Tipbit #27 – Head on the Ball

 

I had Jared Syverson as a partner a week ago Sunday and I got into several backhand cross-court dinks with my opponent. I was able to dink my opponent wide and noticed with my peripheral vision that his partner was shifting with him, creating a gap for me through the middle. But, when I went for each of my put away shots I missed; why, because I wasn’t looking at the ball, more specifically, I wasn’t looking at the ball on contact and I know that’s crucial. The ball, clearly, never bounces the same, the wind moves it about, the late afternoon sun on the Glen Park courts can play tricks or I didn’t anticipate his change of spin or speed.

 

This is a common issue for a lot of members not just me. This is why we hear that infamous clunk when we miss hit the ball or we say to ourselves “Watch the Ball”, but still our shot goes nowhere near where we expected or we miss the ball entirely. Knowing my lack of patience, I’m pretty sure I’m looking for the result too early. I’m likely focused on the potential target rather than my shot. What I need to do is pick my target as early as possible and then focus on the shot. Remember, your brain will remember the target, but your body has to execute the shot. You must trust yourself to hit the shot you desire.

There is just no substitute for hitting the ball on the center (sweet spot) of your paddle. Making an effort to keep my head still and watching the ball through contact is good, but doing it consistently is another issue all together.  It’s going to take discipline and practice, but we must do it to win points and eliminate errors.

 

Personally, I’m going to try a technique I’ve read about. As the ball is approaching me, I’m going to track the ball, not taking my eyes off it; then focus into the holes in the ball, trying to see the center of the ball. I’ll start practicing this in my warm-up and then when the game starts try it on my service returns or while I’m about to hit your third shot; drive or drop. I know it’s all about preparing a mindset and keeping my Head on the Ball long enough to get it to go where I want it to go!