Net Notes: Mind, racket seem to interface

From what you visualize in your mind’s eye to what is then produced by the racket in your hand — being guided into and out of a pretty violent collision — is an amazing flow of events.

The eye picking up the direction and trajectory of the yellow sphere, followed by the brain calculating where it will land, how high it will bounce, and then directing the feet to get into a balanced position behind the landing point is no less than miraculous.

After nearly 40 years of constant daily exposure as a teacher and coach, I’m still amazed by human adaptability.

Given enough repetition, anyone can learn how a tennis ball will behave and be able to get into a position — if the speed of the shot coming toward them is not overwhelming — to put a racket on the ball.

Playing tennis at a reasonable level is within the reach of everyone. The issue with tennis, that makes it seem difficult to many players, is establishing the correct interface between mind and racket — quite simply the grip of the hand on the racket.

A tennis racket handle has an interface with eight sides which provide information about the angle of the racket directly from the hand to the brain.

If the hand isn’t placed properly on the handle, the brain will have a very difficult if not impossible time delivering a properly tilted, or not tilted as the case may be, racket face.

If you are trying to develop a topspin second serve and have the wrong grip you can bark up that tree all week and not get the results you desire.

Drop shots as well as vicious topspin passing shots all have a range of correctness within which the grips to execute those skill intensive shots must fall.

If you are new to the game or are a player looking to lift the level of game you currently play, make sure you have grips that are in harmony with the laws of physics as we currently understand them.

Don’t waste your time barking up the wrong tree. 