Don_Budge's changing idea and John Yandell!

[hockeyscout]

Engagement is my middle name. Yep, yep, yep...bring it hockeyscout. But try to focus...this is a tennis forum. Rackets are mandatory...this is an unavoidable given. You cannot take the club out of golf. Or the piano out of piano playing:

First off, thanks Don_Budge. That's golden.

Excellent.

John Yandell, have you ever thought of creating a section of video where the racket is completely removed from the picture, and you instruct without it? Or put videos, and remove the racket all-together?

Larissa Preobrazhenskaya did a ton of work with imitation and shadow stroking. It seemed to work for her, and at least here I never see it done.

What is killing me with all this instruction is how racket based it all is! I'd love to see something where the racket is gone, and the instructor is focusing on what really matters (positioning - placement - wrist angle), without this racket being such a focal point. I'd love to see video with no racket.

Who says rackets needs to be mandatory in our teaching?

I am thinking of:

1. player is opened up with a series of exercises

2. player watches the video where an instructor has no racket

3. player explains what he or she sees in the picture when their is no racket

4. performs with no racket, understands what each body parts need to do

5. watches the video you have on tennisplayer.net with no racket.

6. takes the racket, performs the shadow strokes

7. moves into hand fed balls

8. progression becomes more intensive (depending on age and level)

9. Close the athlete off with a series of exercises.

If any of you want I can explain the concept of continually opening and closing as I don't see anything about that on the site.

PS: thinking about this for a second, sometimes I wonder what would happen if an instructor didn't take his racket onto the court. It'd be interesting to take an athlete, take the racket out of their hands, and have them explain to you what it is they are really trying to do wouldn't it? I really need to ask bodybuilders and power lifters about their practice habits without the bar in their hand because they kind of understand the progression I am thinking about maybe better than a hockey coach does (who always has that darned stick in his hand as well)

[klacr]

hockeyscout,

very interesting idea.

I understand what you mean by editing the racquet out of the hand of a player in video analysis to pick up on the other motions within the stroke, however, taking a racquet out of a students hand and teaching them tennis a whole different thing.

Much of tennis is the kineshetic feel and the racquet is just part of the natural extension of your hand. or at least it should feel that way. I've never felt that when I play, the racquet was/is a foreign object. To me, it was simple a part of me as if it was molded and forged into my hand.

The racquet has many uses for a true tennis player behind simply impacting the ball and much of it is psychological. It also acts as a shield and a security blanket. it's a comfort thing. Players feel naked without it.

As a tester for the USPTA, I cannot tell you how many aspiring coaches and teachers start a lesson with their racquet clutched to their chest and arms crossed in front of it. A very closed off and guarded posture. I never encourage that posture during lesson introductions for applicants but some just can't help it. I have also seen numerous applicants for the USPTA test sit in a classroom to take the written portion of the certification exam and clutch their racquet and twirl it, swing it, spin it to keep the nerves down and provide familiarity with a difficult or unique situation or scenario that a test question presents.

Thet tennis racquet is much more than just a tennis racquet for most players. take that out of their hands for prolonged periods of time and you've lost them.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[hockeyscout]

I agree! I cannot skate without a hockey stick. It feels very bad.

That is a good point.

It makes sense.

In our case I do not think it will be an issue like it might be for some of your clients, as we understand the importance of doing the small things out of our comfort zone to get better, as well as a willingness to engage in long drawn out dialogue.

I think it is these small things that produce a better player like always being engaged.

I often do gym work with the racket in hand while doing neurological set up work or when on the vibration platform, and I am now figuring out how to teach her how to roll (for time and space purposes) on the mats with racket in hand, and getting up and hitting a ball hard over and over again.

What you say makes sense, however, I might need to overcome that, not that I think it is an issue.

I often wonder if I made a major error in the early stages by not starting more of a technical program in the early stage without the racket.

However:

1) what about an instructional video without the racket

2) what about video where the racket is removed (say Serena or Roger)

3) What about the instructor teaching without a racket

Maybe I want to do something along the lines of a YOGA Tennis deal?

For me I want to shift the focus to proper positioning, I know I keep saying this over and over and over the position of the hands, wrists, shoulders, hips, feet result in being able to hit that perfect shot in the sweet spot.

Everyone always blames the poor racket.

On that note, whenever she messes up and looks at the racket like the pro players do, I just say, "Don't blame Quick Strike. Hey is clever, nice, smart, tough and # 1 of all time. Something went wrong, and its not his fault, and your Racket Abusing right now. Poor guy, he always gets blamed when something goes wrong, and it's never his fault!"

I kind of laugh when you mention kids, coaches and students are always twirling that racket, or farting around with it. You know, its the number one lesson in hockey, you have 15 guys out on that ice (12 players and 3 refs), and you'd better be in control of that stick at all times! Its dangerous not to always be engaged with your stick (even when you are sitting on the bench) and when you are stupid careless this can happen (dumb ass follow through so close to the net). Just reckless. You got to have so much respect, and control of that stick as a hockey player. You really know you destroyed a guy with a hard hit when his stick goes flying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdyHVGPdwT4

So, I got a rule as an ex-hockey player, if that racket isn't ever dis - engaged it's going to be sent for a very long ride over the fence. In fact, I play that game all the time, see if I can steal "Quick Strike" (the pet name of her racket. I always lament how much I love throwing quick strike for a ride, testing my arm, playing baseball, being Joe Montana and I never get a chance anymore to send it for a test launch. I got one of those kids that walks around all over the place with her racket, and I am fine with it, however, I tell her to always have it engaged so she doesn't hit someone by being careless, and she just does it out of habit now. Its a good habit to teach as it engages that racket to the body, and they feel as one. I never want to see one ounce of chaos with that racket, however, that's the old hockey player in me.

[johnyandell]

HS,

No. But the video is there. Maybe you can find the software to do it.

[hockeyscout]

John:

I have now changed my name to worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches

I will find a way to do this, maybe I will post this as a job on Freelancer and have someone do it for me.

Everyone, I will post the video here when done for research purposes.

It might be interesting, or it might be pointless, we will see.

Regards
worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches

[GeoffWilliams]

Hey John, can I change my handle to: GeoffWilliamsisnottheworldsbesttenniscoach?

[johnyandell]

geoff,

if you insist...

[bottle]

Crummy Tennis Coaches, Crummy Writers

No, guys, don't say you're not the world's best tennis coach because your listener will immediately believe you even if he thought you were pretty good before.

If you say you're a lousy writer, the situation is even worse. Not only will the reader believe you but suspect that you are a poor reader as well (the two things being intimately related) and will look around for confirming evidence and find it.

(Sorry, lobanddropshot, but you asked for it.)

[hockeyscout]

No, guys, don't say you're not the world's best tennis coach because your listener will immediately believe you even if he thought you were pretty good before.

If you say you're a lousy writer, the situation is even worse. Not only will the reader believe you but suspect that you are a poor reader as well (the two things being intimately related) and will look around for confirming evidence and find it.

(Sorry, lobanddropshot, but you asked for it.)

I wish I could find a link. They surveyed doctors. Out of 100 I think 98 of something believed they were world class. Maybe, out of that 100, 1 would have been lucky to be world class.

Tennis is a great sport in a way, you can't lie to yourself because you either make it or you don't. Their ain't much middle ground.

And yes, I am the worldsworsttenniscoach, I don't understand a single thing about the game! In fact, I tell you daughter, "Don't be a tennis player." I see tennis as a combination of MMA, hockey, NFL and NBA skill-sets. I could be right, I could be wrong. We won't know for a LONG TIME.

We actually refer to "Tennis" as the sport of "Armageddon," and things like return to serve etc we refer to them as "Quick Strike" and "Counter Strike."

So, yes I can confirm, I am the worldsworst. 100 percent. I believe it and I tell myself every day I am very bad. We invent games (just as MMA was invented as an ultimate sport, or WWF) Armageddon, Quick Strike, Destructive Chess and Counter Strike and the host of other games hoping it will take us to that next.

[hockeyscout]

And our favorite one, disrupt the country club tennis players

[bottle]

I may be right, I may be wrong, but I've got the right to sing this song.

[hockeyscout]

I may be right, I may be wrong, but I've got the right to sing this song.

Very nice! You know they did a study I think it was on Olympic sprinters. They were generally the third kid in the family. Ouch.

I've got a right to be wrong
My mistakes will make me strong
I'm stepping out into the great unknown
I'm feeling wings though I've never flown
I've got a mind of my own
I'm flesh and blood to the bone
I'm not made of stone
Got a right to be wrong
So just leave me alone

I've got a right to be wrong
I've been held down too long
I've got to break free
So I can finally breathe
I've got a right to be wrong
Got to sing my own song
I might be singing out of key
But it sure feels good to me
Got a right to be wrong
So just leave me alone

You're entitled to your opinion
But it's really my decision
I can't turn back I'm on a mission
If you care don't you dare blur my vision
Let me be all that I can be
Don't smother me with negativity
Whatever's out there waiting for me
I'm going to faced it willingly

I've got a right to be wrong
My mistakes will make me strong
I'm stepping out into the great unknown
I'm feeling wings though I've never flown
I've got a mind of my own
Flesh and blood to the bone
See, I'm not made of stone
I've got a right to be wrong
So just leave me alone

I've got a right to be wrong
I've been held down to long
I've got to break free
So I can finally breathe
I've got a right to be wrong
Got to sing my own song
I might be singing out of key
But it sure feels good to me
I've got a right to be wrong
So just leave me alone