Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1

[arturohernandez]

Great stuff archiedan! Goes along with the “Talent Code” by Dan Coyle and his 10,000 reps theory to use neuroplasticity in the brain to lay down myelin to make new neural networks. So called “deep practice” requires enough reps to have the new myelin replace the old neural pathways. But, as you say, you have to hit and lock in CORRECT reps. However, correct feel and correct effectiveness don’t always match. If I want to lock in truly CORRECT strokes, then I think the most cost effective way is to get QUALITY feedback on my reps from a coach, videotape or a device that gives me speed/spin ratios on each rep while I practice. I can’t always tell when I hit a “heavy” groundstroke unless someone tells me which of my reps looked or felt heavy on their racket. So, .....quality feedback to get correct reps quicker and locked in on one stroke before moving to another stroke? Like Arturo, I have several mediocre strokes temporarily forced underground, just waiting to resurrect themselves during a point or game under pressure!

Mediocore strokes forced underground. Funny, because I think of it like PTSD. Literally, some event triggers a "traumatic" motor response.

I agree that lots of practice can help to lock in a stroke. But then circumstances can bring old "motor" memories back. The earliest learned skills are persistent. If they did not stick around, we would forget how to ride a bike or how to use a hammer. But as soon as we see one, our body knows exactly what to do with it.

One of my favorite articles by Dan Coyle appeared a while back in the NYT

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/sports/playmagazine/04play-talent.html

There is a section in that article about a famous Russian coach, Larisa Preobrazhenskaya.

Her school of thought was around technique. She demanded perfect technique in her kids and started without a ball.

So I am wondering how we might incorporate visualization and off court stroke training. This can help to retrain a stroke with less exhaustion.

Extreme practice helps but I think it is most effective for a beginner. Once a stroke is established, it becomes harder to change and requires a longer horizon to get it to become automatic.

Then it requires retraining under pressure and in other circumstances. Eventually, we would use something like new environmental cues to help us keep the "new" stroke overground.

Is the "motor" memory extreme practice approach better for an entirely new stroke?

[don_budge]

Linear Algebra...Maximisation and Minimisation

Let's discuss Archie Dan Smith's first article, "Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1"

I have been following this discussion and have read your article a couple of times. This is a subject that I can really sink my teeth into at the present time and I have written on this in another thread. I am talking about resurrecting my golf game at the age of 65 after a ten year layoff.

I had only played a handful of times when I returned to my native Michigan and met my friend "The Ugly American" there. Three years ago I played a few rounds with him and played uncannily well on a couple of occasions and thought to myself..."this is an easy game". Big mistake. It always is to get too complacent. The next year back I played miserably and the rust was really showing. This year I started back on the trail with deadly earnest and even started working with a professional to begin to sort out my thoughts about just what the heck I was going to do in preparing to get over the ball and what to do once I was over it. I had to get organised in my brain. Again...I played rather well in spots.

Bill Tilden wrote a chapter on this subject back in or around 1925 in his epic book about the game of tennis called "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball". In this chapter he lays out the method in which he over the course of a winter transformed his comparatively weak predominately slice backhand into a offensive drive with topspin. This chapter has always made an impression on me much as your article is a sound initial volley on what it means to practice intelligently and with purpose. One can go at it willy-nilly I suppose but at a certain point in time one realizes that time is of the essence. Recently I met a 73 year old British fellow here in Sweden who is a two handicap so it leads me to believe that I have at least eight years in which to accomplish my goal of improving on my once two handicap and shooting my age. The sooner the better.

I have often written that I learned more about teaching tennis from playing and teaching golf then I did from playing tennis. That is because golf is very technique specific. The dependence upon a repeatable powerful swing in combination with deft touch on short balls makes the game a full spectrum of a variety of shots that must be practiced until they are etched in stone so to say. It's a lot of work.

So I read your stuff with great interest and would like to just offer a couple of things that I have learned in my "resurrection". First of all let me say that I never learned to play golf as a child. In fact I took my first golf lesson on my fortieth birthday. Learning a skill set like golf is a full plate when you are older and do not possess the skill athletically that you once did. You have to take a cerebral approach as well as philosophical. I must admit that I have a ton more golf books in my library than tennis books. So it was a real task to take up something so late in life for the first time and now to do it a second time is even more fascinating. The thing is...of course my body has eroded and in decline. But that is relative too. I am in quite good condition for my age so I have the luxury of a couple of things. Number one...I have the time. Number two...I have adequate resources even though it seems that I have to answer to my wife every time I make a golf related purchase. Number three...is the key, I am smarter and wiser. I have not only gained in experience but I am even more analytical the second time around as I try to devise ways to minimise my time and maximise my effort.

If I am going to for example hit 100 balls and am trying to work on the full swing for example. I try to break it down into four or five swing thoughts. Then in intervals I will try to work on a specific swing shot for five, ten or twenty balls. Then I will switch to the next swing thought for the same interval and so forth until I have practiced the swing concentrating on each individual thought. Thoughts might be set up position...which is a key in tennis as well. Foot placement. Backswing preparation as well as initialising the backswing might be another. Position at the top of the backswing is another key position in the golf swing...and the same can be said for tennis. After practising and exhausting the individual swing thoughts I try to practice with just one thought. Keying in on the one thought that seems to provide the biggest dividend in the swing. At the same time one can sort of be conscious of the other swing thoughts with each swing. The feedback is easier to interpret if you are aware of each individual nuance you have been working with. Then I start to work on the short game and dissect the little and smaller swing into various components and work on them in much the same fashion.

The need for thoughtful and intelligent practice is as important an aspect as there is for the student. Maybe the most important of all. As Bill Tilden found out when he focused on improving his backhand so that he could overtake his chief rival in those golden years of sports. The point of taking a one hour lesson and how to break that down is an interesting one. What it should accomplish is to show the student how and what to work on in his own time. Let's face it...you can tell the student "you can do it!" as many times as you want but you cannot do it for them. So the student has to realize this too and understand that if the teacher gives you a one hour lesson that he needs to go out and work on that lesson until he has exhausted it.

I say to myself..."nobody is going to outwork me". I mean it. I'm serious about it. When I make a purchase and the boss is giving me the third degree about it I am ready. I make a note of telling her how much I have worked at what I am doing. In this way I am getting the best bang for the buck. I have really enjoyed the conversation that your article motivated.

[arturohernandez]

Linear Algebra...Maximisation and Minimisation
The need for thoughtful and intelligent practice is as important an aspect as there is for the student. Maybe the most important of all. As Bill Tilden found out when he focused on improving his backhand so that he could overtake his chief rival in those golden years of sports. The point of taking a one hour lesson and how to break that down is an interesting one. What it should accomplish is to show the student how and what to work on in his own time. Let's face it...you can tell the student "you can do it!" as many times as you want but you cannot do it for them. So the student has to realize this too and understand that if the teacher gives you a one hour lesson that he needs to go out and work on that lesson until he has exhausted it. :

What a beautiful insight. Yes, a lesson is great but it is only to show us what we have to do on our own.

Yesterday, my daughter complained that everyone hits to her one handed backhand and that her backhand is the slowest. She told me she wanted to hit hand fed backhands and then she proceeded to rip them one after the other. I offered a little advice about how to bring them in.

90 backhands in about 20 minutes. Next time I will try again and then mix in a little free hitting to get her to adapt her footwork so that she can hit it in her strike zone as much as possible.

But her main intent was to no longer have the slowest backhand on the court.

Competition is a motivator but self-competition may be the biggest.

And self-practice and self-correction with some guidance may be the most underrated aspect of tennis.

[don_budge]

Yesterday, my daughter complained that everyone hits to her one handed backhand and that her backhand is the slowest. She told me she wanted to hit hand fed backhands and then she proceeded to rip them one after the other. I offered a little advice about how to bring them in.

90 backhands in about 20 minutes. Next time I will try again and then mix in a little free hitting to get her to adapt her footwork so that she can hit it in her strike zone as much as possible.

But her main intent was to no longer have the slowest backhand on the court.

Competition is a motivator but self-competition may be the biggest.

And self-practice and self-correction with some guidance may be the most underrated aspect of tennis.

In the end it is going to be all about her. You will have to ease yourself out of the equation because, the word somehow escaped you in the post, of self-motivation. If she can get herself so motivated as to go practice against a wall with the intent of purposely knocking it down with backhands in a years time. Now you have something.

Specifically, with your assistance. Set a cone in the middle of the baseline and make her move to the backhand and the focus is on how she sets her feet. Maybe in two or three positions. But at first have her set her feet so that the rear foot toe is in line with the front foot instep. Very specific. Start slowly in sets of five balls. Be really over the top in paying attention to the position of the feet. Work up the number of reps. Increase the speed. One hundred balls.

Same drill now focus on the rear end. Get your ass in position I implore the student. Sit down a bit and drive into the shot with the legs. Same repetition model.

Now...same drill but with the focus on the shoulder turn and setting of the racquet in the backswing. Same fastidiousness attention to detail. At the same time the feet are to work as in the drill before. Three fundamental positions for hitting a powerful backhand.

Now go to the original drill of just hitting backhands after drilling on the three specifics. Feel free to throw in your own hot spots. Don't forget the knifing slice backhand. It is not always about out-ripping your opponent. Try out thinking.

Practice until the cows come home. Tell her to focus on a years timeline. The backhand is not going to match the others overnight. Tilden talks of the courage to looking a year ahead to when the changes are going to be set in stone. Most of all...good luck and keep up the good work. Don't let the other guy...or gal...outwork you.

[stotty]

And self-practice and self-correction with some guidance may be the most underrated aspect of tennis.

Spot on. Coaches can point students in the right direction and hopefully coax out good things but, ultimately, the player makes him or herself. It comes down to hard work, determination, and love of the game to succeed. Love of the game should be the biggest motive.

[don_budge]

Another specific point to work on with the backhand is the point of contact where the racquet meets the ball. One thing about the cone...I forgot but I am certain that you know. After every shot she has to go around the cone and immediately get ready for the next ball.

[arturohernandez]

Another specific point to work on with the backhand is the point of contact where the racquet meets the ball. One thing about the cone...I forgot but I am certain that you know. After every shot she has to go around the cone and immediately get ready for the next ball.

Oh, yes. I will take a cone out and work on her coming around it. Thanks!

And, yes, I am slowly becoming secondary. Today I went to practice myself because I need to keep my game up or very soon I won't be able to rally with my own daughter.

[don_budge]

2. Old muscle memory paths do not go away, so you must form new paths that become the ‘preferred’ paths. This happens through consolidation (really equates with establishing muscle memory). So the questions are how to maximize consolidation in the most efficient/fastest manner, and one that leads to permanent results? I review this in detail in the book. What we all want, are “permanent results” after we improve, especially if the ‘effort’ of meaningful improvement only took a couple of weeks of about an hour a day (4-5 times in a week) for a single period of 2-3 weeks. Is there evidence to support this? Yes! It has been found that additional training after improvement occurs leads to better long term retention. Imagine around 8-10 hours (over two weeks, or better yet 12-15 hours spread out over 3 weeks - see book for details) leading to long term meaningful improvement in you tennis game for months to years!

3. Consistent with the article in this month’s “Tennisplayer”, you must continue hitting after the improvement occurs because additional training that has little effect on performance can lead to substantial improvements in long-term retention. In other words, like the example of 250 shots in the article, repetition by hitting it right is how you increase the odds of hitting better (your ‘better shot’) during the match. The more ‘hitting it right’, the less the odds of hitting it poorly (it really does seem like common sense after you think about it), and the longer it stays with you. One of my favorite quotes from the book is
Don’t practice until you hit it right
Practice until you can’t hit it wrong!
Then, as per my proposed muscle memory theory, after you are hitting the ‘better’ improved shot, keep hitting it another several days so it stays with you for months or years

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Interesting...old muscle memory paths. How about the question regarding the speed of development in creating muscle memory paths between a pre-adolescent, an adolescent, a young adult and an older adult 40 plus years. I wonder how it was that I could start golf on my fortieth birthday and become a 2 handicap. Now as I embark on that path again...I am actually trying to improve on these old paths and become "reborn" in a superior level. Is it possible at 65? Instead of 250 shots...why not 365 shots. Each shot representing a day in the year. Do this over the course of one year and count up your profits.

You ask the excellent question..."So the questions are how to maximize consolidation in the most efficient/fastest manner, and one that leads to permanent results?" This is meaningful stuff.

The third point about reinforcing the improved version is also an excellent point. Surely don't quit once you start to "feel" the new enhancement. Continue to work hard and reinforce that new "feeling" until it is etched in stone. Common sense? Absolutely.

During my return to the States in July I was doing some golfing with a friend who is an ex PGA professional. I wouldn't say that he is the absolute sharpest tool in their shed buy he made an interesting point with regard to practice. I touched on this in an earlier post. He said given you are going to hit for instance a hundred balls at the range. He recommended hitting sets of balls with different key swing thoughts and at the end of the session attempt to blend all of the components while keying in on the best results swing thought. I really like this idea and I was exploring this with arturohernandez.

But never put a limit or set the goal too short. Give it time and an honest full effort. Like Bill Tilden did in the 1920's when he went indoors for the winter to develop his backhand. Real improvement is a long haul. Substantial progress cannot realistically be thought of in terms of weeks. Give it a whole entire year. This way you do not get discouraged initially when things don't go your way in the beginning. Be prepared to pay the price over time. You are making instalments.

That reminds me of one of my favourite authors...a book he wrote. "Death on the Installment Plan" by Ferdinand Celine. A very "cheery" novel written in the 1930's it captures a realistic picture of Life...and Death.

[don_budge]

Today I went to practice myself because I need to keep my game up or very soon I won't be able to rally with my own daughter.

My Father taught me many things. One of the chief and foremost was to play...and how to play. He took up the game of tennis at the age of 37 and I watched him do so. At first it was family outings and he was hitting with Mom. The sisters and I more or less fooled around. We hit a couple as well. But things started to get serious for Dad. Parents got divorced so Dad needed an outlet I suppose. His biggest disappointment in life was not being with his children. So he spent more time on the tennis court. In his box I suppose. That security blanket we surround ourselves with in life to protect us from the hard facts. But he became a student of the game. Being a great student he studied from every conceivable angle. And he practiced. He was an excellent practicer.

He would spend time in front of the mirror looking at his strokes...trying to find the underlining meaning I suppose. But I watched him as only a boy watches his father. Studying him and trying to figure out how to become a man. Well he taught me a lot of things and one of the most important was this aspect of "play". Your daughter is taking all of this in and later in life she is going to remember you. Keep up the good work Arturo!

[arturohernandez]

My Father taught me many things. One of the chief and foremost was to play...and how to play. He took up the game of tennis at the age of 37 and I watched him do so. At first it was family outings and he was hitting with Mom. The sisters and I more or less fooled around. We hit a couple as well. But things started to get serious for Dad. Parents got divorced so Dad needed an outlet I suppose. His biggest disappointment in life was not being with his children. So he spent more time on the tennis court. In his box I suppose. That security blanket we surround ourselves with in life to protect us from the hard facts. But he became a student of the game. Being a great student he studied from every conceivable angle. And he practiced. He was an excellent practicer.

He would spend time in front of the mirror looking at his strokes...trying to find the underlining meaning I suppose. But I watched him as only a boy watches his father. Studying him and trying to figure out how to become a man. Well he taught me a lot of things and one of the most important was this aspect of "play". Your daughter is taking all of this in and later in life she is going to remember you. Keep up the good work Arturo!

Thanks! I tested out the pro that will work with my daughter. I wanted to see what he would give me in a session. Quickly diagnosed and tweaked my forehand. Looked at my serve and gave me two tips that brought things together.

Now, I am very curious to see how my daughter and her game is imprinted by his approach. He is a former college women's team coach and has worked with many junior girl players. When you meet someone that gets tennis it is refreshing.

don_budge Funny, that you looked at your dad. My kids look at me. But I also look at them and learn tennis through them. I agree that it is a security blanket. But more than that to me it is a glue. A way to interact with people and learn things with and through them. Even tournament play and competition has taught me a lot.

[archiedan]

Sorry but I had been away on vacation and just getting caught up now. To address a few comments. (Note I shall address another post or two later today, but then not for 2-3 days, as I try to avoid 'too many' comments' in a brief time period. Also, I am a bit wordy, so please forgive.

Related to Post #16, by arturohernandez on 08-26-19 at 07:26 AM
-I love Daniel Coyle's "The Talent Code". In fact I write about it and "Highly Recommend" it in my book!

-I could not agree more about the vital importance of a coach, videotape etc!!! Quality quick feedback!! Absolutely essential!!! (This is also perfectly described by K. Anders Ericsson in his classic article: "The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance"). I so believe. In fact, deliberate practice IS the first part of my proposed Muscle Memory Practice (MMP). But MMP takes it beyond that.

-I really like the Daniel Coyle article you referenced from the New York Times. I did not know about it before. Interestingly, I have a section on "The Click" in my book

-However, lessons can be expensive. What to do? I would favor shorter, narrowly focused sessions (say 20-30 minutes) on one aspect on one's game, say the cross court FH. (Not 10+ improvement instructions related to your FH, BH, serves, volleys, etc.). The student then does homework. He/she practices using the feedback, (whether hand feeds from a parent or friend, ball machine, etc) over the next week. That is, really work on the 'main thing'. This would be the key points that need improving as pointed out by the pro. (Not 10 different things to work on). The student returns next week for further refinement and homework.
Think of it like a college lecture. You learn some from the hour talk, but real learning comes from studying, from doing the homework. You return next week for the test (feedback from the pro). You then build on what you have learned, providing you have progressed on that one topic. I do not have proof, but I believe this model would work well for tennis. Of course, all this is conditional on the student actually doing the prescribed homework, but that is another topic.

-Yes on Larisa Preobrazhenskaya. I include her example in my book, a section "The Shadow Swing and the Tai chi stoke". I still debate with myself if I should have titled that chapter "Technique is Everything".

-A very definite "Yes!" on your question if the "motor memory extreme practice approach is better for an entirely new stroke", or at least, so I have concluded from my research. But there are no controlled experiments to support this belief. Someday there will be I hope.

-Related to your comment on Visualization, again, I could not agree more. First go to John Yandell's excellent book "Visual Tennis". Imagery and Visualization is so important and does not receive the heavy-weight emphasis that it deserves for all tennis players, beginners to Top 10 pros. Also, remember the title of my book is "Muscle Memory and Imagery: Better Tennis". Visualization is a form of imagery. The latter part of the book goes in detail on this, with multiple research studies being referenced.

[archiedan]

Related to Post #17, by don_budge on 08-26-19 at 10:46 AM
-I really like your reference to Bill Tilden. I certainly can't say he practice Muscle Memory Practice (MMP), but how he had completely dedicated highly focused practice on just one stroke sounds completely consistent with what I am advocating.

-I love the "must be practiced until they are etched in stone" statement. This is what MMP is all about.

-Older and wiser is great. I am clearly getting better, although I am age 67, and I am not genetically a good athlete.

-Related to MMP principles and golf, I wonder if a more singular focus on a few key aspects of your golf game, for maybe a couple of weeks at a time, would be better for your overall game when spanned over a 3 month period. Disclaimer, I know almost nothing about golf - just a wild thought, so do not put too much into it. Philosophically, I believe in being open minded and trying new things, even if radical, esp when stalling out using the 'usual' methods, and the trial period is relatively brief, say a few weeks (and no harm to self or others etc). So, MMP principles applied to your golf practice???

-Agree with your statement " The point of taking a one hour lesson and how to break that down is an interesting one. What it should accomplish is to show the student how and what to work on in his own time." - see my reply to post #16

-Also, love the statement" nobody is going to outwork me". Ditto!!!

[archiedan]

Related to Posts #18 (08-26-19) by arturohernandez and #19 (08-27-19) by don-budge

-Love your statement in post #18 "Yes, a lesson is great but it is only to show us what we have to do on our own". See post #16

-Related to your daughter hitting "90 backhands in about 20 minutes" - It is going to take a several days at least to get the better technique. For the better technique to stay with her, it will take several more days of repeatedly 'doing it right', or 'doing it better' than her usual. In my book, I note research that says additional training that has little effect on performance can lead to substantial improvements in long term retention (WM Joiner and MA Smith). Just as the post says, "Practice until the cows come home".. Why? To really become muscle memory, the 'better hitting' needs to continue over many days. Research shows the laying down of brain pathways are dynamic, constantly building and deconstructing. It becomes more stable (laying down of myelin etc) by stroke repetitions early enough to be building on the improved pathways before any deterioration in the new improved path occurs. It is going to take more than 90 BHs, but it not so much about a single day's practice (although important), it is mostly important to link together several days practice in a row, totally focused in on what you are trying to accomplish related to that BH cross court (or whatever you are working on) - nothing else!

-I’m sure you know from reading the article, it is not just about repetition. It is about doing really good repetitions, quality reps, just as you are describing in your post! Add one element at a time. Be sure the improvement stays. MMP is all about quality repetitions, but in a prescribed manner. Please, give the MMP a try, and be ‘pure’ about it. Only focus on her BH, maybe the BH cross court, or down-the-line. Three weeks of not hitting the serve, or FH, or even playing matches or hitting around, will not be the end of the world. Yes I know matches are important, etc, but I believe this could really really help. So maybe let’s compromise. Just try to be ‘pure’ for a week and a half. See what you think then. Note, people miss days to weeks all the time and their previous game comes back reasonably quickly. But to substantially and quickly improve one’s game (for her the BH, with a real focus on proper technique) for the long term in just a 3 week period is a big deal. (I guess that means it takes 2-3 weeks for the cows to come home)

-Also, Shadow swings (or as I prefer to call them, “Tai chi” swings” - that is a shadow swing in slow motion) are incredibly important in learning new technique!!! Do just 5 minutes 2-3 times per day at home. It speeds learning new, better technique.

[archiedan]

Related to post #23, by don_budge on 08-29-19 01:28 am -

-Related to “the speed of development in creating muscle memory paths between a pre-adolescent, an adolescent, a young adult, and an older adult 40 years plus….”. You learn faster when you are younger, but I am still doing pretty well as a 67 year old. It may take a bit longer, but to paraphrase a favorite quote: “Never give up doing something because of the time it will take to accomplish... The time will pass anyway”.

-Also, I understand your point of each shot representing a day, but the remarkable thing about Muscle Memory Practice (MMP) is I sincerely believe you can get substantial long-lasting improvement in your game within just 2-3 weeks. To specify, the MMP is just one aspect of your game, say the FH cross court, with no practice or even hitting other strokes, no going more than 1-2 days without practice on that one aspect, etc.. But if you sequentially focus on only one part of one stroke at a time (example of cross court FH), it adds up quickly. With daily focused practice, I think you will be surprised at the rate of improvement. The steps of muscle memory development are to first acquire the skill you want (daily slowly focused practice), that is acquisition. Then have that improvement become long-term muscle memory by repeatedly hitting that shot for several days (1-2 weeks?) even after you have acquired the ability to hit it well; this would be consolidation, or as some others call it, retention. (as research by Smith and Joiner has shown, because the greater the degree of overbearing (hitting the same thing), the greater the retention."

-I also, like your point about your friend's golf game and hitting sets of balls with different key swing thoughts in mind. Part of the ‘common sense’ of MMP, is that there are so many components to ‘just’ a cross court FH. An analogy wold be learning a piece of music. A musician may have difficulty with one section of music, so they repeatedly go over that one section until they get it down cold. They do not practice the entire piece of music and think that the bad section will somehow get fixed. Yet, this is how some lessons on tennis strokes proceed. Again, common sense. You can't fix half a dozen flaws in your FH stroke at once, then proceed to the backhand in the same lesson. In fact, to really be honest (and again common sense), you can’t fix this (one bad flaw in your tennis stroke) in one session. It will take several sessions to make meaningful improvement that stays with you.
But I believe MMP narrows down the focus to an achievable few critical elements - the flaws in your FH technique (even as basic as watching the ball, or the contact point of the ball and the racket). With a concentrated focus of 1-3 weeks, you can fix a substantial part of the problem. You do not have to fully repeat the 'learning' again next month, and the month after ..... (as is so often the case). I feel confidently that you will find this to be true. So, fix the problem in technique by dedicated singularly focused practice sessions over 1-2 weeks. At this point you have reached “acquisition”. But to transfer it to long-term memory, that is, consolidation, or muscle memory, will take repetition of the newly acquired and improved strokes for another several days, really at least 1-2 weeks to make it long lasting, so your game will be substantially better 6-12 months from now (because of your 2-3 weeks of effort at this time). If true, and I believe it is, then that would be remarkable.

-I did not know about the Bill Tilden example, so thanks for that. However, as noted above, I think you can make a surprising amount of improvement in just 1.5-3 weeks, emphasis more toward the 3 weeks time. Of course, as you suggest, a year is better, but few can do that. A period of at least 1.5-3 weeks is doable, although it too can take real effort. Please, thoughtfully consider giving it a go. It might well be worth a try!

[don_budge]

Related to post #23, by don_budge on 08-29-19 01:28 am -

-Related to “the speed of development in creating muscle memory paths between a pre-adolescent, an adolescent, a young adult, and an older adult 40 years plus….”. You learn faster when you are younger, but I am still doing pretty well as a 67 year old. It may take a bit longer, but to paraphrase a favorite quote: “Never give up doing something because of the time it will take to accomplish... The time will pass anyway”.

-Also, I understand your point of each shot representing a day, but the remarkable thing about Muscle Memory Practice (MMP) is I sincerely believe you can get substantial long-lasting improvement in your game within just 2-3 weeks. To specify, the MMP is just one aspect of your game, say the FH cross court, with no practice or even hitting other strokes, no going more than 1-2 days without practice on that one aspect, etc.. But if you sequentially focus on only one part of one stroke at a time (example of cross court FH), it adds up quickly. With daily focused practice, I think you will be surprised at the rate of improvement. The steps of muscle memory development are to first acquire the skill you want (daily slowly focused practice), that is acquisition. Then have that improvement become long-term muscle memory by repeatedly hitting that shot for several days (1-2 weeks?) even after you have acquired the ability to hit it well; this would be consolidation, or as some others call it, retention. (as research by Smith and Joiner has shown, because the greater the degree of overbearing (hitting the same thing), the greater the retention."

-I also, like your point about your friend's golf game and hitting sets of balls with different key swing thoughts in mind. Part of the ‘common sense’ of MMP, is that there are so many components to ‘just’ a cross court FH. An analogy wold be learning a piece of music. A musician may have difficulty with one section of music, so they repeatedly go over that one section until they get it down cold. They do not practice the entire piece of music and think that the bad section will somehow get fixed. Yet, this is how some lessons on tennis strokes proceed. Again, common sense. You can't fix half a dozen flaws in your FH stroke at once, then proceed to the backhand in the same lesson. In fact, to really be honest (and again common sense), you can’t fix this (one bad flaw in your tennis stroke) in one session. It will take several sessions to make meaningful improvement that stays with you.
But I believe MMP narrows down the focus to an achievable few critical elements - the flaws in your FH technique (even as basic as watching the ball, or the contact point of the ball and the racket). With a concentrated focus of 1-3 weeks, you can fix a substantial part of the problem. You do not have to fully repeat the 'learning' again next month, and the month after ..... (as is so often the case). I feel confidently that you will find this to be true. So, fix the problem in technique by dedicated singularly focused practice sessions over 1-2 weeks. At this point you have reached “acquisition”. But to transfer it to long-term memory, that is, consolidation, or muscle memory, will take repetition of the newly acquired and improved strokes for another several days, really at least 1-2 weeks to make it long lasting, so your game will be substantially better 6-12 months from now (because of your 2-3 weeks of effort at this time). If true, and I believe it is, then that would be remarkable.

-I did not know about the Bill Tilden example, so thanks for that. However, as noted above, I think you can make a surprising amount of improvement in just 1.5-3 weeks, emphasis more toward the 3 weeks time. Of course, as you suggest, a year is better, but few can do that. A period of at least 1.5-3 weeks is doable, although it too can take real effort. Please, thoughtfully consider giving it a go. It might well be worth a try!

Thanks for all of your feedback...archiedan. When taking on a long term project like learning to play golf or tennis the work is never done. Ben Hogan described such individuals as detectives. Sherlock Holmes who leave no stone unturned. This kind of thought process is transferable to any sort of endeavour. The most interesting series of articles in a while. Not that they all aren't interesting but this one strikes a core aspect of tennis...and golf. The Value of Intensive and Intelligent Practice. One interesting aspect of this sort of practice is that many people would find it boring. Perhaps it is. But when you have a plan and stick with it...that's discipline. Excellent feedback by the author on forum comments. You talking to me?