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I just wanted to say that I thought your article on "The Athletic Foundation" was very good and makes a very good point. I have taken lessons, read books, watched a million tennis matches and it is rare that anyone mentions that having a straight back is important. Tennis teachers will talk about everything but keeping your back straight. In addition to what you said in the article, I would emphasize how having a straight back helps you aim the ball. If I rotate my shoulders into the ball and my back is straight then the trajectory of the ball will be more accurate, level and consistent. If I am hunched over then the trajectory will probably end up being too high. If I am leaning back then the trajectory will be too low. In both cases it would be much more difficult to replicate the exact hunched over position everytime then it is to replicate a straight back. Thanks for the article.
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I think you added some great points and you are so right. The teaching trade doesn't pay much attention to posture or the rest of the foundation for that matter and it is a huge oversight in the trade. Back posture does have a very significant impact on the ball trajectory, control and overall power potential.
The A. P. belt is simply an effective method for focusing one's attention on these physical traits and to provide a feedback mechansim for players to understand right from wrong in their technique. Understanding the concepts that the belt addresses is the big take home message that hopefully will turn the light on for more players. In my opinion, nothing is more important to develop for today's game than a strong, disiplined AF.
We should all take on the challenge to become movement specialists and teach our players the same. Great strokes that can't endure the forces of movement result in poor range of court coverage because the strokes break down too easily. Great movement skills will make average strokes so much more effective in competition.
Like Brad Gilbert says, "there are those who have pretty strokes and those who know how to compete".... polished players vs competitive athletes.... the essence of winning ugly. Polished strokes without the athletic qualities don't make a competitor. Above all, Tennis is a movement-based sport so those who move best have the greatest potential to succeed. That is the bottom line. For those who are resistant to work hard on improving their athletic movement skills and aren't motivated to excel in the aspects of movement, they can always pursue Golf, which I often remind my students.
Thanks for the kind response to the article.
PatLast edited by patdougherty; 10-20-2005, 01:31 AM. -
Its baffling how little attention this gets. I have played baseball, football and martial arts competetively and you spend a lot of time and endure a lot of criticism for not having the correct athletic foundation and not moving correctly. Yet it is probably more important in tennis than it is in those sports. I have also taken swing, salsa and tango dance lessons and the intructors always talk about about the correct athletic foundation and posture not just so you look more graceful but you move more efficiently also. So it seems just about everyone knows how important it is except tennis instructors.Comment
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Who's job is it to teach players to be athlete's?
Yes it is baffling to me as well. Athletic foundation qualities get so much more emphasis in other sports and disciplines but not much in Tennis... a sport where these qualities are equally critical to success. Unfortunately, you almost need to experience the other sports or you may never discover the concepts. I guess it is just another reason why tennis players should continue to cross train and play other sports as well. It may be the only way you'll learn the value of athletic foundation and have a chance to develop the movement skills, because more than likely the local pro at the club isn't going to cover that in any lesson you take.
For that matter, even the most famous programs are commonly "outsourcing" the responsibilty of teaching players how to move and be more athletic in their performance. It is considered a job for the "performance specialists"... (who often have little background in tennis).
Nothing against the specialist per se, but the down side is that it typically becomes an off-court experience for the players that gets disassociated mentally and physically from what they do on court. Because their coach/pro rarely if ever talks about the same concepts with the students on court and never reinforces the application of what the kids learn from the specialists, the players don't put much stock in all of it. End result is that not enough carries over successfully to the on-court performance. At the Bollettieri Academy this year, with the help of the AP belts, performance training is as much a part of the full time players on court experience as it is off court.
IMO, athletic foundation and the ability to move, must be equally as important to players as the strokes themselves. It should be taught and emphasized on-court as players learn the strokes. It is a coach's responsibility to be knowledgable enough to teach athletic foundation and movement effectively on court and off. If you not comfortable with it or don't understand how, learn how...see it as part of YOUR job description.
Through my series on this site, I hope to help coaches and players develop a better understanding of these concepts and how to most effectively work them into practice and match play.Last edited by patdougherty; 10-22-2005, 02:13 AM.Comment
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Very good stuff Pat, your posts are always a cut above!Originally posted by patdoughertyComment
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Are there any specials on AP belt for tennisplayer subscribers? I'm looking into buying one this xmas
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Actually in the article after the athletic foundation one it says that there is!Originally posted by shootermcmarc0Are there any specials on AP belt for tennisplayer subscribers? I'm looking into buying one this xmasComment
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Well, I just bit the bullet and bought one...
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