BALANCE: SECOND KEY ELEMENT
The natural ready position involves simply balancing the racket across the body. This position changes every day because the our muscles and tendons change under use.
When preparing to hit the ball, it’s important to move the racket before moving the foot, especially when returning big serves, as there may not be enough time to step into the ball.
In addition to racket position, the relative height of the ball in relation to the body is also important. Players generally prefer the ball to be at waist height and moving forward towards the bounce of the ball. I call this your ‘Happy Position’. Good balance is essential to ensuring full body weight transference into the shot; this is referred as hitting a ‘heavy ball’.
For serving, balance is the key element. It’s important to keep the weight on the back foot while tossing the ball and then shifting the weight up and into ball to generate maximum power. By maintaining good balance and transferring weight effectively, players can improve their game and achieve better results on the court.
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