How To Watch The Ball Part 1: The Process

[@pfpvilano]

This video sings to me! I have attempted for years to overcome whipping my head up to look at my opponent or where I'm going to hit the ball. It's been a great struggle and I have watched countless videos, tried so many techniques including bounce-hit. Unfortunately the problem persists. I'm a Florida, average 4.0 player but absolutely must overcome this gargantuan impediment in my game in order to improve. So I watched this video yesterday. I was down 0-5 in a set this morning and tried something unusual. It worked and I won the next 7 games. What did I do? I simply watched the ball around the court...even while not in play. Whether it was laying on the court going into a pocket or coming out of a pocket, on my toss on his toss it didn't matter I followed the ball. Instead of checking out what was happening on other courts, for example, I had a singular focus on the ball. Somehow this just worked for me. Go figure.

[@servingpublic]

A very important topic, often forgotten by players! Working on focus alone can improve many other areas of the game..

[@kumara5492]

Excellent tip that I always keep forgetting. I started tennis at 28 and I am now 42 , but, I still did not master this technic. I picked up Federer style of tennis ( single handed backhand and serves ) as I used to watch his video clips. I drill my serves aiming at tennis can as target and whenever I watch the ball I most likely hit the can. I stun many of my tennis buddies when I put the ace down the T. The earlier age one masters this technic the greater the tennis player one will turn out to be. I subscribed. Thank you.

[@TuanJinnNguyen]

Excellent vid.

[@ruipedro4195]

Hi Ian , Thanks for your video. Do you have a video(s) to improve my hand-eye coordination?

[@colossaltennis]

Recognition skills are critical for both recreational and competitive players. Interesting information on peripheral vision.

[@EssentialTennis]

Glad you enjoyed it :-)

[@ministerofjoy]

Thank you Ian🙌

[@mohammedegyptian2527]

very informative video thank you

[@yuktuk8422]

the worst misses - the point was in hand and we weren't focussing on the right thing at the right time .... life lesson :) thank you.

[@EssentialTennis]

yuk tuk Life lesson indeed!

[@BrianBurki]

Wow, Ian, this is like incredibly valuable. Knowing where to look and when is soooo important, yet isn't really talked about much that I've seen. I've often thought that if I ever got a chance to talk to Agassi the first thing I'd ask him is what was he looking at and when as Sampras was serving. What to look at in order to anticipate where the shot is going, that's huge. And what not to look at too. I drive myself crazy always looking to see if my own shot went in or not. It's not my job to call my own shots! More videos or even a whole course on anticipation and where to look and when would be awesome!

[@EssentialTennis]

Brian Burki I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this! I actually do have a whole series of videos on anticipation, I'll be posting one of them publicly soon. Stay tuned.

[@bazs7669]

Great video, I lose focus too often!

[@KidInTheHallway]

Hey Ian! Where is the link to the blog article? Im interested in reading it! Thanks!

[@andrewmoseley4029]

As a coach myself, I find it very challenging to switch from my “coaching vision” to my “playing vision.”

[@hmlanding]

This the best channel I have found for tennis tips. Thank you for passing on your knowledge.

[@EssentialTennis]

Grant N Thanks for the kind words, Grant.

[@Nurg1982]

Ian, THANK YOU!!! I just wrote on the ask Ian #38 video about this, which is my main issue after 3-4 shots, and here you are presenting the issue and how to practice for improvement. I love it!!

[@johnmiller1317]

Great job! Tension problems are often overlooked by all of us.

[@gabbyluvsboyz13]

If I hit the ball into the net after I have served and my opponent has hit a return serve, am I hitting the ball too early or too late or is just a low ball? And how do I prevent that?

[@Kikikuhio]

1. Practice in low light 2. Practice trying to read the lettering on the ball 3. Look at photos of Federer and imagine yourself focusing like he does.

[@DetectiveConan990v3]

@Moshe Santiago so painfully obvious that this is fake and "vincent" and "moshe" are actually fake accounts working together to make it seem valid

[@Anaben11]

awesome, thanks for making a video on that!!

[@rl1491]

Hi

[@frankjspencejr]

I'd love to hear your opinion of something I have noticed that goes somewhat against the idea that hitting in the middle of the racquet is ideal. I began to notice that many pros, including Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, often contact the ball below center, which causes their racquet to close on contact. I have wondered if this is one component that allows them to generate topspin even when not hitting particularly low to high.

[@Johnstage]

It’s an error of coordination

[@kishivs]

Hi can you do a video to show up how to quickly switch forehand to a backhand (one handed) during the play ? I always take chop over one handed return and I am not sure whether it's because of lack of confidence or lack of technique. Appreciate your feedback.

[@vladan55ca]

Amazingly sharp, and CLEAN shot, Ian!

[@MARC0K0ELN]

Hi Ian, I enjoy your channel and it helps me a lot to improve my game. I think most players rush to follow the ball to see if the opponent reaches it and then have enough time to reposition and react on the opponent's actions. I see your point though and am eager to translate it into my game.

[@EssentialTennis]

Marco Grieco Good to hear!

[@MARC0K0ELN]

What would you recommend on a serve, regarding where to watch after you make contact with the racket? Keep the head and eyes a little longer up or follow the ball instantly?

[@Judd.s.c]

Great video, thanks for making it!

[@Somewhere-in]

Yeah, I've been guilty of not watching the ball properly. As soon as I watch the ball I hit some great shots.

[@michaelsabia4225]

Wow. This was extremely enlightening. Getting an early jump on the ball will greatly increase my speed on the court. Keeping my head and eyes on the ball will require a lot of self discipline.

[@jazzmaster349]

Great video, I have been asking instructors about over several years, what to do with what I call the in between time, in order slow down the game. Though Ian how does this work for doubles when one must be concerned with the net player?

[@Johnstage]

The closer you can track the ball to the point of impact the better you will be able to coordinate your stroke. You can train your extra ocular muscles and neck muscles with specific exercises to help you track better and improve hand-eye coordination.

[@andrewhayanlee7024]

Amazingly clear concept. Thanks¡

[@davidballou8693]

One of the issues I continually face is that I position myself too close to the ball - as if I were about to catch it rather than strike it with my racket. This, of course, leads to ineffective striking of the ball as I compensate racket angles to keep the ball in the court. What do you suggest for drills or otherwise to help me position my body at a distance from the oncoming ball so that it is in my hitting zone?

[@andydavidson5253]

Much thanks! I always thought the point of contact was to be the very center of the racket but several others, including my tennis teacher, have told me that the preferred point of contact was slightly higher than the middle. What is your view?

[@EssentialTennis]

David Anderson Yup, that is correct! Dead center is certainly not a bad result, however.

[@hughmctavish9946]

Ian, You said you would post a link to your blog article on watching the ball. I don't see that link. Could you share that? Thanks.

[@EssentialTennis]

Hugh McTavish Oops, here you go:www.essentialtennis.com/watch-the-ball/

[@LorcanMiller]

what's the relationship or timing sequence between keeping your eye on the ball through the swing, seeing where you want to put the ball, and then delivering the shot to that area? recently I've had it in mind where i'm (and I don't know if it's right) seeing the area i want to hit to right before the ball comes, then watching the hell out of the ball as i make the swing, and trusting that my hand-eye coordination will hit the ball to the area I had been looking at.

[@EssentialTennis]

+Lorcan Miller This video should be helpful, Lorcan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4jCmnupr6dkec0

[@shuodaowang84]

Hi Ian, great tip! here is a related interesting article that focuses more on the mental side of this issue. I believe that's so important too. kentfieldtennis.com/watchtheball.html. I have a follow-up question on watching the ball when serving: how exactly does one keep your eyes on the contact? at contact, should one keep the face up and look straight into the ball/sky, or should one keep the face more forward (facing the net more, but still slightly upward) to aid shoulder rotation and body steadiness, but keep the eyes looking toward maybe 2-o'clock direction to 'peak' at the contact? I think there is a huge difference because when the head is facing more forward at contact, the swing is just so much smoother. I've seen a footage of Fed hitting a serve with eyes closed before, during and after contact of a serve, that might be merely an incident, but it got me thinking a lot. I then look closely on the pro's serve videos, almost noticed that all of them have their head facing forward at contact! I am just curious on how they could still see the ball from that head position. any thoughts?

[@eliastieleniuskruythoff7588]

usefull. Often I tent to look at the opponent...

[@CarlosAndresArias]

Do you recomend a six.one 90 raquect for beginers?

[@JimFawcette]

Ian, Good vid as always. Question: You talk about watching the ball until impact. I've recently run into the concept of soft-focus hard-focus. That is taking your focus off the ball and anticipating where to pick it up later in the trajectory, nearer impact. I wonder if you have any thoughts / comments. I'd actually been doing this ad hoc to cope with bad shadows {I couldn't pick up the ball coming out of the sun into dark shadows, so I tried instead to focus intently on the ball when it entered the shadows} and was told by a tennis authority that it's a real thing afterall . As for the science behind it, I understand that a) It is impossible for the eye to truly track an object going over 60 mph anyway and b) that the eye does not track objects (ala a panning radar antenna) but instead jumps repeatedly from spot to spot repeatedly. best // jim

[@EssentialTennis]

Jim Fawcette Very interesting, thanks for sharing your observations!

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

+Jim Fawcette It is possible to drop focus completely and pick up the ball further along its trajectory because that is precisely what we do in wheelchair tennis. We turn our backs to ongoing play to re-position ourselves or cover an open area of the court. We drop sight of the ball completely and spin our heads around (a la dancer, figure skater, etc.) to pick up the ball again mid-trajectory. Wide receivers do this in football when running a pattern that requires them to turn their backs to the quarterback and then pick up the ball again, mid-flight and often at the last second, before catching it. Granted, a football and a wheelchair tennis ball are usually travelling a little slower than in able-bodied tennis. Re: watching the ball onto the strings. No one ever watches a ball until the point of contact with racquet, bat or glove, because the closer it gets to you, the faster it's moving in terms of angular velocity, eventually WAY too fast for your eyes to track (see next paragraph). This is why you see so many photos of tennis players focusing well behind the ball at point of contact. We all "lose" the ball a few feet before contact due to this limited rate of visual sweep. The point is to keep the ball in focus for as long as possible to give your brain the most accurate information possible about the its position. This is different than normal eye movement. You're right, the eye normally moves along in quick jumps called saccades, but there is a second, less-common motion called smooth tracking that can be improved with training. There is a limit to the speed of the object that can be kept in focus, not so much in terms of mph, but degrees of sweep per second (°/sec). Smooth tracking is very slow, around 70°/sec where as saccades are more like 700°/sec! A spiked volleyball, for example, requires about 500°/sec of angular sweep. There is no perception in between the start and stop points of a saccade, however, it can't be used to track a moving object. Ergo, I believe this re-orienting yourself to the ball mid-flight to be a very "real thing" in tennis as in sports in general.

[@JimFawcette]

All good points James Davis . The change in focus is sometimes called "soft focus, hard focus", I understand. As for not seeing the point of contact, yet there is Fed who almost always is looking intensely right at the ball on his strings .

[@Jason-fr7pt]

can u make a video about anticipation?

[@EssentialTennis]

Here's a whole series on it, Jason: www.essentialtennis.com/psychic-tennis-powers

[@akshayjain8302]

i need to know how to change forehand grip to backhand grip fast

[@takdirhossain6069]

when do we exactly see the player decide where should our ball go ?

[@crazysrbin88]

Hello Ian, I have a problem with concentration, especially on the return of serve... A lot of things are going in my head(songs, food,...) really a lot of diffrent things. What should I think at those moments and how to fix it? Thanks :)

[@tepsi87]

I have the same... Even my eyes get "lazy" awaiting the serve and I get in unnessessary trouble. And im lazy to get off my feet. What helps, is FORCE yourself looking at the server and I think to myself: "In, in, in, in, return it in, return it in, safely in, just return it, return it in, don't back up, push forward(as in leaning into the ball, not rushing to the net), return it, just return it, in!" Just repeatedly... It helps to focus. AND you have to make that little jump when your opponent hits the ball. And if you feel you have too little time, you might take a look at your backswing. A good return doesn't need a long backswing. It's more of a "block and follow through". That saves a lot of time es well.

[@ruthgar8]

1. Too much tightness or tension. 2. Hitting ball off center. How do we get loose and make proper contact in one drill?

[@sudhakottillil6712]

how important is the footwork while playing forehand and how do I do it?

[@sudhakottillil6712]

great explanation as well!

[@danbromberg5909]

Of course, keeping your eye on the ball is key but what is the downside of watching where the ball lands immediately after it is hit?

[@EssentialTennis]

***** watch the second vide and you'll see 😃

[@giuseppeflachi5956]

How do I subscribe on utub

[@cristiecarlisle2560]

I am a pickleball player, but I think this is a helpful video-especially since the majority of shots that I hit are volleys at the net.

[@ernanellybeatricebenolirao4186]

How about if you have poor eyesight?

[@aceserv01]

I find that the less time I have to prepare, the more difficult it is to keep my head down through the stroke.

[@htainlindwa80]

Ian, sup bro?

[@ihavesoul4real]

Literally

[@zandemen]

I just use my eyes. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, though, so I'll check out your video :)

[@zandemen]

Yep, I was doing it wrong. You identified the biggest flaw in my game, looking up to see where to place the ball then mishit.

[@willzsportscards]

I'd add not staying down (or perhaps not even starting low enough) to the sloppy mistakes people make.

[@jeffjeffersons4640]

you teach like joel osteen pal

[@EssentialTennis]

Play your best tennis now! -Ian

[@chisserv]

There's a graph on this website which shows how quickly visual acuity drops off from the centre, which is the point you're making well. I'm looking forward to watching your other video after: I'm aware this is a constant problem with my game! novavision.com/technical-blog-is-5-degrees-of-central-vision-improvement-meaningful/

[@EssentialTennis]

Thanks for watching and sharing, chisserv!

[@thetruthabouttheworld6223]

how can 1 be Eastern if number 3 is Eastern

[@TheGravelBandit]

thetruth abouttheworld 1 is eastern backhand, 3 is eastern forehand

[@lawpilot8526]

10/30/2018All you coaches, and TV commentators say "watch the ball." But, nobody says "keep your mind on the ball." You can watch something, but not see it. If you watch the ball, but have your mind on something else, e.g., your opponent, or perhaps a date with your spouse, you will not see the ball and you will misshit the ball. Otherwise, I agree with the other commentators, you talk too much.

[@MaeoowTube]

In other words "eyes on the ball"

[@bigdig100]

do club level players think a 135" head is going to make them better players? Federer plays with a 95" racquet and does okay

[@stephenrimmer3244]

I have watched kids quit tennis because no one taught them this number 1 rule. If they don't get this, they can not build a confident consistent game. Thanks, I can now prove to my grand daughter I am not nagging her for nothing.. lol

[@mirror2398]

i think I am indeed dumb, i've watched the episode twice yet I still don't get it.

[@casquinhaS2]

Yes

[@unclejamo94553]

There may be some useful information here but the presenter loses the viewer by taking far too much time to get to the key components of the lesson… The introductory remarks need to be simplified and rehearsed- too much talk- and much too fast... Presenter sounds like he had 3 cups of coffee before the videographer rolled tape- he really needs to get to the point with less preamble- the delivery sounds rushed when it should be measured and succinct. Nearly 4 minutes into his presentation, he still has yet to get to any concrete procedure- and then, superfluous digression.

[@scrabbleking1965]

This video could have been condensed to about 30 seconds.... blah blah blah

[@unclejamo94553]

Unfortunately, very true.

[@janankaremus]

Watch the ball.... 1. Open eyes... 2. Concentrate! Easy really.

[@dominict9418]

This video was terrible. It didn't spend one second on how to watch thew ball.