My Pro Used The Contraption On Me

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by Sintherius

HAH. VICTORY IS MINE. APOLOGIZE.

Ok, you win.

I am sorry that you are so ornery.

[Angle Queen]

I'm intrigued. I could see myself using said contraption. Makes a whole lot of sense.

~AQ who loves reading "enticing" thread titles

[10ispro]

The device has had many names over many years. It was developed by Lenny Schloss who used to own/run Baltimore Tennis and Fitness aka Hilton.

When I was teaching in Baltimore, I spent a couple years helping the Baltimore Tennis Patrons with their winter and Summer programs and we used this device. Originally it was called something else, then when we had it it was called the Accuhit. Each time, something is tweaked to improve it. Could be as simple as the mounting system or whatever--then the name changes.

Then It was changed to HAL.

now apparently its called the Eye Coach.

Baltimore Tennis and Fitness used (maybe still do) offer free 30min lessons, majority of which would be spent using this device to create muscle memory. Then they would go into dead ball feeding and slowly into rallying.

It can help develop a feel for topspin bc its a visual as well as a kinesthetic aid. Also helps establish timing.
there are a ton of drills to use on the device.

I recommend using an older racquet bc if you mishit, and hit the frame of the device, u can break strings or even a frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5kSoslVtI

Its a cool device, just never caught on mainstream teaching

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by TheIrrefutableOne

NO EDIT option ?


It helps teach spin

you can only edit after you have made a certain number of posts (might be 50)

[ProgressoR]

^^ yes it's 50, and if you post as many pointless posts as I do, it won't take you long to get there

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by 10ispro

The device has had many names over many years. It was developed by Lenny Schloss who used to own/run Baltimore Tennis and Fitness aka Hilton.

When I was teaching in Baltimore, I spent a couple years helping the Baltimore Tennis Patrons with their winter and Summer programs and we used this device. Originally it was called something else, then when we had it it was called the Accuhit. Each time, something is tweaked to improve it. Could be as simple as the mounting system or whatever--then the name changes.

Then It was changed to HAL.

now apparently its called the Eye Coach.

Baltimore Tennis and Fitness used (maybe still do) offer free 30min lessons, majority of which would be spent using this device to create muscle memory. Then they would go into dead ball feeding and slowly into rallying.

It can help develop a feel for topspin bc its a visual as well as a kinesthetic aid. Also helps establish timing.
there are a ton of drills to use on the device.

I recommend using an older racquet bc if you mishit, and hit the frame of the device, u can break strings or even a frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5kSoslVtI

Its a cool device, just never caught on mainstream teaching

Interesting to hear that people break strings or frames.

We did not hit the device hard at all. Instead, he wanted me to go very slowly so he could watch for problems.

For instance, one problem I had was that I used my LH incorrectly. In my normal stroke, I extend the LH just as we've all been taught. No issues there. For some reason, I wasn't able to extend the LF -- perhaps because The Contraption was kind of in the way mentally. So I had to do the drills with my LH behind my back. After all, we were working on contact point, and at contact you don't have your LH pointing at the ball.

I would think there would be less value in just whacking the thing as hard as you can, but maybe that would be useful to address different issues than I am having.

Anyway, I had a match yesterday in very windy conditions. I wasn't able to do a thing with this new tweak to my strokes. Had to go back to my old stroke, which still generates topspin but not as much. Then I went out and did some drop feeding. I'm starting to feel it, but it takes a lot of thought to change the old and install the new . . . .

[Ash_Smith]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

but it takes a lot of thought to change the old and install the new . . . .

Yep, about 5000 reps!

Cheers

Ash

[jack crack]

The thing is $159. I saw it demoed at the a recent WTA tournament. Really supposed to help train you to keep your head down and eye on point of contact. They say 10,000 strokes builds habit and muscle memory. I was really interested in getting it but didn't because it seems gimicky. May be I need to reconsider. I like that you can work on your swing indoors. For working folks who just can't always get to a court, maybe it can really keep you strokes tuned.

Anyone ever use inside?

[TennezSport]

How about this one.....

http://www.practicehit.com/

Cheers, TennezSport

[Ash_Smith]

^^^Thankyou Tennez!!!

That's the one I remeber seeing videos on and I couldn't find the site again! Some of the vids are hilarious - the footwork ones I seem to remember being a particular highlight!

Cheers

Ash

[Tennis_Monk]

Originally Posted by TennezSport

How about this one.....

http://www.practicehit.com/

Cheers, TennezSport

Oh Please. this is the worst contraption i've ever used. what a waste of money.It teaches nothing (atleast taught nothing for me).

[10ispro]

Originally Posted by jack crack

The thing is $159. I saw it demoed at the a recent WTA tournament. Really supposed to help train you to keep your head down and eye on point of contact. They say 10,000 strokes builds habit and muscle memory. I was really interested in getting it but didn't because it seems gimicky. May be I need to reconsider. I like that you can work on your swing indoors. For working folks who just can't always get to a court, maybe it can really keep you strokes tuned.

Anyone ever use inside?

I was working with a 3.5 woman a few years ago who played very classical tennis--straight back swing and through the ball, very flat with little to no topspin.
In lessons and clinics we'd focus on positioning and situational use for topspin.
for additional stroke reinforcement I let her borrow my accuihit/Hal/whatever its called now.
She would take it to her daughters soccer games and practice on the sidelines as she watched the games.
and at times, she would practice in the garage.

Within a couple weeks of consistent use, she developed a nice low to high swingpath w her own small loop on the backswing.

the added control of topspin gave her alot of confidence and opened the door for greater shot selection.

later that year we was bumped to 4.0

[parasailing]

I initially had the practice hit a couple years back but found it not as durable. The eye coach is a study device but still there are some things that need improving such as the base doesn't actually work well on a carpet floor if you keep those rubber feet on them.

Also, the arm unit with the ball isn't securely mounted and needs improvement but overall, this is better than practice hit.

[TennezSport]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

^^^Thankyou Tennez!!!
That's the one I remember seeing videos on and I couldn't find the site again! Some of the vids are hilarious - the footwork ones I seem to remember being a particular highlight! Cheers Ash

Originally Posted by Tennis_Monk

Oh Please. this is the worst contraption i've ever used. what a waste of money.It teaches nothing (atleast taught nothing for me).

It's not a bad tool at all if you use it at what it was designed for. The foot work drills do look very funny, but we found that the tool worked very well when trying to focus on specific movements to confused students. Didn't have to focus on a ball coming at them, just the footwork and the strike zone.

Cheers, TennezSport

[Ash_Smith]

I'm just not abig fan of teaching tennis in a static way. If the ball isn't moving you're not teaching tennis, you're teaching golf!

Cheers

Ash

[user92626]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

This is New Pro.

New pro is very interesting. He has another 3.5 female student, and he has been coaching her for a long time. She's a big fan of singles. She has joined my tennis team.

Well, she and I played singles a few weeks ago. She was whipping me, but good. I look up during the second set, and New Pro is sitting there in the viewing window, watching. She had told him when and where we were playing, obviously.

I think his watching me take a beating led in part to his bringing The Contraption to our lesson. He got a chance to see how I play, and he must have seen how much I struggle finding angles on short-ish balls and how my topspin failed me quite often.

Anyway . . . I went out today and did some drop feeding to work on this WW element of the stroke. When I get it, it is amazing. Gotta keep working on it . . .

Hi Cindy,

You remind me of some of my "weekend" folks who have played for years and even decades but just can't seem to hit the ball with any sense of control or rhythm. Please don't feel offended. I'm just so curious about their learning process or how they see/process tennis that makes it utterly impossible for them to hit the ball 3 times in a row. When they hit, I never get a sense that they can make the next shot (and the next shot is just a routine, neutral return from opponent)! That's how bad some people in my group are!

I guess ultimately, subconsciously I want to help them so our group can be better.

I'm curious, what exactly makes it hard for you to play good tennis? Is it because you don't have a thorough understanding of techniques or it's a matter of execution?

[ssonosk]

yeah i'd rather just toss a ball and whip it like someone said earlier, or just rent a ball machine and get someone to watch my strokes

[TennezSport]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

I'm just not abig fan of teaching tennis in a static way. If the ball isn't moving you're no t teaching tennis, you're teaching golf! Cheers, Ash

LOL completely agree with you Ash generally. We have found that people (big or little) that have a problem with say footwork find it easier to learn when you isolate the problem and brake it down. This little gadget lets us do that very simply before we get them back to the real court.

Cheers, TennezSport

[ProgressoR]

Originally Posted by user92626

Hi Cindy,

You remind me of some of my "weekend" folks who have played for years and even decades but just can't seem to hit the ball with any sense of control or rhythm. Please don't feel offended. I'm just so curious about their learning process or how they see/process tennis that makes it utterly impossible for them to hit the ball 3 times in a row. When they hit, I never get a sense that they can make the next shot (and the next shot is just a routine, neutral return from opponent)! That's how bad some people in my group are!

I guess ultimately, subconsciously I want to help them so our group can be better.

I'm curious, what exactly makes it hard for you to play good tennis? Is it because you don't have a thorough understanding of techniques or it's a matter of execution?

I counted at least 5 insults there, on behalf of Cindy, I am greatly offended.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by ProgressoR

I counted at least 5 insults there, on behalf of Cindy, I am greatly offended.

My count is higher.

Proving I suck at tennis and at counting.

: huge eye roll :