Question 129: I'm told my form is strange
Thank you for your previous explanation and advice regarding the movement of becoming stiff. This time, when I'm playing unconsciously, my advisor often gives me advice like "move your feet" or "step in and hit with your weight forward." Because of that, I end up worrying about my form even more, and my movements and everything else become awkward. Is there any way to play tennis unconsciously without worrying about those things? Please give me some advice. By the way, even when I'm playing unconsciously, people around me often tell me that my form is strange. Is it possible that I just don't have a talent for tennis... no, maybe I'm not cut out for sports at all?
Answer
▶ Your "practice swing form" should be fine
Let me ask you, are you told your form is strange even during practice swings?
Most people can swing with a proper form when doing practice swings.
Therefore,for most people, form is not the problem.
If there is an obvious problem at the practice swing stage, practice swings are an excellent way to learn not only the form but alsohow to swing smoothly, so please give it a try.
Repetition is the world's best learning method.
▶ A distorted form is a "symptom," not the "cause"
If you have no problems with practice swings but become awkward or your form gets distorted when you actually try to hit the ball, the cause lies elsewhere rather than in the form itself.
If your form is fine during practice swings but gets distorted when it comes time to hit, thenyou are failing to synchronize with the ball.
In other words, the distortion in your form appears on the surface as a result of swinging too early or too late compared to the incoming ball.
For example, bulimia is a "symptom" that appears on the surface as overeating and vomiting,"symptom"but trying to suppress that impulse increases the invisible, true cause of"stress," making the symptoms even worse—it is the same thing.
▶ Your body is "distorting" your form for you
For example, if your upper body leans backward against an incoming ball, your swing is late.
Or if you lean forward, your swing is too early.
In other words,your body moves by being manipulated by the timing of the hit.
In this case, there is no point in practicing to correct your form, and you cannot do it anyway.
It is the same as not being able to suppress an impulse just because you suppressed bulimia.
Rather, it gets even worse.
If your body didn't lean backward, you would hit with a jammed impact.
If it didn't lean forward, your racket wouldn't reach the ball.
Your body is distorting your form to try and make a good impact, andif you try to force only your form to be correct, you will encounter the error of not hitting the ball (hitting the frame).
▶ Form is both a "result" and a "means"
A distorted form is a"result" that occurs because the timing is offat the same time, it is also a"means" to somehow hit the ball even with off-timingas you can see.
A distorted form is a "means" to hit well.
Thereforedon't you find that the more you try to fix your form, the more mistakes you make?
No matter how much you say
"keeping your back straight" is the correct form, if your timing is late and you don't lean back, the ball will just pop out of the court.
Trying to correct only your form when your timing with the ball is off is not just ineffective; it is
completely "counterproductive".
▶ Demonstrate the "courage to be honest"
Even when the cause lies in an invisible place, we tend to assume that the solution lies in the superficial results or means (form) that are easy to see.
If you are going to listen to the advice of your advisor and those around you (though you don't need to), finish that kind of form-building during practice swings, and when you are actually playing and hitting the ball, do not be conscious of your body movements.
No matter what your advisor says,please be honest.
However, being honest here does not mean being "an obedient child who listens well to what adults say."
Rather, it is the exact opposite;true honesty is being "straight as you are," trying and failing as you want to, even if adults tell you otherwise.
Kei Nishikori in his junior days would "ignore" his coach andplay the way he wanted to.
▶ To keep people from "saying this and that"
Oras I mentioned here, you can just increase your concentration on the ball to keep people from "saying this and that."
For example, standard tennis instruction says "keep your take-back compact," but even if your take-back is unusually large,if you are hitting well, no one will complain.
Aren't there some club members like that?
People say, "For a low volley, bend your knees and lower your hips," but no one says anything to John McEnroe when he dances gracefully.
▶ The "moving too early" problem
Regarding synchronization with the ball, for intermediate to advanced tennis players, the opponent's ball speed increases, so there are many cases where you fall behind the incoming ball.
On the other hand, for beginner to intermediate players, surprisingly, errors from being too early are not uncommon.
They "move before" the ball even comes.
Because they move too early, they have to move back later, which makes their movement look clumsy and frantic.
Meanwhile, advanced tennis players move in sync with the ball, so even though it doesn't look like they are trying hard to move, they gracefully glide to catch up to the ball.
▶ There is no difference at the genetic level between Tokyo University students and middle school graduates
Also, regarding the concern that "maybe I'm not suited for sports?", you don't need to think about that at all.
That is the same as what is stated here, that there is no difference at the genetic level between Tokyo University students and middle school graduates.
The human body is made up of about 37 trillion cells, and within the nucleus of just one of those cells, about 3 billion characters of genetic information are stored.
The cell division that takes place every day is a living process where copies are repeated without a single character being wrong.
The body is exquisite.
Everyone possesses the ability.
It is just a matter of whether you can draw it out or not.
▶ What advanced players have that tennis-clueless people don't, and what tennis-clueless people have that advanced players don't
The only differences between tennis-clueless people who are struggling to improve and advanced tennis players are the following two points.
"A gap in the image of reality" is something struggling players have, but advanced tennis players do not.
Ball "concentration" is something struggling players lack, but advanced tennis players have.
It really is just that.
It might be a misuse of words to say that athletic ability is "unnecessary," but athletic ability is not required for tennis.
It depends on where you draw the line between athletic ability and other types of nerves, but neither imagery nor concentration has much to do with so-called athletic ability.
▶ The "gap in imagery" that you think you don't have, but actually do
First is the "gap in the image of reality."
Many tennis players are convinced that "I don't have anything like that!" but if you cannot play well, you have it.
In particular, if your practice swing form is polished but falls apart during play, the cause is a "gap in the image of reality."
Or, if you can hit well in practice but cannot hit during a match, it is also because your imagery is wavering.
If there is a gap in the image of reality, no matter how much you concentrate on the ball, looking at the spin or the fuzz, you cannot hit the ball with good timing.
As introduced here, the mistake by Roger Federer at the beginning of the video is due to an internal gap in his imagery, while Kei Nishikori's mistake is not that, but an error caused by an external factor, the sun getting in his eyes, as the commentator says. I will share the video again.
▶ The time to "transform" will come
The essence of a "preconception" lies in the fact that you "cannot notice" that you are holding it.
Once this gap is gone, the problem is solved in one go.
You will transform, wondering, "What on earth were those tennis troubles I suffered so much over?"
However, if you are "conscious" of your form, the "gap in the image of reality" will never disappear.
This is because your thoughts are occupied by your form, so no other information can get in.
So, please just be honest.
It's not about being an "obedient child who listens to adults," but rather,if you play "straight and true to your own feelings," things will go well.
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