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Every time there is a hiatus in my
playing time (the weather’s been bad lately), my consistency goes
off and my game seems to drop a couple of levels. What can I do to
mitigate my inconsistency?
You should
not be surprized that your game goes off when you have a layoff,
whether through weather or injury. Sport psychologists tell us that
average skill levels are typically lost at a rate that is three
times faster than the time it takes to gain the skill. Hence the
phrase ‘practice makes perfect’, and the professional focus on
getting sufficient match time on court.
Tennis is considered a “fine motor skilled” sport
which involves close coordination between eye, hand and foot. These
skills are integral to what I call the three basic tennis
fundamentals: ball-watching, balance and rhythm. And the bad
news: there is very little correlation between these skills and our
activities in daily life. Take for example ball-watching. In the
split second between the time a ball is hit from one end of the
court to the other, you have to 'accommodate' your eyes to go from
parallel vision (long vision) to triangular vision (narrow focus on
a rapidly moving ball). And all this happens without you
really being aware of the six muscles in your eyes managing these
processes. The equivalent life processes are driving a car
(long vision) and reading (triangulating). However very rarely
do we rapidly switch modes as we are forced to do in sports.
Likewise, there are similar processes for maintaining your balance
and developing rhythm which is why there is a much greater focus on
cross-training for elite athletes.
With regard to maintaining your ability to watch
the ball, one simple exercise is to practice accommodating your eye
from near (focus on the tip of your thumb) to far (a fence pole at
the end of the court). Google the web for exercises for
balance and rhythm that suit your style and interests, or go back
and reread a few of the earlier "ask-the-pro" columns where some of
these are suggested.
Understanding these fundamentals can not only
'preserve' your game and sanity when you have a hiatus but, perhaps
more importantly, give you a competitive edge when playing.
c) Rob Muir USPTA
June 11, 2010 |