Why do I hit the ball so late?
Watching professional tennis is always an amazing thing to view. The movement is graceful, the battle is fierce and the timing is something to behold. It seems that these amazing players can have the longest rallies against others who strike the ball extremely big. No matter how deep or heavy a shot is, the reply is usually equal.
The timing, that’s what this article is about. The top 500 players in the world have exquisite timing and rhythm when it comes to their shot making. No matter how deep, hard, soft, floaty or spinny the shot coming at them, they seem to have an equally impressive reply. It takes years of practice and exceptional talent to develop perfect timing.
Because most of us are mere mortals, our timing may not be as good. We may not react as quickly as others. The way we see and judge a ball coming at us may be different than everyone else. These factors make a difference when setting up to hit a ball during practice and play.
Many pros teach students how to prepare early when setting up for a shot. This is called the First Move. The unit turn (when the torso turns at the waist) on the forehand is immediate and extreme. Personally, I don’t agree with this “cookie cutter” move. I refer to it as this because most teaching pros have bought into this way of thinking. The turn is so extreme that the hands and racket are behind the front elbow (non-dominant arm) which also puts everything behind the front knee. If a ball is coming in slow and loopy, this is fine. There is enough time to attack the ball out in front of the body. If the incoming shot is hard and deep, most people will be late!
Once, I was teaching a lesson on an adjacent court to another lesson at a club I used to work at. The pro on the other court was yelling at his young student about being “lazy.” The poor kid was traumatized for something that wasn’t his fault. He was being taught the extreme first move on his forehand side and was expected to handle tough balls hit deep and hard to him. The student’s timing wasn’t good enough to handle these shots and there was no effort to figure out how to fix it from the pro. It wasn’t my job to intervene even though I should have pulled the pro aside and tell him what I was observing.
My version of the First Move is what I call The Find. The Find helps keep the hands and racket face in front of the body while tracking the ball to the bounce. This way helps to create more space and time when setting up for a forehand shot. If you want to learn more about this technique, go to my article “The First Move” which I published on this website on 5/2/20.
It is important to know what is right and correct for your Tennis game. We all have an idea of how we want to look when playing and hitting. We expect our coaches to help show us the best possible solutions to handle all kinds of shots. Don’t be afraid to ask your coach questions about technique and playing styles. It is our responsibility to help each student with their unique needs when learning how to play.
The next time you find yourself hitting a ball late on your forehand, stop and take a breath. Ask yourself how you prepared for that shot. Have someone record you hitting with a video device. See where your hands are when doing your initial “first move.” This could be a turning point in your Tennis career. Good luck!