How To Keep Your HEAD STILL On Your Groundstrokes EVERYTIME

Tennis Doctor
21 Feb 202406:34
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this instructional video, the focus is on maintaining head stability during ground strokes in tennis, a common struggle for beginners. The coach explains that keeping the eyes on the ball and locking the gaze through the hitting zone is crucial. High-level players are shown to maintain eye contact at the contact point until the ball leaves the strings. The video offers practical advice on trusting the swing and not looking up to the target too early. Exercises are provided to help players keep their head still, emphasizing staying down with the legs and avoiding a bobble-head motion. The video concludes with tips on using body momentum for a cleaner connection and balance, encouraging viewers to apply these techniques to modernize their tennis game.

Takeaways
  • 🎾 Keeping your head still during ground strokes is crucial, especially for beginners in tennis.
  • 👀 The eyes should control where the head goes, and the gaze should be locked through the hitting zone.
  • 🏆 High-level tennis players keep their eyes on the contact point and only look up after the ball has left the strings.
  • 🤔 Looking up too early can be a common reason for failure in keeping the head stable during ground strokes.
  • 👁️ After contact, the head should lift to observe the opponent's next move, not to see where the ball lands.
  • 🧘‍♂️ Staying down with the legs while hitting helps to keep the head stable and avoid a bobble-head effect.
  • 🚀 In high-speed tennis, maintaining a low stance and staying down with the legs is important for stability.
  • 💪 Trusting the swing and keeping the eyes glued to the hit until the ball leaves the strings is essential.
  • 🤲 Practicing with exercises that emphasize head stability and leg positioning can improve ground stroke technique.
  • 👐 On the backhand side, maintaining the same emphasis on head stability and eye contact is important.
  • 🏞️ Players should focus on making a clean connection with the ball rather than worrying about where it's going.
Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video script regarding tennis ground strokes?

    -The main focus of the video script is to emphasize the importance of keeping the head still during ground strokes, especially for beginners, and to build a good foundation for tennis playing.

  • Why is it important to keep your head still on ground strokes in tennis?

    -Keeping the head still on ground strokes is important because it helps maintain balance, ensures a cleaner connection with the ball, and allows the player to track the ball effectively without looking up to the target prematurely.

  • What is the common mistake made by beginners when trying to keep their head still during ground strokes?

    -The common mistake made by beginners is looking up to the target before they even hit the ball, which leads to an unstable head and can affect the quality of the shot.

  • What does the video suggest as a solution to keep the head stable during ground strokes?

    -The video suggests that players should track the ball early, lock their gaze through the hitting zone, and only look up after the ball has completely left the strings to observe the opponent's next move.

  • How can players improve their comfort level in keeping their eyes on the ball during ground strokes?

    -Players can improve their comfort level by practicing trust in their swing and keeping their eyes glued to the hit until the ball leaves the strings, as demonstrated by high-level tennis players.

  • What is the role of the legs in maintaining head stability during ground strokes?

    -The legs play a crucial role in maintaining head stability by staying down and avoiding the 'bobble head' effect, especially in high-speed tennis where players are often hitting on the rise and under pressure.

  • What exercise is suggested in the video to help players keep their head still during ground strokes?

    -The exercise suggested in the video involves practicing ground strokes while focusing on not looking up until the ball has bounced on the other side and feeling like there is a ceiling above the head to keep the head down.

  • Why is it recommended to not look up too early during ground strokes?

    -Not looking up too early is recommended because it helps players maintain focus on the ball and ensures a clean hit. Looking up prematurely can lead to a loss of balance and a less effective shot.

  • How can players ensure that their body momentum is maintained while keeping their head still?

    -Players can ensure body momentum is maintained by taking as many steps as needed and not planting their feet, allowing the body to move more than the racket while keeping the eyes down and the head still.

  • What advice does the video give for players who struggle with keeping their head still on their backhand side?

    -The video advises players to apply the same emphasis on staying down with the head and keeping eyes glued at the contact point, watching the ball closely to ensure a clean connection with the strings.

  • What is the ultimate goal of the exercises and advice given in the video script?

    -The ultimate goal of the exercises and advice given in the video script is to help players improve their ground strokes by keeping their head stable, maintaining balance, and achieving a cleaner connection with the ball.

Outlines
00:00
🎾 Ground Stroke Focus and Head Stability

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of keeping the head still during ground strokes in tennis, especially for beginners. The video features a session with Tony to build a solid foundation. The key point is that the eyes should control where the head moves, and the gaze should be locked through the hitting zone. The common mistake is looking up to the target before hitting the ball. High-level players keep their eyes on the contact point until the ball leaves the strings. The head then lifts to observe the opponent's next move. To maintain head stability, the video suggests staying down with the legs and avoiding a bobbing motion. An exercise is introduced to practice keeping the head still, with a focus on not looking up until after the ball has bounced on the other side and feeling as if there's a ceiling above the head.

05:02
🏸 Backhand Technique and Body Movement

The second paragraph addresses the challenge of maintaining head stability during backhand strokes, which is often more difficult than forehand strokes. The video continues to stress the importance of keeping the eyes on the contact point and visualizing the ball as a watermelon to ensure a clean hit. The exercise progresses to include body momentum without stopping the legs, allowing for natural movement while maintaining eye contact with the ball. The advice is to let the body move more than the racket and to avoid lifting the head prematurely. The video concludes with a reminder that focusing on the hit rather than the ball's destination can lead to a cleaner connection and better balance. The host encourages viewers to apply these techniques to improve their ground strokes and offers an online course for further development.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Head Stillness
Head stillness refers to the practice of keeping one's head steady and not moving it excessively during a tennis stroke. This concept is crucial for beginners and advanced players alike, as it helps maintain balance and focus on the ball. In the script, the coach emphasizes the importance of keeping the head still, especially during ground strokes, by locking the gaze on the ball and not looking up to the target until after the ball has been hit. This technique is essential for building a solid foundation in tennis.
💡Ground Strokes
Ground strokes are the basic forehand and backhand shots in tennis, hit after the ball has bounced on the court. They are fundamental to the game and often the first shots that players learn. The script focuses on improving ground strokes by emphasizing the importance of head stillness and eye tracking. The coach works with Tony to ensure that he tracks the ball early and maintains eye contact through the hitting zone, which is key to executing clean and powerful ground strokes.
💡Hitting Zone
The hitting zone is the optimal area where a tennis player should make contact with the ball during a stroke. It is typically a space in front of the body where the player can generate the most power and control. In the script, the coach advises Tony to lock his gaze through the hitting zone, ensuring that the eyes follow the ball until it makes contact with the racket strings. This helps in maintaining a stable head position and improving the quality of the shot.
💡Eye Tracking
Eye tracking is the act of keeping one's eyes focused on the ball throughout the entire motion of a tennis stroke. This is vital for timing and accuracy. The coach in the script explains that high-level tennis players keep their eyes on the contact point and only look up after the ball has left the strings. This practice helps in anticipating the opponent's moves and maintaining a stable head position during the stroke.
💡Contact Point
The contact point is the precise location on the racket strings where the ball meets the racket during a stroke. Hitting the ball at the right contact point is crucial for generating power, spin, and control. The script mentions that high-level players focus their eyes on the contact point, ensuring that they make clean contact with the ball and can predict the ball's trajectory after it leaves the strings.
💡Body Momentum
Body momentum refers to the natural movement and flow of a player's body during a tennis stroke. It is important to maintain momentum to generate power and maintain balance. In the script, the coach encourages Tony to keep his body momentum going, even as he works on keeping his head still. This means that while the head remains steady, the body can continue to move naturally through the stroke.
💡Forehand and Backhand
The forehand and backhand are the two primary types of ground strokes in tennis. The forehand is typically hit with the back of the hand facing the net, while the backhand is hit with the palm facing the net. The script discusses the importance of maintaining head stillness and eye tracking for both strokes, noting that players may find it more challenging to do so on their backhand side.
💡High-Speed Tennis
High-speed tennis refers to situations in a match where the ball is moving quickly, requiring players to react swiftly and make decisions under pressure. The script mentions that in high-speed tennis, players should feel like they are staying down with their legs and hitting with the ceiling above their head, which helps in maintaining head stability and balance during fast-paced rallies.
💡Online Course
An online course is a structured learning program delivered via the internet, which can be accessed at any time and from any location. In the script, the coach promotes his online course as the next step for viewers who want to take their tennis skills to the next level. The course is said to build on the concepts discussed in the video and provide a complete system for enjoying tennis.
💡Modernizing Your Game
Modernizing your game in tennis means updating and improving your techniques and strategies to keep up with the current standards and styles of play. The script suggests that by following the advice given in the video and potentially taking the online course, players can modernize their game and improve their performance on the court.
Highlights

Importance of keeping your head still on ground strokes, especially for beginners.

Working with Tony to build a good foundation for tennis.

The main emphasis is on controlling where the eyes go during the hit.

Locking gaze through the hitting zone to keep the head stable.

Common reason for failure is looking up to the target before hitting the ball.

High-level tennis players keep eyes on contact point until the ball leaves the strings.

Looking up after the ball has left the strings to observe the opponent's next move.

Developing comfort to trust the swing and keep eyes on the hit.

Staying down with the legs to avoid a bobble head effect.

Pretending there's a ceiling above while hitting to keep the head stable.

Exercise to practice keeping the head still and not looking up until after the ball bounces.

Challenges of maintaining head stability on the backhand side.

Emphasis on staying down with the head and keeping eyes on contact point for backhand.

Watching the ball like a watermelon to hit the middle of the strings.

Advice on not stopping body momentum and continuing movement through the hit.

Encouragement to let the body move more than the racket to avoid popping up.

Importance of a clean connection and maintaining balance for improved ground strokes.

Recommendation to take an online course for a complete system to enjoy tennis.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

Fix Your One-Handed Backhand In 5 Steps

Hit A Forehand Like A PRO Using The Non-Hitting Hand

How To Fix Your TIMING On Your Groundstrokes With This One SECRET

How To Spin A Tennis Ball (and why you need topspin)

How to time the swing on the serve

One-Handed Backhand Tips For Mastering 5 Tough Tennis Situations

Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Thanks for rating:

Related Tags
Tennis TipsGround StrokesHead StabilityEye TrackingTennis TrainingTechnique FocusGaze ControlBody BalanceTennis DrillsPerformance Enhance