First, A Question
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Wood racket, and black hair. The good old days. © Photo: S. Zimble
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Let me start with a question to illustrate the
Revolutionary Tennis
information. Which would you
rather have, the best tennis strokes in the world or the
best tennis body in the world? If you're like most players
you'd rather have the best strokes, but what good are they
if you can't get to the ball, if you feel awkward when you
swing, or if you want more power when you hit and keep it in?
Okay, now you've changed your answer. You'd rather have
the best tennis body in the world, but I'm not talking
about speed, strength, agility, better body rotation, timing,
or hand eye coordination. Or even youth.
What am I talking about?
YOUR BODY SUPPORTS YOUR STROKES
LIKE A FOUNDATION SUPPORTS A HOUSE
Focusing on your strokes to improve your game is
like missing the forest for the trees. Your body acts as a
foundation that supports, or empowers, your stroke when you try
to hit the ball, not your arm or upper body strength. As an
example you don't stand sideways to a heavy box and then lift it,
and weightlifters use a whole body technique to lift, not their arms.
NOW GET READY TO BE SHOCKED
If you turn sideways your body is not structuring
itself to form a strong foundation to support your
stroke when hitting the ball, you're weaker for it. It's a simple
kinesiological fact. If you move parallel to the
baseline or turn your back to the ball on a backhand,
you're not structuring yourself to support your contact
spot. And rotating your body for power is not the best
way to establish a foundation to both hit the ball
hard again and again and keep it in. There is a simpler way for
power in tennis that is more cost effective in terms of amount of work and results.
IF YOUR BODY ISN'T SUPPORTING IT,
WHAT CHANCE DOES YOUR STROKE HAVE?
Not a very good one, which means you're not
consistent. And if you try to improve by working
on your stroke, well, you're working on the window
dressing.
Luckily, though, you are familiar with how
your body structures itself to form a strong
foundation in your everyday life, you know about
the concepts of balance, good posture, simple human
locomotion, and lifting technique. I'm just asking
you to apply it within the reality that is tennis.
Not much to ask for, is it? To use what you've
already got but don't because, well, you've never really
looked at the game from both the game's point of view and
your body's point of view. If you improve your
foundation, your strokes and their results automatically
improve because you'll be working less and it'll be
easier for you.
A NEW UNDERSTANDING
Yes, I'm talking about a whole new way of looking at
things. As consolation, remember at one time we
thought the earth was flat and in the center of the
universe. Hopefully the new perspective by
Revolutionary Tennis will be the
established fact in a few years.
But you don't have to wait a few years. You can
start now.
STEPS
begins the tennis revolution.
Who Am I
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© Mark Papas
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