Perception Linked to The Swing Sequence
Following on from last week’s article about the importance perception plays, we are now looking at the mechanics of the swing sequence. Perception gives you the initial information needed to form the decision of which shot you want to play, the earlier you see the ball, the greater your shot options. Early racket preparation based on your perception to see the ball early is imperative in enabling the player to do the following;
- Ability to attack or defend the ball
- Racket head above the ball to attack
- Racket head underneath the ball to defend
- Good early racket prep above the ball will give players more attacking options
- Ability to hit the ball earlier
- Affect your opponent’s movement
- Utilise space on the court
- Facilitates deception
- Play at tempo
How / Swing Sequence (Volley ) See Video For Demo
- Watch the ball / Opponent
- Start making early decisions, based on the position of the ball, opponent, your court position
- Track the ball
- Take the racket head to the ball
- Creating space / width the swing
- Sync your leading leg to follow your racket, creating a strong base and maximising reach
- Using your perception to judge how much backswing you need, this will be based on reaction time and the pace on the ball
- Using an activated wrist synced with the index finger, try to cut through the ball for extra control and severity
- Lock through with full arm extension on the follow through for added control (this also gives you consistency)
Ball Work Exercise / Volley
- Feed yourself a straight drive and volley the ball back straight off the feed
- Practice volley drives, volley drops and volley kills
- Feed yourself a crosscourt volley (for example from the forehand side feed yourself a crosscourt to practice the backhand volley) and then volley the ball back straight
- Practice both sides
- Start off slow and get the sequence right
- Once you are confident, start putting yourself under more pressure by simply feeding the ball quicker, this will cut down your reaction time and replicate match play
- Most importantly, understand what you are trying to achieve
