Hand/eye and reaction time training

[phil4015]

I was wondering if I could use a [z ball, reaction ball, reflex ball] to better my reaction time and help keep my eye on the ball. These balls are about the size of a tennis ball (I believe) but have 6-7 "nodes" causing an unpredictable bounce. My thought was to hit against the wall with one.

Has anyone tried using one of these (I've never laid hands on one)? Could you hit one with a racquet without damage?

[golden chicken]

or, you could hit a tennis ball against an unevenly surfaced wall such as a rough brick or stone wall. that way, the direction changes, but not the bounce, which would more closely resemble real tennis.

[Livefreediefree1]

Goldens right, also you could do windmills, wich are you starting on the base line and going for a far double forehand than coming back to the base then doing double back hand, you have to react and stay on the balls of your feet and focus!

[Midlife crisis]

I was wondering if I could use a [z ball, reaction ball, reflex ball] to better my reaction time and help keep my eye on the ball. These balls are about the size of a tennis ball (I believe) but have 6-7 "nodes" causing an unpredictable bounce. My thought was to hit against the wall with one.

Has anyone tried using one of these (I've never laid hands on one)? Could you hit one with a racquet without damage?

Studies have shown that simple reaction times between trained and untrained individuals is the same - this is not surprising because reactions work chemically and similarly among all humans.

What distinguishes skilled athletes from unskilled or lesser skilled athletes are other things that this ball won't teach you. One primary factor of skilled athletes in "ball" sports is better visual strategy for tracking the ball, where instead of fixating on a certain point, multiple saccades (rapid eye focus relocation movements) are used to pick up the ball at various points in its trajectory, allowing for better predictions as to where and when it will be in the interaction zone (whether that's catching it, hitting it, or whatever).

Another difference among skilled athletes is quicker recognition and more certain movement once that recognition is complete. Then, there is also that skilled athletes pick up on more perceptual clues that help early in the predictive cycle.

I don't think any of these would be helped, at least in tennis, by using one of these balls. If you were playing something like football where you'd get strange bounces, then it is likely to be a big help.

[Rep. Timothy Calhoun]

Studies have shown that simple reaction times between trained and untrained individuals is the same - this is not surprising because reactions work chemically and similarly among all humans.

What distinguishes skilled athletes from unskilled or lesser skilled athletes are other things that this ball won't teach you. One primary factor of skilled athletes in "ball" sports is better visual strategy for tracking the ball, where instead of fixating on a certain point, multiple saccades (rapid eye focus relocation movements) are used to pick up the ball at various points in its trajectory, allowing for better predictions as to where and when it will be in the interaction zone (whether that's catching it, hitting it, or whatever).

Another difference among skilled athletes is quicker recognition and more certain movement once that recognition is complete. Then, there is also that skilled athletes pick up on more perceptual clues that help early in the predictive cycle.

I don't think any of these would be helped, at least in tennis, by using one of these balls. If you were playing something like football where you'd get strange bounces, then it is likely to be a big help.Really? I would think that it could help, since tennis balls may get those odds bounces from different spins. I'm thinking that maybe it could help with the reflexes, for example, such as when you position yourself for volleys.

[Freedom]

Don't hit with a Z-Ball. That seems like a really bad idea.

[Midlife crisis]

Really? I would think that it could help, since tennis balls may get those odds bounces from different spins. I'm thinking that maybe it could help with the reflexes, for example, such as when you position yourself for volleys.

It's true that an odd bounce may happen, but only occasionally. However, the visual strategies, quick recognition, prediction, and action, happen on every shot, and since these are really the factors that distinguish a very skilled player from an average player, why not work on these instead? You'd get the most bang for the buck. Unless the OP has all the time in the world, I believe there are many more effective ways to improve in tennis than using that ball.

[golden chicken]

recognizing spins is more about watching how the opponent hits the ball rather than reacting to the ball itself. you then confirm by watching the ball's flight path (arcing=topspin, floating=slice) the only way to get better at that is to play more tennis and gain experience.

it's kind of like learning how to drive. less experienced drivers are "surprised" and must react to something they've never seen before. they don't know what to look for that will tip them off to impending danger. that's how a 60-y/o with slower reaction times than a 16-y/o can drive better.

the only way to get more experience is to experience. find soemone who throws junk spins at you all day and learn what to look for in setup and execution. then learn what to expect a sliced ball to do when it bounces and how to deal with it.

[phil4015]

Wow! Good stuff, just what I was looking for. More, more...