Gravity, the ubiquitous force that surrounds and grounds us Earthlings. The downward pull that enables apples to fall and balls to bounce. Alas, without it, tennis will not even be. So, as much fun as it is (I would imagine) to be suspended in mid air (like in outer space) “swimming” and “flying” freely through space with no worry or care (I’m just romanticising), we should at least be grateful that without it, we can never be human and get to enjoy the myriad “ground” activities in life, not least tennis. But I digressed. Gravity is friend, not foe. Work with it, not against it, lest you along with your tennis game gets bogged down into the depths of tension and despair…
Observe the following two sets of moving images, and ask yourself:
1. What do the movements within the respective sets have in common?
2. How do the movements between the two sets differ from one another?
Set 1:
Set 2:
Yes! As you might have noticed, the movements in set 1 seem stiffer, more controlled and tensed up. While the next set showcases a more relaxed racket head drop, optimised acceleration and more effortless strokes altogether (and if you look closely, calmer expression too). Which of the two kinds of movement do you find yourself doing? (If you remain unsure, video record yourself hitting or get a coach or more experienced friend to observe you). In any case, here are three progression drills to help you to gain the most out of gravity for your strokes:
1. Swing with A Heavier Object
Exaggeration is often a very useful way to introduce and imprint a new movement into your body’s footprint, and for this activity, pick an object heavier than your racket (like a half-filled water bottle – we do not want the object to be too heavy as well to prevent wrist injury) and swing it as you would your racket. Practice shadow-stroking for 20-30 times to allow your arm to feel the “drop” and stop resisting while swinging the weight.
2. Swing with Three Fingers
After which, replace the heavy object with your racket but this time, hold it only with three fingers:
Again, practice shadow-stroking and later hit balls with the three-finger grip. Aim for 20-30 repetitions for each exercise.
3. Swing As Per Normal
Finally, revert back to your original grips, and execute your strokes as per normal (see set 2 above). You should be able to feel that your hand is “heavier” now and more used to dropping the racket for a more effortless stroke!
Three cheers for Gravity!
Swing, Drop, Hurray!
Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.
Malcom Gladwell
Leave a Reply