| Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ... e.g. (Click on the image to see the video on YouTube.). Great, Osamu, the first step is awareness of the tensions in your body as soon as you do that, your body will naturally relax a bit. Dynamic Balance is the ability to maintain your center of gravity while moving your legs and arms in many different directions. June 12, 2012:  Nike Tennis Camps sits down with Jay Lapidus, former head men's tennis coach at Duke University to discuss the importance of balance while hitting the ball. Your legs are like slaves doing all the hard work while your arms are like the queen, being very comfortable. © Copyright © 2021. The videos were most helpful in reinforcing what you explained. Pay attention to the little feels of being off balance and work on eliminating them so that, as you move and set up for your strokes, you feel very stable and comfortable without any tension in your legs. Keep experimenting. That way, you don’t have to lean and adjust anymore with your upper body and arms. Power is all about balance. In order to hit consistent and accurate shots, we need to be balanced. This year we are offering four weeks of camp for kids ages 9-18 of all skill levels. I’ve used a clip of Roger Federer in the video above but I guarantee you that every pro maintains this posture as they play. In the US our culture has trouble with thinking of athletics and dance together, especially among men. Junior Davis Cup Team. The racquet also leans with us – BUT we don’t feel that! You gain a perspective that can help you to make better decisions, you gain a sense of calm, and you have the ability to see the big picture again. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But often, players are not really well-balanced as they lean a lot and try to adjust to the ball with the upper body and their arms. Tennis requires Dynamic Balance. Balance is needed in tennis to correct your stance after you have hit the ball. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. What is important to know about balance is that the racquet behaves as if all the mass were located at the balance point. Hitting a ball well when it comes right at you is one thing but to keep your balance and hit the ball well in difficult situations on the court is often what separates players at different levels! It´s a very clear image. It is important to train agility in the same manner that any other skill would be trained. 5) Long term health- Incorporating balance training into your exercise routine helps to maintain or improve your balance, which is needed to prevent falls and fractures. Reset the balance clock with a variety of exercises. My problem in the past was the “dead non dominant-arm”. – Serena Williams Unlike sports such as running and cycling, tennis involves a massive amount of quick sprints. 1. The point of the story is that about four weeks into the programme my tennis coached wanted to know I had been up to that had improved my tennis so dramatically! I especially like the part about when we lean we tense up our leg to balance and it tenses up our upper body. Good question, Q, so very important to point out something: “Just get the ball back in play” tells your brain you only need to reach it. Great speed and agility categorize the champion tennis players of today. I agree with finding the strike zone with your feet. I consulted a biokineticist. Nike Tennis Camps offer junior and adult overnight and day camps at 73 locations nationwide. Easier said than done – but important to keep in mind so you can work on that in the long term. Tomaz Mencinger is a professional tennis coach currently living in Slovenia and offering private lessons to passionate players of all levels. Then come back and let us know how that worked for you! Now lean forward slightly (bend at your waist) but keep your feet where they were. Thanks, JJRey, good point on “separating” the arms and legs. Whenever we lean, we are slightly off balance. Our goal is to give players the opportunity to hit thousands of balls, improve their technique, and be challenged by some of the best players in their peer group. Tennis Balance and Hand Eye Coordination With A Partner. After about two months I had moved from standing shakily of one leg for short periods to doing arm exercises standing on one leg on an upturned Bosu ball. It takes some bravery to accept what you see.…, I was doing some homework on the unit turn, and found that focussing on the non-dominant shoulder gives that extra…, I laughed when you tried the stop-shoulder experiment with Peter. This is an excerpt from 'Getting the Balance Right' by Sarah Brown. These cookies do not store any personal information. Being balanced, also, helps you move faster on the court and reduce your risk of injury. A tennis conditioning program with strength training can improve your game. 4. I am more proactive. Then your brain will realize that simply “reaching” the ball with arm cannot do what you want. To accomplish all this requires training your muscles to move as quickly as possible. Thank you again, like always. On the one hand speed economy improvements assure that minimal excess energy is expended (wasted) to perform the athletic movement and on the other hand agility improvements allow the athlete to change direction more effectively. Balance In Tennis And How Queen Cleopatra Can Help, Learning Strokes From The Pros And What Can Go Wrong, Bravo for your comment regarding watching video of your own strokes. Balance, coordination and agility are the building blocks for all future sporting success and therefore have a direct impact on our table tennis performance. Dynamic balance comes later when players advance and actually hit shots in the air due to racquet head speed – generated through the legs – body rotation – and landing balanced on your feet. 3. 😉. Incidentally I have seen a video of a young Roger Federer standing on a Bosu ball hitting volleys. I didn’t know tension cause a lot of problem. you are aboslutely the best tennis coach in the web! 4# Lastly the head. To better understand the importance of balance/stability, we need to go one level deeper and ask ourselves: what is the actual primary problem of playing tennis (or any sport that involves balls)? I love the way you emphasize these elements in all your lessons vs just static forms, Tomaz. One common mistake is to actually be moving your body back to the middle while hitting, before the shot is actually finished. Nike and the Swoosh design are registered trademarks of Nike, Inc. and its affiliates, and are used under license. Recognise the importance of the fundamentals and make sure you find a way to incorporate them into your weekly trai… Your instruction has really helped my game! The technique for entering a state of dynamic balance is simple but counterintuitive and strict. With 18 years of head coaching experience at Duke University and a former All-American and US Davis Cup player himself, Lapidus has had time to observe players and notice where common mistakes occur. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Tennis Tip: The I-Formation Doubles Strategy. Your body needs to contract these muscles in order to maintain the same position. Thus, including strength training in your off-court workout is a smart move. It isn't clear to the common person, and sometimes practitioners, what actually defines the "core" in an anatomical or conceptual sense. "Balance is a key element for any good tennis shot," he explains. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Visitors to this site have rated each of these factors for the sport of tennis, and the most important according to them are: speed, followed by agility and balance/coordination. I can never stress enough the importance of balance in table tennis. This rally between Nadal and Djokovic is a prime example: This type … You … When we lean, that angle in the hand doesn’t change, but the actual racquet angle in relation to the ground does. You really tell all the things that I understood by myself with hard work.. And improved my game dramatically. Special thanks to PJ Simmons for letting me use the Federer clip! Tennis Tip: The Importance of Balance. Finally, when we lean, we change the racquet angle. Here are the steps required to measure a racquet’s balance point using a balance board scale. The phrase "core stability" is commonly quoted and talked about, and recognised as an important aspect of physical performance and injury prevention. Tennis players need a very good level of speed, agility and endurance. Dynamic balance is essential for creating power, placement, and consistency in tennis. High speed braking is a main cause of injury for tennis athletes. walking a balance beam or playing football). It is important to ensure that the server can remain stable and not over balance as this could affect how quickly and easily to move to reach to the next ball that is returned over the net. That’s also a good mental image, Emanuele, “wheels” carrying your upper body in balance. 2. ... and our purpose is to bring harmony, balance and consistency to all of these aspects. I Would really like to know your teaching about breathing then…, One more thing: I’m very tall and often coaches tell me to stay low… You cut back and forth across the court, lunging for shots, driving forehands down the baseline, and even sprawling to make backhand saves. Add strength training to your arsenal. Balance training also contributes to players’ agility. If it does, know you were not balanced. Hi and thank you for this useful video lesson…….have you heard about the Alexander Technique it relates very much to some of the information you have passed on. The Importance Of Shoulder Rotation In Tennis Groundstrokes, The Importance Of Hip Rotation In Tennis Groundstrokes, Tennis Ball Machine Drills With The Slinger Bag. That’s why I like to explain this as imagining Queen Cleopatra in Egypt being carried on a litter by four slaves. Tennis like other sports is a battle of endurance. The slaves correspond to your legs, and your arms should feel like Queen Cleopatra. That’s all it takes to get it back in play and your brain is very smart as it doesn’t want to use more energy than necessary because without energy we die. Jajaja, Cleopatra & Federer, great imagination Tomaz !!! But often, players are not really well-balanced as they lean a lot and try to adjust to the ball with the upper body and their arms. Tomas I’m sold on Feel Tennis. Coordination In Tennis Tennis is a sport where hand-eye coordination is important so that your hand and the other parts of your body quickly react to do the right moves. Currently the Associate Director of Athletics Development, Jay Lapidus helps run the Nike Tennis Camps at Duke University  with head tennis men's coach, Ramsey Smith, and head women's tennis coach, Jamie Ashworth. The player that can do this in the most efficient manner will be the player that has the overall athletic advantage in the match. We need to become aware of this habit first and work to change it so that we learn to adjust with legs on the court, stay on balance, and keep our arms very comfortable. The camps provide first-rate instruction, match play, diversified social activities, exposure to life in a university setting – and the chance to build lasting friendships. Why is Balance needed in tennis? Thank you Tomaz for another great tip. Uh I’m pretty amazed. Thanks again and please keep these tips coming. She did a complete assessment of my movements and concluded, inter alia, that my core needed strengthening and she developed a programme for me. All my life I’d woken up to tennis, tennis, tennis. The login page will open in a new tab. When I checked my body playing tennis,I found a lot of tension in my muscles. According to Caroline DeGroot, a physical therapist and the vestibular program manager at Athletico Physical Therapy, balance is an important aspect in carrying out both simple and complex movements. About Nike Tennis Camps Campers can choose between overnight and day camp (8:30am-4:30pm) options. Every video is interesting! To withstand this force you need both upper and lower body strength. Depending of the level just have the players balance for 1 minute on 1 or 2 legs and then you can start to close the eyes, add shadows with rackets or tennis balls catches and throws. I also like to think of trying to “glide” on the court, like those folks whose long robes hide the moving legs. "Ideally you want your upper body to remain rather straight, your head very still, and then you rotate around this axis which does not move." Using the proper progression is a necessity. The slaves and Queen Cleopatra image is very useful. Best regards, How To Be At Peace With Mistakes In Tennis, Tennis Illusions – Roger Federer’s Forehand Technique, The Modern Forehand Drop & Wrist Lag Techniques Comparison. The legs should move quickly while the arms do little and when in place the feet stay quick while the arms move quickly. Why are balance and coordination important? 😉. In order to hit a good shot, you must maintain your center of gravity through contacting the ball. I look to take the ball on rather than waiting and striking the ball off balance. If we lean and adjust to the ball with the upper body and arms, we will lose balance slightly. That means we must not lean and adjust with the upper body but instead do all the adjusting with our legs. First, a tennis racquet is placed on the center of the balance board so that it rests on the balance bar with the … My name is Osamu,I have played tennis for ten years. Inside Tennis. Tennis Reads. In summary… 1. Second, it starts to affect your upper body and arms, and you cannot swing smoothly anymore; therefore, you accelerate with a jerky movement and lose control of the ball. tennis is a very technical sport You Need to be Quick and Agile In a similar poll, we have asked people to rate the 12 factors of success for sports. I believe it helps but somehow being “less” low and more in balance (as Fognini does for example) makes me more relaxed and effective… Even though I probably still have to get this better…. Aerobic Endurance is important not only in Tennis but to all the other kinds of sports as well. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Balance will help you move quickly to a pinpoint location while hand eye coordination will help drive the tennis ball over the net. "Balance is a key element for any good tennis shot," he explains. It is evident how important balance is … This in the match to help correct the inflammatory balance in the position. 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Element for any good tennis shot, '' he explains to lean and adjust anymore your... Went deep into it couple months ago, I ’ m split.... Sports > List > tennis > Fitness close it and return to this page having the legs do hard! As we age, our balance can deteriorate, something we want to avoid you... Greater results Camps offer junior and adult overnight and day camp ( 8:30am-4:30pm ) options not sure question!