Tennis Improvement Memo 549. Is copying a fake!? -- Misreading the 'ability to give shape to an image' and the 'blessing' of spatial awareness

Is the 'ability to give shape to an image' that Ichiro spoke of about getting better by tracing a form? Just because you mimic the way Federer or Nadal hit the ball doesn't mean you'll hit more nice shots.The key is 'body spatial awareness'. Positioning your body as you imagine, hitting the ball without looking, and balancing tension and relaxation. In tennis as in life, if you can read the 'map,' you won't get lost.

▶ Copying might be a fake -- even if you reproduce it exactly, you won't hit more nice shots

According to Ichiro,

However, it would be hasty to interpret this as, 'Oh, I see! If I can give shape to the form I imagine, I'll get better!'

In fact, Tennis Zero tells you that 'doing that will make you worse'.

Just because you imagine and give shape to Roger Federer's form doesn't mean you can hit a ball as consistently as Federer.

Just because you perfectly copy Rafael Nadal's form doesn't mean you can hit a powerful spin like Nadal.

Just because you reproduce Ichiro's pendulum batting style exactly doesn't mean you'll get more hits.

In fact, if you are conscious of it, the ball will just vanish (Related article: 'Hitting while 'blindfolded' is difficult because...').

I think Ichiro is talking about 'body spatial awareness'.

▶ Spatial awareness -- Mastering tennis and keyboards without looking

Generally, spatial awareness refers to the ability to imagine where objects are in space without seeing them with your eyes.

This is also important.

No-look shots and the like fall into this category.

Being able to control the ball accurately toward your target without looking at the target is a gift of spatial awareness ability (Related article: The no-look hitting method was extremely effective ).

However, it is not a special ability.

A familiar example is touch typing.

Because we recognize the layout of the keys, we can type accurately without looking at our hands (Related article: 'Touch typing' is also spatial awareness).

▶In tennis, every shot is a 'no-look' shot

You might think that a no-look shot is a 'special way of hitting,' but that is not the case.

In tennis, every single ball is a 'no-look' shot.

This is because when you hit, if you don't watch the ball instead of the target, you won't be able to time your swing correctly (related article: 'Big Discovery! There was only 'one' reason for making mistakes in tennis!').

Making the no-look shot 'second nature' is the key to improving at tennis.

You tend to get curious about the result and flick your eyes toward where you are hitting instead of the ball (related article: 'The 'eye-flicking' problem with the ball').

▶'Body spatial awareness'—The power to feel your invisible self

Now, to the main topic.

On the other hand, 'body spatial awareness' is a term I coined, meaning the ability to accurately control your own body without looking at it with your eyes.

It is premature to think, 'Since it's my own body, it's obvious I can control it accurately!'

It's not as simple as saying, 'I can't control it as I want because my body is stiff' (laughs).

It is the topic I introduced regarding whether or not you can raise both arms horizontally.

Try closing your eyes and raising both arms horizontally.

But when you actually try it, they are unexpectedly too high or too low.

Even Tamori-san was off.

In tennis, for example, you might intend (imagine) to hit a high volley or smash with your arms (racket face) raised vertically, but in reality, because they are tilted forward or backward, you end up hitting the net or hitting it long (related article: 'Spatial awareness is refined through shadowing').

▶Ichiro's 'power of imagery' is a map of the body

Isn't Ichiro's 'ability to manifest what you imagine' actually this 'body spatial awareness'?

This might be related to the Alexander Technique I covered here.

It does not mean that you will get better at sports just by imitating a form exactly.

Ichiro's 'ability to manifest what you imagine' does not mean being able to perform the form you imagined.

That's why 'words are difficult'! (related article: 'Do 'words' really convey meaning?')

▶Feelings are something you cultivate yourself—Nicchiro is funny, though (lol)

Spatial cognition—it's not a special ability, but it won't get as strong as you'd like if you don't train it.

It's like mental arithmetic.

There's no mistake if you look with your eyes and count on your fingers, but it's an image that you can do in your head without looking image.

For that, study (practice) is necessary.

As an example of something that can be trained in daily life, I've introduced before the 'no-look remote control' where you imagine it's 'around there' and reach for it (related article 'The fun 'no-look life' of enjoying spatial cognition in daily life').

Therefore, sports are about 'intuition (feeling)' (related article 'Let's go with the 'Flower's Kan-puter Strategy' for sports improvement! ').

It is by no means important to be able to reproduce the form of a swing.

Nicchiro looks like him, but he can't throw a laser beam (lol).

https://www.kisara.jp/talent-2/nicchiro/

▶Tennis is not an 'hourly wage' job—there's no pay cut even if you take it slow

Another topic.

As Ichiro says, this is probably important in sports with 'time limits'.

Basketball, rugby, soccer, etc. Tennis might 'not fully apply' (*Note 1).

If a match isn't decided, tennis is a sport that you can continue forever, even if it's suspended due to sunset (related article 'Not dividing by time is the foundation of tennis rules').

Of course, as Ichiro says, it would be too late if it ended by the time you woke up, but in tennis, it's okay to be a slow starter.

People say 'shift gears,' but in other words, you were lowering them until then (related article 'Those who can step on the brake can reach top gear').

*Note 1: Although baseball doesn't have a time limit, it does have constraints like called games and pitch clocks, if you want to call them that.

▶Whether you win or lose a set, 'reset'—life is the same

Thinking 'it's all over' when you are trailing by a large margin is just a baseless assumption.

As long as you haven't lost the final match point,a dramatic comeback victory is possible (related article: 'Height' vs. 'Length', which one wins in tennis in the end?).

As Henin says below, just because you won the first set is no 'guarantee' that you will win the second.

Whether you win or lose a set, 'reset' in the next game.

You can always start over and make a comeback.

Moreover, love-forty is not a 'loss'.

I think this is the charm of tennis that applies to life.

That is where the excitement begins! (related article: '0-30? Isn't that perfect' -- The art of losing to gain).

▶ 'Tension' is not the enemy -- The zone lies between tension and relaxation

Isn't the 'tension' mentioned here what enhances the 'ability to prepare the body in a short time' that Ichiro talks about (related article: Tension is a sign that you are 'ready to go')?

If you are drowsy, you won't be able to prepare a taut body that can move quickly and powerfully.

Becoming a body that can move in a flash. Is it like a firefighter who can immediately head out from where they were sleeping?

People say 'I'm nervous' or 'I don't want to be nervous,' but that is actually a positive sign.

What is important is the balance with relaxation.

The Middle Way as spoken of in Buddhism.

The 'zone' exists in that high balance of the seesaw game woven by tension and relaxation (related article: The 'seesaw game' of tension and relaxation). Up to this point, I have interpreted Ichiro's words from a 'tennis perspective.' However, what is important here is not 'whether Ichiro is right or wrong' but—



how you read it.

▶ Bonus: Likes and dislikes are not about taste -- Judging with 'reading comprehension'

Generally, because it's someone you like, you support them even if they are wrong.

Or perhaps, because it's someone you dislike, you won't agree with them even if they are right.

It tends to be like that.

As the saying goes, 'If you hate the priest, you hate his robes too!'...

But in reality, that's not the case, and you can acknowledge the 'good points' even in someone you dislike, and you can also put a question mark on things even if they come from someone you like.

That is also part of 'reading comprehension'.

There are some people who won't eat food prepared by someone they dislike, but if it's delicious, I'll gobble it right up (smile).

It's just that you dislike the person; the food itself is innocent (related article: Hate the sin, not the sinner—the 'most important point' for understanding self-affirmation).

You are allowed to point out 'differences' even with people you like.

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