My eight year old's strokes

[hockeyscout]

Anyways, the feedback last time was great. Thanks.

[johnyandell]

you can send me the link at videotennis@metricmail.com

[hockeyscout]

Awesome stuff!

That's cool. By the way, we really enjoyed the article you did on John McEnroe serve, and how you identified - fixed - patched his motion.

[johnyandell]

Video works for a lot of players!

[hockeyscout]

Interesting Link

John, here's something very interesting by Tiger Woods guy who knows a few things about Athletic Development.

http://golf.swingbyswing.com/post/50573105757/tiger-woods-talks-about-video-instruction

[johnyandell]

Tiger has it right in my opinion. Tennis is behind golf and a lot of other sports.

[tennis_chiro]

I don't want to interrupt, but

Really? John, would you mind telling me why you believe this? What is it that basketball, NFL, hockey, golf and the rest of the sports are doing in terms of player development that tennis isn't? What are some things you'd like to be doing as a coach that you sell?

I want to see John's answer to this question, but I think it is pretty clear that the tennis community is much more wedded to its' customary ways and teaching systems than other sports have been. Here on Tennisplayer, John presents clear video evidence of what is actually happening and has been doing so for quite a while. But all you have to do is look around at any junior tournament and see that the message is not reaching enough people. There are too many out there who do not want to believe their own eyes if it contradicts the bunkum they have been taught for so long was gospel.

And much of it is still open to interpretation as to what actually is important. Tennis is not as easily broken down and quantified into essential elements as some other sports. There are often tradeoffs between raw power and absolute accuracy and consistency. Raw power seems to be the most easily quantified and accuracy and consistency often get lost in the rush for power. That's a losing proposition.

Tiger says in that clip that the future is the kids all having perfect swings right from the start and having great power. Well, there is still no perfect swing or set of swings in tennis. The question is how to develop the most effective game for each individual with the most potential without stifling the very necessary creativity of that individual player. Could Krajicek have served well with Sampras's motion? I doubt it. He would have been in a hospital. Would you rather have Federer or Nadal's forehand if you had a choice? What body are you attaching it to? What kind of body is a 12-year old boy going to have when he is 21?

If I was JY, I think I would be pretty frustrated that more people didn't look at the work I was doing and recognize its' value. Sure; we here on the site recognize it, but we are a very small minority of the tennis community.

But it is getting better. And JY is getting recognized and his work is getting recognized, but there are still a lot of old dogs out there who don't want to learn new tricks and who are convinced that the old tricks are still better than the new ones.

don

[GeoffWilliams]

All the attention is going to technique, and very little to equipment.

[worldsbesttenniscoach]

In tennis, a player can get away with hitting the ball to a spot on the court that the player was not aiming for. And in tennis, you can win most of your points, by your opponent blowing his shots, rather than you making decent shots. In other words, the natural feedback in tennis is not as exact & as demanding as the natural feedback in golf & other sports. (These are reasons that skill level in tennis progresses more slowly than skill level in other sports.)