What's the Best or Correct Technique?

[user92626]

What's the best (correct) technique to use to give you best reaction time?

When the ball comes to the other side,
- Watch opponent's body to detect what kind of shot he'll make?
- Watch his swing ....?
- Watch his stance, or direction of movement?
- Just watch the ball...?
- Watch the whole thing and react...?
- Something else completely different?

 

[AnyPUG]

Split step to get to a wider base as he hits and get on your toes instead of staying flat footed.

 

[travlerajm]

What's the best (correct) technique to use to give you best reaction time?

When the ball comes to the other side,
- Watch opponent's body to detect what kind of shot he'll make?
- Watch his swing ....?
- Watch his stance, or direction of movement?
- Just watch the ball...?
- Watch the whole thing and react...?
- Something else completely different?

It takes experience to learn the right combination of visual cues to be able to anticipate where your opponent’s shot is going.

One hard rule of thumb is that the higher the level of the player, the better he is at concealing the direction of his shot until the last instant.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

What's the best (correct) technique to use to give you best reaction time?

When the ball comes to the other side,
- Watch opponent's body to detect what kind of shot he'll make?
- Watch his swing ....?
- Watch his stance, or direction of movement?
- Just watch the ball...?
- Watch the whole thing and react...?
- Something else completely different?

Your question deals with reaction but your sub-questions deal with reaction and anticipation.

As @AnyPUG pointed out, the split step with a relatively wide base is critical.

I don't watch the ball to the exclusion of everything else. The position and movement of my opponent are usually more important.

Also his tendencies and strengths/weaknesses play a role in what shot he will choose; if I know my opponent well enough, that might override the basic signals and lead me to do something else.

 

[user92626]

Split step to get to a wider base as he hits and get on your toes instead of staying flat footed.

Your question deals with reaction but your sub-questions deal with reaction and anticipation.

As @AnyPUG pointed out, the split step with a relatively wide base is critical.

I don't watch the ball to the exclusion of everything else. The position and movement of my opponent are usually more important.

Also his tendencies and strengths/weaknesses play a role in what shot he will choose; if I know my opponent well enough, that might override the basic signals and lead me to do something else.

Well then make my question broader if it makes sense to you guys.

Assuming I know what to do after I have enough information, what should I be focusing on? What information cue should I be looking for when the ball is in the other side of the net? That's my question.

So, as S&V points out, you're watching "The position and movement of my opponent "? And that would help you to react as good as possible?

A coworker of mine, who I just found out also plays tennis, really stressed with me the importance of keeping eyes on the ball, like exclusively.


I kinda need a definitive answer. The method that all pros follow.

 

[user92626]

It takes experience to learn the right combination of visual cues to be able to anticipate where your opponent’s shot is going.

One hard rule of thumb is that the higher the level of the player, the better he is at concealing the direction of his shot until the last instant.

I don't know what this experience you're referring to. I have had over 10 years of playing and honing my tennis skill! I feel I still don't know the right answer.

Watching two pro's playing, I don't feel they're concealing anything. I just see they react and move extremely effectively. What are they watching exactly? What's their cue that enables them to react and move like that?

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

There is 1 second of information gathering. It has to be 2nd nature, well it helps, but to ask the question is like if someone asked you, how do you breathe? How do you chew and swallow? The first 4 years of my life I didn't play tennis, then I did. Random list of cues...
Eyes, did the opponent take a quick glance at a target?
Hips, the human body or hips can only turn so far to create a shot, where were the hips on impact?
Hand, knuckles, grip?
Swing path?
Shoulder turn?
Contact point, way in front, way behind, changes the angle the ball can come back at
Serve toss, too high, too low, a mistake out wide?
Racket face, where was it, where did it end up, all that

All that info gets shoved into the head and processed instantly. You can also learn what physical cues mean what shots as you play someone and create a road map of their results.

I have a friend who hits a two-handed forehand and backhand with an open stance, frustrating, you get very few clues as to where he is going to hit the ball.

 

[user92626]

Let's be more specific.

1. You hit the ball,
2. Your eyes need to be watching the ball to see where it lands. There's no two ways about this, is there?
3. After the ball lands, you immediately stop watching it? You shift your sight to...what? The opponent's movements/actions? Or, generally just his racket because every guy's swing is different?
4. After step 3, then what?
5. Eventually, you need to watch the ball for where the opponent's shot lands, right?

 

[user92626]

There is 1 second of information gathering. It has to be 2nd nature, well it helps, but to ask the question is like if someone asked you, how do you breathe? How do you chew and swallow? The first 4 years of my life I didn't play tennis, then I did. Random list of cues...
Eyes, did the opponent take a quick glance at a target?
Hips, the human body or hips can only turn so far to create a shot, where were the hips on impact?
Hand, knuckles, grip?
Swing path?
Shoulder turn?
Contact point, way in front, way behind, changes the angle the ball can come back at
Serve toss, too high, too low, a mistake out wide?
Racket face, where was it, where did it end up, all that

All that info gets shoved into the head and processed instantly. You can also learn what physical cues mean what shots as you play someone and create a road map of their results.

I have a friend who hits a two-handed forehand and backhand with an open stance, frustrating, you get very few clues as to where he is going to hit the ball.

You don't need to tell me that eventually it has to become "2nd nature" to work well. But before "it" becomes "2nd nature", I want to know what it is first for me to practice.


It looks like...for you it is a bunch of things. If it is, then I'm screwed. It's information overload for me. I can't tell if my opponent's "Contact point, way in front, way behind". I do not have such a seeing skill, especially seeing depth from that many feet away.

 

[Chas Tennis]

I am not able to consciously predict much before the ball leaves the racket.

I see the trajectory of the ball headed to my forehand or backhand side in about the first 5 or 6 feet after it is struck at the other baseline. If I had good foot work and a timed split step that would be useful.

 

[Fintft]

First you watch his racquet bc the ball will reapper.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

You don't need to tell me that eventually it has to become "2nd nature" to work well. But before "it" becomes "2nd nature", I want to know what it is first for me to practice.


It looks like...for you it is a bunch of things. If it is, then I'm screwed. It's information overload for me. I can't tell if my opponent's "Contact point, way in front, way behind". I do not have such a seeing skill, especially seeing depth from that many feet away.

Well, I'd practice the ball watching like your friend suggested. All that other stuff is less important, but helpful. Let me visualize this. So, you hit the ball, yes, watch it land, yes, see what you can see in addition to the ball. But, #1, watch the ball and see if you can pick up on clues. As the ball comes back to you, #1 get your butt in position, #2, a distant #2, see if you can dual vision the ball and the general blob of activity that is in the distance, your opponent. Is he sprinting somewhere, coming in, heading back. Learn that two at once technique if you can work on that.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Well then make my question broader if it makes sense to you guys.

Assuming I know what to do after I have enough information, what should I be focusing on? What information cue should I be looking for when the ball is in the other side of the net? That's my question.

So, as S&V points out, you're watching "The position and movement of my opponent "? And that would help you to react as good as possible?

A coworker of mine, who I just found out also plays tennis, really stressed with me the importance of keeping eyes on the ball, like exclusively.


I kinda need a definitive answer. The method that all pros follow.

I can't tell you the method that all pros follow because I don't know any pros. Ask Salzy or Karue.

And "definitive"? I'm pretty sure you'd get at least slightly different answers from the above two and if you ask enough high-level coaches, you're bound to get a range of answers.

It sounds like you're concentrating on anticipation: how to best figure out what my opponent is going to do with this next shot vs how do I react to whatever is coming.

If so, I stand by my original answer.

Exclusively watching the ball misses a lot of crucial information. If I judge my opponent is barely going to reach the ball, my plan will be much different than if he's lining up for an offensive shot.

I take into account:
- opponent location
- opponent momentum [if I wrong-foot him, he'll be in a much more defensive position]
- distance from the net
- velocity, spin, and height of the ball
- racquet take-back [could offer a clue whether he's going to drive or slice]
- opponent height [ie if he's tall, will he get jammed more easily? If he's short, will he have more problems with medium-height shots?]
- opponent strengths and weaknesses [what shots is he good at vs not so good at]
- opponent tendencies/preferences
- my location and momentum

I'm sure there are more that I'm overlooking. It's not a conscious thing, just like my split step. It just happens automatically. That doesn't mean I'm perfectly capturing all information; it's just that I don't think about it. I'm sure you're doing the same.

 

[socallefty]

Most rec players stand still too long after hitting their shot and wait for their ball to land before they start recovering. Pros watch the outcome of their shot while they are already recovering to the ideal recovery position (IRP). They also have better footwork to stop and change direction after their shot which saves time and puts them back in balance sooner. So, number one priority should be to start the recovery early instead of standing and watching your ball and the next priority should be learning efficient footwork.

Then watch the opponent while starting your split step. Based on what shot they hit, good players already have an idea of the highest probability shots/targets their opponent will hit and will be anticipating those. If they hit an offensive ball or a good neutral ball, the chance that their opponent hits a high probability shot is high. If they are forced to hit a defensive shot or give their opponent a short ball, then the opponent has more options and it is tougher to anticipate what the opponent will do. Watching the opponent‘s swing path is critical as you have to start running as soon as you have a pretty good idea what shot and what target they are hitting to. Again, I think good players pick this up a split second quicker and gain a step over others because they‘ve spent so many more hours on court - there‘s also a school of thought that most worldclass athletes have really good vision and visuospatial skills which might also help them identify the shot earlier.

When I saw ‘watch your opponent’, it is a holistic comment as you should watch their lower body, upper body, take back, racquet, movement etc. all at the same time. It is not that hard to watch all of it at the same time as they are typically seventy feet away and your field of vision can cover all of it. I don’t think watching the ball on the other side of the net is that important - watching your opponent is. When I play points against my young, ex-ATP coach who is very good at recovering early and anticipating my shots, I have to more consciously try to fake him and hit the ball late, not follow my usual tendencies on serve/shot locations etc. If you play a better opponent, they also are better at ‘reading’ you and remembering your patterns which means that you have to ‘break’ your patterns more often.

 

[enishi1357]

Be prepare to slam the racquet on the ground.

I'm serious. I didn't know I have a wider range until I don't mind wrecking my racquet. Now as soon as I know where the ball is going I just stick my racquet out and pray it goes in. I think this works mostly for those with OHBH and not 2HBH. Also do this only after learning proper techniques because reaction time may get you to touch the ball but only good technique will get the ball in.

 

[Pumpkin]

I don't even think about it. I just split step and run to wherever the ball goes.

 

[PKorda]

The answer at a high level is watch the whole thing and react. You're trying to predict his shot based on how he sets up and what shot he's most likely to hit. A higher level player will use more deception so there's a psychological element as well. If it's someone you play with regularly obviously you will know his tendencies. But certain things can be more universal, i.e. if you hit a low ball that drops over the net 9 times out of 10 they're going crosscourt. One thing to focus on is footwork. Obviously you want a quick first step to the ball but also when you're on the defensive how quickly can you pivot if you guess wrong. Footwork is hard to practice other than playing, either in a match or just playing out points with your practice partner.

 

[a12345]

Once the flight path of the ball has been set in motion by your opponent, dont just watch the ball all the way to your strings as it can cause you to get into a wrong position, prepare late, and hit late , the ball will just rush up on you at the later stages.

Instead you need to guess where the ball is going to be early on and prepare yourself to intercept it at that point.

Imagine in baseball or cricket where you need to catch a ball coming at you from far away you dont just follow the path of the ball as it moves, you have to make an early judgement of where that ball is going to be and run there.

Only at the last stages do you start to pinpoint the exact location.

 

[Pumpkin]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I'll just make this point. If you watch slow motion video of the split step you will see that the player lands well after the opponent has hit the ball. The ball is already on its way. It's only when the player lands that he or she can move in any direction. So I'm arguing that there's no point looking for cues.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I'll just make this point. If you watch slow motion video of the split step you will see that the player lands well after the opponent has hit the ball. The ball is already on its way. It's only when the player lands that he or she can move in any direction. So I'm arguing that there's no point looking for cues.

Split step is for reaction; cues are for anticipation. The better you are, the more likely you will use both in concert.

Reaction is in response to something that has already happened.

Anticipation is trying to predict what will happen. Someone who is good at reading those cues will have an advantage over someone who is purely reactive.

 

[travlerajm]

Split step is for reaction; cues are for anticipation. The better you are, the more likely you will use both in concert.

Reaction is in response to something that has already happened.

Anticipation is trying to predict what will happen. Someone who is good at reading those cues will have an advantage over someone who is purely reactive.

Well said.

 

[ChaelAZ]

What's the best (correct) technique to use to give you best reaction time?

When the ball comes to the other side,
- Watch opponent's body to detect what kind of shot he'll make?
- Watch his swing ....?
- Watch his stance, or direction of movement?
- Just watch the ball...?
- Watch the whole thing and react...?
- Something else completely different?

Not exactly sure what you are asking, if you are looking for quick preparation or you mean getting a read on the opponents shot to move. I mean, both come from all the different points for me, if I am able to read them. Some things I try to watch.

• Positioning - a lot of players telegraph where they are hitting by how they position themselves in relationship to the ball. An easy one is seeing a ball toss on a serve that goes back over their head, you know they are going to try to kick. In point play I find many players on the forehand will position very wide and then kinda lean back and open up before hitting cross court. Each player is a little different, so I just watch their positioning so I can maybe pick up queues.
• Stroke path - This isn't as easy but there are some players that you can watch how they hit to get an read on where they are trying to go. This is something that actually helps more with trajectory of ball (flat, higher ball, lob, drop shot) for me.
• Ball - To me the hardest thing to judge is watching the ball to react, but it does play a part. Just not as often for me given the two above things I try to watch.
• Go-to or stronger shots - Just knowing someone has a shot preference and uses it more often is a good clue. Now, for me if someone is able to always rip a flat, low cross court forehand well, it isn't really going to help too much there (Out #1 singles guy does this to me all the time, and even with a quick reaction I only get a few back because it is that good of a shot). I would use this kind of recognition to try to avoid allowing them to set up the shot rather that trying to counteract it through quicker reaction.

I mean, at our rec levels people are pretty transparent in things, and they usually move much slower so you have time to react. As you get to that higher 4.0 into 4.5, the guys I play are able to hold their shots longer and just the speed of everything is usually much quicker so I struggle and miss a lot of those queues. But I try at least.

 

[Kevo]

I would say the most important thing is concentration on the ball mainly. You definitely want to split step at contact, but following the ball and watching it will lead you to develop many of the ancillary skills you need to have good reaction and anticipation. Getting distracted from the ball by watching other things leads to more problems than it solves IMO.

 

[Pumpkin]

It's very difficult to tell what direction the ball will go with high level players ( by watching the racquet). With lower level players you can tell much easier.

 

[user92626]

It's very difficult to tell what direction the ball will go with high level players ( by watching the racquet). With lower level players you can tell much easier.

Are you talking about predicting the ball direction, like Chas here?

I am not able to consciously predict much before the ball leaves the racket.

I see the trajectory of the ball headed to my forehand or backhand side in about the first 5 or 6 feet after it is struck at the other baseline. If I had good foot work and a timed split step that would be useful.

I'm not looking for prediction. I'm looking for a method or process to follow. I think pro's are competing on who can implement techniques more precisely longer which takes a lot of strength and focus. Djokovic talks extensively about focus.

 

[user92626]

Not exactly sure what you are asking, if you are looking for quick preparation or you mean getting a read on the opponents shot to move. I mean, both come from all the different points for me, if I am able to read them. Some things I try to watch.

• Positioning - a lot of players telegraph where they are hitting by how they position themselves in relationship to the ball. An easy one is seeing a ball toss on a serve that goes back over their head, you know they are going to try to kick. In point play I find many players on the forehand will position very wide and then kinda lean back and open up before hitting cross court. Each player is a little different, so I just watch their positioning so I can maybe pick up queues.
• Stroke path - This isn't as easy but there are some players that you can watch how they hit to get an read on where they are trying to go. This is something that actually helps more with trajectory of ball (flat, higher ball, lob, drop shot) for me.
• Ball - To me the hardest thing to judge is watching the ball to react, but it does play a part. Just not as often for me given the two above things I try to watch.
• Go-to or stronger shots - Just knowing someone has a shot preference and uses it more often is a good clue. Now, for me if someone is able to always rip a flat, low cross court forehand well, it isn't really going to help too much there (Out #1 singles guy does this to me all the time, and even with a quick reaction I only get a few back because it is that good of a shot). I would use this kind of recognition to try to avoid allowing them to set up the shot rather that trying to counteract it through quicker reaction.

I mean, at our rec levels people are pretty transparent in things, and they usually move much slower so you have time to react. As you get to that higher 4.0 into 4.5, the guys I play are able to hold their shots longer and just the speed of everything is usually much quicker so I struggle and miss a lot of those queues. But I try at least.

Yeah I'm looking for how to get the best preparation and reaction, and I'm not sure what to look for. I'm wondering if there's a definitive method, taught to pro's.

By your answer you mean you have to read a bunch of things to get the best of it, eg positioning, stroke path, ball, on and on. OK then. I guess I'll have to increase my cpu power. That's a lot of things to read in a split second!

I think the level is kinda irrelevant. At 3.5 we definitely move slower but then our processing is also slower. I mean, don't 3.5 players and 4.5 players struggle the same in their respective level?

 

[mcs1970]

This is from Paes:

“Most people don’t realise that moving fast is not just about the feet. It’s the ability to read where the opponent is likely to hit. When the player looks down for a fraction of a second before hitting the ball, that’s when I have already moved. That anticipation comes from years of experience and has been my greatest asset. It’s not guesswork. It’s about interpreting subtle clues like racquet position, foot placement and possible angles from that particular spot on court,” Leander says.

 

[user92626]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I'll just make this point. If you watch slow motion video of the split step you will see that the player lands well after the opponent has hit the ball. The ball is already on its way. It's only when the player lands that he or she can move in any direction. So I'm arguing that there's no point looking for cues.

Split step is for reaction; cues are for anticipation. The better you are, the more likely you will use both in concert.

Reaction is in response to something that has already happened.

Anticipation is trying to predict what will happen. Someone who is good at reading those cues will have an advantage over someone who is purely reactive.

You guys are talking about an entirely different thing than the thing that I'm asking.

To me, anticipation is like when Fritz accidentally gives Nadal a high short ball, he anticipates Nadal to hit to the open court (per high percentage rule or something) thus he runs to the right side. That is anticipation and it didn't work for Fritz.

I'm talking about reading what cues & how in order to get the best, fastest reaction. Not guessing, predicting.



(see first point?)

 

[user92626]

This is from Paes:

“Most people don’t realise that moving fast is not just about the feet. It’s the ability to read where the opponent is likely to hit. When the player looks down for a fraction of a second before hitting the ball, that’s when I have already moved. That anticipation comes from years of experience and has been my greatest asset. It’s not guesswork. It’s about interpreting subtle clues like racquet position, foot placement and possible angles from that particular spot on court,” Leander says.

Interesting.

So it is a bunch of things to watch and we have to have the brain & visual ability to see them all simultaneously or something in a split second.

 

[mcs1970]

Interesting.

So it is a bunch of things to watch and we have to have the brain & visual ability to see them all simultaneously or something in a split second.

The thing though is he says that it has come from years of experience but he has always been a great doubles player. So that experience has definitely helped him but he was doing this from the start. So the greats surely have an innate sense of anticipation that others lack.

 

[user92626]

Split step to get to a wider base as he hits and get on your toes instead of staying flat footed.

I don't even think about it. I just split step and run to wherever the ball goes.

I was doing that, SS, (maybe not perfectly) and actually struggling against this guy who has learned to rip the ball most of the time. He is what many people here would call a mindless ball basher but it's working for him. So, I thought there has to be more than just SS. Hence, my asking..

Most rec players stand still too long after hitting their shot and wait for their ball to land before they start recovering. Pros watch the outcome of their shot while they are already recovering to the ideal recovery position (IRP). They also have better footwork to stop and change direction after their shot which saves time and puts them back in balance sooner. So, number one priority should be to start the recovery early instead of standing and watching your ball and the next priority should be learning efficient footwork.

Then watch the opponent while starting your split step. Based on what shot they hit, good players already have an idea of the highest probability shots/targets their opponent will hit and will be anticipating those. If they hit an offensive ball or a good neutral ball, the chance that their opponent hits a high probability shot is high. If they are forced to hit a defensive shot or give their opponent a short ball, then the opponent has more options and it is tougher to anticipate what the opponent will do. Watching the opponent‘s swing path is critical as you have to start running as soon as you have a pretty good idea what shot and what target they are hitting to. Again, I think good players pick this up a split second quicker and gain a step over others because they‘ve spent so many more hours on court - there‘s also a school of thought that most worldclass athletes have really good vision and visuospatial skills which might also help them identify the shot earlier.

When I saw ‘watch your opponent’, it is a holistic comment as you should watch their lower body, upper body, take back, racquet, movement etc. all at the same time. It is not that hard to watch all of it at the same time as they are typically seventy feet away and your field of vision can cover all of it. I don’t think watching the ball on the other side of the net is that important - watching your opponent is. When I play points against my young, ex-ATP coach who is very good at recovering early and anticipating my shots, I have to more consciously try to fake him and hit the ball late, not follow my usual tendencies on serve/shot locations etc. If you play a better opponent, they also are better at ‘reading’ you and remembering your patterns which means that you have to ‘break’ your patterns more often.

Re the underline part, a coach told me that I just needed to watch the ball coming off my opponent's racket. Don't bother with how he dances or swirls his props. That's his business. I followed that tip and immediately saw improvement.

 

[socallefty]

Re the underline part, a coach told me that I just needed to watch the ball coming off my opponent's racket. Don't bother with how he dances or swirls his props. That's his business. I followed that tip and immediately saw improvement.

It’s about interpreting subtle clues like racquet position, foot placement and possible angles from that particular spot on court,” Leander says.

I’m guessing your coach is not Leander Paes - I follow his approach. In any case, you coach may know what is good for your level and as you improve, he might add to the instructions to allow you to anticipate better.

 

[Funbun]

I think you're overthinking this.

You said you were struggling against a hard hitter; post a video!!!

 

[ChaelAZ]

Yeah I'm looking for how to get the best preparation and reaction, and I'm not sure what to look for. I'm wondering if there's a definitive method, taught to pro's.

By your answer you mean you have to read a bunch of things to get the best of it, eg positioning, stroke path, ball, on and on. OK then. I guess I'll have to increase my cpu power. That's a lot of things to read in a split second!

I think the level is kinda irrelevant. At 3.5 we definitely move slower but then our processing is also slower. I mean, don't 3.5 players and 4.5 players struggle the same in their respective level?

I don't put a TON of brain power into trying to read opponents, but I do try to pick up on general cues I see, and then also factor in just percentage tennis. Yeah, it does happen in a split second, but that is that function of a split step - to pause yourself to try to center and then react to what you see and anticipate. For most of us it is more reaction to AFTER all of it happens and from the direction of the ball, but if you video yourself and watch frame by frame you will see even unconsciously you will lean to an anticipated or reactive side, then either continue or readjust when the ball gives more direct feedback. I wouldn't dwell on it too much, or so much it becomes a distraction. I think a split step and being ready to move as a reaction to the ball trajectory is better for rec tennis overall.

I think 3.5 and 4.5 struggle differently. At 3.5 you are asking how to do it and struggling to find what cues to look for. By 4.5 they are doing much better reading cues, but the pace is faster, most players hold or disguise shots better, so even with a good read they need to react and plan much more to me. It's like when you watch 4.5, they definitely are in the right spot more often and their anticipation/reading AND experience makes that happen. Hell, at 3.5 you are more often just trying to hit the ball away from the opponent and keep it in.

 

[AnyPUG]

I was doing that, SS, (maybe not perfectly) and actually struggling against this guy who has learned to rip the ball most of the time. He is what many people here would call a mindless ball basher but it's working for him. So, I thought there has to be more than just SS. Hence, my asking..

If ss is in place, great work. It sounds like the issue started before you did ss if he is ripping the ball giving you no chance. I'm guessing he is findng your balls easy and short. Get some height and depth with some pace and then normal ss should take care of the rest.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I'm talking about reading what cues & how in order to get the best, fastest reaction. Not guessing, predicting.

Even if you read the cues better, you'd still be guessing and predicting because there's no guarantee he's going to hit the shot that you've concluded he will hit based on the cues.

OK, now that you've explained more clearly what you're trying to do, I still stand by my lists. If you can factor those things in, you will be able to react more accurately.

 

[vex]

Well then make my question broader if it makes sense to you guys.

Assuming I know what to do after I have enough information, what should I be focusing on? What information cue should I be looking for when the ball is in the other side of the net? That's my question.

So, as S&V points out, you're watching "The position and movement of my opponent "? And that would help you to react as good as possible?

A coworker of mine, who I just found out also plays tennis, really stressed with me the importance of keeping eyes on the ball, like exclusively.


I kinda need a definitive answer. The method that all pros follow.

You have to take in that other stuff in the background. If you aren’t locked on the ball you are gonna have a TON is mistimed shots.

 

[Jay_The_Nomad]

Maybe I'm wrong here but I'll just make this point. If you watch slow motion video of the split step you will see that the player lands well after the opponent has hit the ball. The ball is already on its way. It's only when the player lands that he or she can move in any direction. So I'm arguing that there's no point looking for cues.

You need to look for cues. Most of the time you don’t land with two feet simultaneously on the split step landing. You land with one feet first then the other in the direction you anticipate you need to go.
Eg you perceive the ball is going to your left so you land on your right foot first so that your left foot can start moving towards the left on the landing.

in terms of what cues to look for, I’ll recommend mainly focusing your attention on the flight of the ball. I wouldn’t focus too much on trying to read your opponents movements too much during a point. During their serve yes. But during a point the cues you’re looking for is a combination of how well you’ve just returned the ball to the other side, your perception of your opponent’s ability to move and their ball striking ability and of course the court geometry.

The bulk of your attention should be on the balL trajectory and early recognition so you move into position quickly. You just need to be somewhat aware of your opppments movement just so you don’t get caught out by those mishits that drop short.

 

[Pumpkin]

I see a danger. If you start moving towards where you think the ball will go before you actually see where it is going and you are wrong, then it may become a winner because your momentum is going in the wrong direction.

I would only do it for example if my opponent has an easy put away and then it's in my interest to try to "guess" which

You need to look for cues. Most of the time you don’t land with two feet simultaneously on the split step landing. You land with one feet first then the other in the direction you anticipate you need to go.
Eg you perceive the ball is going to your left so you land on your right foot first so that your left foot can start moving towards the left on the landing.

in terms of what cues to look for, I’ll recommend mainly focusing your attention on the flight of the ball. I wouldn’t focus too much on trying to read your opponents movements too much during a point. During their serve yes. But during a point the cues you’re looking for is a combination of how well you’ve just returned the ball to the other side, your perception of your opponent’s ability to move and their ball striking ability and of course the court geometry.

The bulk of your attention should be on the balL trajectory and early recognition so you move into position quickly. You just need to be somewhat aware of your opppments movement just so you don’t get caught out by those mishits that drop short.

Yes I see. For example if I hit a forcing shot that my opponent is struggling to get, typically I will move into the court in anticaption of a short reply.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I see a danger. If you start moving towards where you think the ball will go before you actually see where it is going and you are wrong, then it may become a winner because your momentum is going in the wrong direction.

Yes, that's a potential downside. The upside is that you get a jump on the ball if you are right.

The key question is how often are you right vs wrong? if it's 30/70, stop doing it. If it's 70/30, keep it up.

 

[Pumpkin]

Yes, that's a potential downside. The upside is that you get a jump on the ball if you are right.

The key question is how often are you right vs wrong? if it's 30/70, stop doing it. If it's 70/30, keep it up.

I think you need to be selective as to when you do it. On a normal rally ball the ball has to travel all the way from the length of the court. There's plenty of time to pick up the flight path without making predictions.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I think you need to be selective as to when you do it. On a normal rally ball the ball has to travel all the way from the length of the court. There's plenty of time to pick up the flight path without making predictions.

There's a huge difference between "picking up the flight path" and "actually being able to reach the ball".

I play weekly against a teammate and he routinely hits his CC FH with a lot of spin so he has huge margin but it hits near where the SL meets the alley and explodes off of the ground so I have to hussle like crazy to get there. He can also hit into my BH corner. If I can get a jump on the ball, it makes the shot a lot more manageable. So I often have the chance to lean or guess/predict if I'm feeling desperate.

 

[Pumpkin]

There's a huge difference between "picking up the flight path" and "actually being able to reach the ball".

I play weekly against a teammate and he routinely hits his CC FH with a lot of spin so he has huge margin but it hits near where the SL meets the alley and explodes off of the ground so I have to hussle like crazy to get there. He can also hit into my BH corner. If I can get a jump on the ball, it makes the shot a lot more manageable. So I often have the chance to lean or guess/predict if I'm feeling desperate.

The CC shot angle would be tough to track down for anyone even if you knew it was going there 5 minutes ago. I can only suggest to try to keep the ball deep to limit his ability to hit that one and hit to his BH as much as possible

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

Bring the frog back!

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

The CC shot angle would be tough to track down for anyone even if you knew it was going there 5 minutes ago. I can only suggest to try to keep the ball deep to limit his ability to hit that one and hit to his BH as much as possible

Yes; one of my biggest weaknesses is hitting short.

But in terms of reaction vs prediction, I can still limit the damage if I predict correctly. If not, I'm screwed.

 

[Pumpkin]

Yes; one of my biggest weaknesses is hitting short.

But in terms of reaction vs prediction, I can still limit the damage if I predict correctly. If not, I'm screwed.

As I told you, even if your opponent told you he is going to hit heavy topspin short crosscourt it would be hard to get to. It's just a high quality shot. He can go down the line with it too. That's just a slight, in my opinion, imperceptible change of angle of his racquet. Even if you predict correctly before he hits, that means you have to take off sprinting for the CC and then he can simply nudge the ball down the line for a winner.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

As I told you, even if your opponent told you he is going to hit heavy topspin short crosscourt it would be hard to get to. It's just a high quality shot. He can go down the line with it too. That's just a slight, in my opinion, imperceptible change of angle of his racquet. Even if you predict correctly before he hits, that means you have to take off sprinting for the CC and then he can simply nudge the ball down the line for a winner.

Getting a split-second jump on the ball is the difference between reaching it in time to make a reasonable shot vs a desperation squash shot; I don't have to "take off sprinting".

Yes, I'm aware he can decide to go DTL; based on my knowledge of his shots, his CC FH is my first concern.

 

[Kevo]

I don't know what this experience you're referring to. I have had over 10 years of playing and honing my tennis skill! I feel I still don't know the right answer.

Watching two pro's playing, I don't feel they're concealing anything. I just see they react and move extremely effectively. What are they watching exactly? What's their cue that enables them to react and move like that?

There are simply too many factors to "learn" this skill like you would learn a tennis stroke. You have to "train" it through practice. With enough practice and good enough strokes you will also learn to understand the effect of your shot on your opponent and that helps tremendously. When I hit with better players it's easy for me to know that I am in trouble if I mistime a ball and hit a weak shot or don't get the depth or angle on the ball I know I needed to keep my opponent away from their strength. Take the example of Rafa hitting high heavy spin to Federer's backhand. He knows if he hits that ball well that he doesn't need to worry at all about the down the line winner. He knows that ball is going to come back into the court maybe deep, but not with an aggressive angle or speed. So now he gets another chance to do damage with that forehand and he's going to try and force Fed into an even weaker reply.

In pro matches if you watch carefully it's not that hard to predict the next ball a good percentage of the time. A good deep crosscourt shot is most often going to result in a crosscourt reply. Short balls tend to be hit into open court usually with a forehand. Lots of balls go down the middle of the court. Better players can often make weaker players puzzle over how they know where the ball is going and get there so fast, but it's almost like a magic trick. The card is forced and they know the question and answer before the weaker player does.

If you really want to see how bad pros are at predicting shots you need to look at the shots that are hit off a weaker ball. Lots of times you will see these balls go down the line or cross court for fairly easy winners and the other player has no play on the ball. When the hitter has time and working with a weaker shot that doesn't have depth, pace, and/or spin to force any aspect of the reply then it becomes very hard if not impossible for the opponent to predict and anticipate. At that point it's mostly a guessing game with maybe a bit of scouting probability mixed in.

You also have to remember that there are so many shots hit in a tennis match that even if you do everything right you're still going to get things wrong quite a bit and a good opponent will also occasionally play the odds against you. So being able to control your own shots in terms of depth, pace, and selection will matter a lot more to your prediction and anticipation than your actual prediction and anticipation. At least that's my 2¢ on the topic.

 

[user92626]

Bring the frog back!

I'm done with that phase, for now.

 

[user92626]

There are simply too many factors to "learn" this skill like you would learn a tennis stroke. You have to "train" it through practice. With enough practice and good enough strokes you will also learn to understand the effect of your shot on your opponent and that helps tremendously. When I hit with better players it's easy for me to know that I am in trouble if I mistime a ball and hit a weak shot or don't get the depth or angle on the ball I know I needed to keep my opponent away from their strength. Take the example of Rafa hitting high heavy spin to Federer's backhand. He knows if he hits that ball well that he doesn't need to worry at all about the down the line winner. He knows that ball is going to come back into the court maybe deep, but not with an aggressive angle or speed. So now he gets another chance to do damage with that forehand and he's going to try and force Fed into an even weaker reply.

In pro matches if you watch carefully it's not that hard to predict the next ball a good percentage of the time. A good deep crosscourt shot is most often going to result in a crosscourt reply. Short balls tend to be hit into open court usually with a forehand. Lots of balls go down the middle of the court. Better players can often make weaker players puzzle over how they know where the ball is going and get there so fast, but it's almost like a magic trick. The card is forced and they know the question and answer before the weaker player does.

If you really want to see how bad pros are at predicting shots you need to look at the shots that are hit off a weaker ball. Lots of times you will see these balls go down the line or cross court for fairly easy winners and the other player has no play on the ball. When the hitter has time and working with a weaker shot that doesn't have depth, pace, and/or spin to force any aspect of the reply then it becomes very hard if not impossible for the opponent to predict and anticipate. At that point it's mostly a guessing game with maybe a bit of scouting probability mixed in.

You also have to remember that there are so many shots hit in a tennis match that even if you do everything right you're still going to get things wrong quite a bit and a good opponent will also occasionally play the odds against you. So being able to control your own shots in terms of depth, pace, and selection will matter a lot more to your prediction and anticipation than your actual prediction and anticipation. At least that's my 2¢ on the topic.

Watch the following the clip.

Do you think Djokovic is strictly watching the other guy swing at the ball and right at that moment (ball contacting) he's hopping up both feet? He's got to be watching his opponent's swinging/contacting the ball to catch that split second to synch up w. his own movement (the hopping), right?