Eye on Ball ...

[cervelo]

I know it's been posted a million times and I probably shouldn't start a new thread - but I want to put a different spin on the topic to get comments ...

I'm struggling with some injuries - which means my confidence is off ... The first thing that happens to me when my confidence goes is I pull my head off the ball just a fraction too soon and cut off the proper extension ...

Understanding that the purpose of watching the ball is more about keep your upper body quiet and steady than it is to actually "see" the ball (see prior threads), here's what I've noticed:

First, I hit better balls when I try to "absorb" the situation, rather than put my sole focus in "seeing the ball." I'm making an effort to notice the relationship between my contact point and my body, the swing path of my racquet, the flight of the ball after contact. By default, I think I relax more and I'm forced to "watch the ball" by being more observant of the entire situation.

Second, the tendency to swing faster or harder not only creates a less consistent stroke, I believe it ENCOURAGES a hitter to pull his head off the ball. On a pressured pass, many hitters swing harder and also tend to pull their head off. I find that the two work in tandem to create bad ball striking. When I swing slower, I focus on my racquet extension through the hitting zone and directed to my target. I'm also way less likely to miss watching the ball ...