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R,O,G Series: Kinesthetic learning happens (a.k.a. the Mr. Myagi Method)

We’ve all watched The Karate Kid and had the moment of realization, “wow, Mr. Myagi was really training him the whole time.”  That can happen in tennis too! It is because of the low compression in the balls that make a player use their whole body from their legs to their core, their arms to get the ball over the net. A great activity you can do with any low compression ball is to specifically try to get each shot first passed the service line and then second passed the blue line. You will be amazed as how efficiently you start to swing as you're training your body without realizing it to use your whole body to get the ball to where you want it to go.


Modern racquets and strings are so powerful that when many players take a full swing the yellow ball goes flying out of the court and/or maybe the fenced in area. Thus players start to have slow short choppy strokes to compensate because they just want to get the ball in the court, which is the exact opposite of what we are typically asking you do to.  The technicals of the shots, once learned, make the game feel a bit easier because you're making it a holistic effort, not just one with your arm and shoulder. This is a possible reason for the development of tennis elbow. Players are actively trying to "strong arm" the ball and with slight variations on where your contact point may be based on your level of tracking, your arm and elbow pays the price during this part of the learning phase. You can help your elbow by switching to low compression balls which will give players a little more time to adjust and get everything in proper order before making their swing.


The whole body swing required from low compression balls will help more people get the full body workout that everyone talks about with tennis and help them learn the full correct swing from the start.  

 

If you're interested in this type of experience, Ask the front desk or one of the coaches to try them the next time you're at the club.

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