scores and the ball or great shots and focus on the players feet and watch the fantastic dance they execute to get to the ball and stroke it perfectly. It is simply fascinating! If you consistently apply this simple footwork observation during your practice and match play, I am willing to bet your game will experience a dramatic improvement. Another thing you should do when watching a professional tennis match is just watch the players head in isolation, notice how they always look over the rotating shoulders and how still they keep it as the shot unfolds, even though the rest of their bodies are in frenetic motion. Amazing! What to learn from the Pros; the footwork and keeping the heaviest part of our bodies, the head, still and upright. You will also notice that most players appear not to be looking at the ball at the moment it is struck, because they keep their focus on the hitting zone which lies between real focus and your peripheral focus. This occurs out in front of the player. Your head leads your weight, if your head is pointed forwards your body weight goes forwards. For better understanding you can see this article with pictures at: http://www.tenniscruz.com/login.asp Last thing, because of the way most Pros position their heads (eg. eyes) looking forwards and towards the hitting zone this gives them 5 major advantages: 1. Earlier ball contact 2. Keep the court and opponent within one's peripheral view. 3. Keep their bodies well balanced 4. Better transfer of body weight into the shot. 5. Better targeting of the ball as well as maintaining superior ball control and placement. When practicing these complex elements try one of them at a time for a period of 5 to ten minutes with intervals for resting. For example, if you're focusing on the footwork just focus on that alone and so on. P.S. - Some pundits pretend that it is allright to look extremely sideways at the ball like Roger Federer does, I totally disagree, all you need to know are the laws of physics to understand it. As far as Roger goes, I enjoy him very much and you can not beat his success, but please I beg you DO NOT copy or teach your children to place their heads the same way as Rogers! Enjoy improving your "Game". If you have any comments or observations to this article please contact Sergio Cruz | |
Roger Federer: Spirit of a Champion
 This authoritative and affectionate biography traces the rise of Federer, from his first tentative strokes with a tennis racket to how he dealt with being sent away to a training academy where he struggled to communicate in a French-speaking part of Switzerland; and how he handled the sudden death of his first real coach and mentor. It also examines how Roger has bounced back from arguably one of the most challenging periods of his career as, following a serious illness and a dip in form, he broke his run of successive Wimbledon championship wins and was toppled from the Number One spot by rival Rafael Nadal. In characteristic style, Roger silenced his critics by once again winning the US Open title in August 2008. Roger's professionalism and charm, as well as the time he devotes to his charitable foundation, have won him huge amounts of respoct from both his fellow sportsmen and tennish professionals alike.
Customer Review: Only for the most avid Federer fan Let it be known that there are few more avid fans of tennis in general, and Roger Federer in particular, than me. Thus, it would not have taken much to satisfy my hunger for even a marginally revealing and intimate biography of the game's biggest star. Unfortunately, I'm still hungry. The book does relate some interesting facts about Federer's childhood, his family, and his entry into the sport of tennis. Federer's maturation from a young hothead and many early losses to possibly "the greatest ever" is described, match by match. But, there is very little emotion or "meat" in what is essentially a matter-of-fact chronological recall of his career through 2008. The author is regarded as an experienced and renowned tennis writer, which made the presentation even more disappointing. As an advanced player myself, I was hoping for a bit of analysis from a player's perspective of what sets Federer apart from the rest; his shotmaking, techniques, match preparation, mental toughness, etc. I can learn more watching Federer on television. In fairness, Federer himself has described his off-court life as "boring." Several times throughout the book, the author states how secretive and protective Federer is of his private life. Federer is obviously very good at this, since nothing in the book reveals much the public does not already know. The author is often apologetic for Federer, at times bordering on fawning. As such, it is not a biography, but more a tribute. For a well-written, revealing look at the seamier sides of professional tennis, read Agassi's book. As for the definitive look at Roger Federer, we're still waiting. Customer Review: Good info but a little biased towards RF I have no problems with a biographer sympathizing with his subject, but in my opinion it limits the amount of truths you can uncover about someone's life. However, this is well written. The last quarter is mostly a running commentary of his important matches, but they need to be described to establish context. Please read if you are a Roger Federer fan. I am. Back from Learning From The Pros I to Tennis Cruz Main Page {mosmodule module=Amazon-Omakase} Copyright © Tenniscruz.com®. All rights reserved. |
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