Two-racket Tennis: The Balanced Workout

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by domosborn

...ill go smoke weed and drink myself into oblivion.... or maybe ill go and hand in the 6th assignment in a fortnight on top of 35 hours of lectures.
Your attitude stinks.

Now you're talking, if I'd done all that work I'd go find some hot tennis chick or a hooker and wouldn't waste energy on the merits of two handed tennis over the internet--it's only tennis.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Originally Posted by tennis tom

You're damn right I'm not going to go back and waste time on this drivel--I have a life. You blokes may have a history here with the prof but I don't--it's only tennis and not something important and meaningful--like group sex or something. I suggest you guys stop wasting your time too--unless your doing it on someone else's dime--I'm gonna' go look up ad hominem attacks now--I like hominy. Is it like what they do in that Italian village where they throw rotten tomatoes at each other? I gotta' go hit the hot tub now after a tough day on the courts--I am a French model and everything on the internet is true.

Bonjour!

Arguing about this might not be worth your while but learning to develop your non-dominant arm is not a waste of time. You actually generate new neural connections and keep your brain active/fluid by learning to use your non-dominant side. Is cognitive development/brain plasticity really a waste of your valuable time?

[LeeD]

One problem with playing tennis with both hands....
Each of your hands need a certain amount of practice and replication.
Guess what? You have ONE set of legs....total!
I see it in 5.0 players, 4.5's, and even in duffers like myself.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Guess what? You have ONE set of legs....total!

You lucky dog, I'm playin' on one leg. I need all the racquets I can get my hands on.

[Professor Tennis]

Originally Posted by SystemicAnomaly

Bonjour!

Arguing about this might not be worth your while but learning to develop your non-dominant arm is not a waste of time. You actually generate new neural connections and keep your brain active/fluid by learning to use your non-dominant side. Is cognitive development/brain plasticity really a waste of your valuable time?

On the subject of creating new neural pathways and what I like to call Neurobic Tennis (i.e., Two-racket Tennis):

In their book, Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises, the late Dr. Lawrence C. Katz and coauthor Manning Rubin introduced the concept of “neurobic” exercise to the public. Dr. Katz (was a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and renowned for his research into brain development) coined the term “neurobic” for mind/body exercises that in short, present the brain with the unexpected or “non-routine.” In essence, experiences securing various combinations of the five senses (i.e., sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) along with emotion in unique and challenging ways. For example, to make your routine, non-routine, you might decide to brush your teeth with your left-hand when normally you are right-handed. Or as I suggest, you could pick up a second tennis racket and play two-racket tennis. Both scenarios present the brain with the unexpected, which in turn may stimulate the development of new circuits in the brain. Give your brain what it craves… a challenge! When you go Two-Rack you never go back.

[Gonzalito17]

An interesting innovation for sure. But let me ask, did this all or partly arise because of an unfixably poor backhand?

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

An interesting innovation for sure. But let me ask, did this all or partly arise because of an unfixably poor backhand?

I doubt it, it would be much easier to fix the BH then relearn how to hit the ball with the opposite arm. Dr. Fisher could probably help with this, if he's still around, he helped Pete with his. In the title of the thread, the Prof says it's a "workout", using two rackets is not legal in play.

Dan Millman, "THE WARRIOR ATHLETE", discusses the insights to be gained by learning how to do things with the opposite side of the body, thus opening up the opposite hemisphere of the mind.

[beernutz]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

An interesting innovation for sure. But let me ask, did this all or partly arise because of an unfixably poor backhand?

If you read the third paragraph in post #17 above by the professor, he claims using your off arm to hit a forehand will improve your ability to hit a one-handed backhand with your dominant arm. I don't see (and he doesn't explain) how developing a particular skill with one arm is going to translate to improving a different skill with the other but then again I don't see a lot of benefit to two racquet tennis in the first place. I guess the proof is in the pudding so to speak and that the professor must have one hella one-handed backhand by now after all the two racquet playing he's done. Maybe he'll put up a video demonstrating his killer OHBH.

[Gonzalito17]

He might be right. I started playing offhand lefty tennis, for the fun of it (to feel like a beginner again and also to be able to play when there are no 4.5s around) and you would be surrpised how quickly you get the knack of it. Even with serving. And my one hand righty backhand seems to have gotten better since adding playing lefty to my practice.

Interesting theory.

[Professor Tennis]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

He might be right. I started playing offhand lefty tennis, for the fun of it (to feel like a beginner again and also to be able to play when there are no 4.5s around) and you would be surrpised how quickly you get the knack of it. Even with serving. And my one hand righty backhand seems to have gotten better since adding playing lefty to my practice.

Interesting theory.

When someone has an intelligent thought (aside from myself) no one responds. Well, I'll respond by saying, good for you. If you keep practicing this technique, you might even find yourself having as much fun as I do. Onward and upward.