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Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1

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  • arturohernandez
    replied
    Originally posted by klacr View Post
    Hi Arturo!
    Great question. Thanks for asking.

    The Monica Seles mindset is accurate, but there are very few players like Monica. Everyone learns slightly differently on a granular level but a good teacher can herd them up, find a common bond and connect those different points to the process and make it seem as though everyone is learning or being taught the same way. Science will say in a deep and condescending tone that specific data suggests that most people are a certain style of learners and group them together, and for the most part that is true, but on a deeper level, coach connecting to player, teacher connecting to student, there is an adaptation and mental dexterity that happens in which the practice becomes beneficial because of the proper practice at the proper time in development.

    Kyle LaCroix USPTA
    Boca Raton
    Great point!

    Science is not the problem. It is thinking that science and humanity are at opposite ends. The epitome of this approach is the current data science movement. Data is great but we are ultimately human and reducing everything down to numbers misses something.

    And some problems cannot be easily reduced to data. Your point about the magic of practice and putting people together is very valid.

    This summer my daughter has been practicing with a bunch of very good players at a local academy. They do a few drills but nothing major. Yet, she seems to get better by just hitting with very good players. Her high school practice is similar. She is just out playing with a bunch of older good players.

    I could work one on one with her on particular strokes. She and I could hit all the time. I could have her working with one coach exclusively with private lessons.

    But this would miss the greater social aspect.

    Somehow the presence of the coaches and other players have an effect on her. One that I could not really capture with numbers.

    And I think the latest data science ideas are only part of the solution. If you read a really data driven person like O' Shaugnessy you can see that in some cases he cannot trace the loss or win to any particular point or strategy. I think there was a match between Nishikori and Wawrinka a few years ago at the US Open where he simply noted that it came down to a couple of points that could have gone either way. It was even all the way down to those few points.

    Medicine is finally catching up and realizing that you cannot just eat a Mediterranean diet and live longer.

    It's having really good friends, a job that makes you want to work every morning, physical activity, and a good diet.

    A great tennis pro goes a long way.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Leave a comment:


  • klacr
    replied
    Hi Arturo!
    Great question. Thanks for asking.
    In my experience, I have seen the benefits of both. I think in order to truly answer the question I should recommend you reference another exceptional article/video on here about "Mechanics and Magicians" as that will give you some clarity. I have the link here https://www.tennisplayer.net/members..._and_magician/

    I feel that both methods certainly have advantages but it really depends on a couple factors. What I call "The 3 P's"
    1. The Player - What type of mindset/style are they?
    2. The Purpose - Why are they on court? What's their agenda?
    3. The Process - How are we going to make The Player Enjoy The Purpose to maximum effect?

    These practices of massed and distributed are nothing new. But I've seen players improve from one or the other. I've found that the "mechanics" really absorb the massed practice. While the "magicians" get bored and tend to coast through them. The "magicians" enjoy the distributed while the "mechanics" feel like its too much, too fast. Knowing the type of player you work with is critical in implementing the style of practice. It is also important to know what shot or tactic they are working on. Obviously, there is a point in a player's development where they need to hit a boat load of forehands and backhands and serves and volleys and returns but the trick and skill for any good coach is to know how to implement it without the player knowing it or feeling like its a tedious task.

    The Monica Seles mindset is accurate, but there are very few players like Monica. Everyone learns slightly differently on a granular level but a good teacher can herd them up, find a common bond and connect those different points to the process and make it seem as though everyone is learning or being taught the same way. Science will say in a deep and condescending tone that specific data suggests that most people are a certain style of learners and group them together, and for the most part that is true, but on a deeper level, coach connecting to player, teacher connecting to student, there is an adaptation and mental dexterity that happens in which the practice becomes beneficial because of the proper practice at the proper time in development.

    Kyle LaCroix USPTA
    Boca Raton

    Leave a comment:


  • arturohernandez
    replied
    Originally posted by klacr View Post

    Agree Arturo
    This is such a great article for numerous reasons. I hope all coaches and players can read this to better understand the why's and how's of improvement and practice. I'd love to see more articles on topics such as this.
    On a funny note, I had a very nice collection of articles I had bookmarked on this page as my favorites...then I counted and realized that the amount of bookmarks I made were actually a vast majority of all the articles on this site. So this site is just one big required reading bookmark that automatically updates each month.

    Kyle LaCroix USPTA
    Boca Raton
    So I am curious. How do you see the opposing forces of extreme (called massed practice in the literature) practice and spaced (called distributed practice)? Memory research suggests that it is good to space out our practice and mix it in with all sorts of things. Bob Bjork once suggested that Shaq practice his free throws but vary the distance not just at the line. Much like some advocate for practicing the serve from varying distances.

    Memory research would even advocate that we mix our practice all up. Volleys, overheads, groundstrokes, serves. All mixed up across time.

    But that doesn't make sense either. We need to build something up before we mix it.

    So, how much do we mix and space and how much do we focus on just one thing? Does it matter whether it is a child or an adult? Advanced, intermediate or beginner?

    Any thoughts on that Kyle from your vast experience. My experience in tennis practice is just 4, my three kids and me. Not a lot of people.

    Leave a comment:


  • klacr
    replied
    Originally posted by arturohernandez View Post
    I was about to write a strong counterpoint but then realized that the approach of extreme repetition has its place in building up skill. People are notoriously bad at recognizing improvement that occurs at irregular intervals. So massed practice leads to fast improvement but spaced practice is also crucial. Bob Bjork at UCLA has written extensively on spaced practice and the importance of forgetting. I have had extensive discussions with my son who believes in massed practice. I think spaced practice is very valuable based on the literature. I am really curious how people view these two opposing forces. Specialize a lot or spread practice out and hit all kinds of shots even in lessons. Thanks for reminding us skeptics about the importance of working on one thing.
    Agree Arturo
    This is such a great article for numerous reasons. I hope all coaches and players can read this to better understand the why's and how's of improvement and practice. I'd love to see more articles on topics such as this.
    On a funny note, I had a very nice collection of articles I had bookmarked on this page as my favorites...then I counted and realized that the amount of bookmarks I made were actually a vast majority of all the articles on this site. So this site is just one big required reading bookmark that automatically updates each month.

    Kyle LaCroix USPTA
    Boca Raton

    Leave a comment:


  • arturohernandez
    replied
    I was about to write a strong counterpoint but then realized that the approach of extreme repetition has its place in building up skill. People are notoriously bad at recognizing improvement that occurs at irregular intervals. So massed practice leads to fast improvement but spaced practice is also crucial. Bob Bjork at UCLA has written extensively on spaced practice and the importance of forgetting. I have had extensive discussions with my son who believes in massed practice. I think spaced practice is very valuable based on the literature. I am really curious how people view these two opposing forces. Specialize a lot or spread practice out and hit all kinds of shots even in lessons. Thanks for reminding us skeptics about the importance of working on one thing.

    Leave a comment:


  • johnyandell
    started a topic Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1

    Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1

    Let's discuss Archie Dan Smith's first article, "Understanding Muscle Memory: Part 1"

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