Functional Tennis Variation
First published on 9-09-2009. Bookmark & share
by Randy Lynn Rutledge - a previously certified USPTA Tennis Teaching Professional
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
This article describes functional variations of tennis racket presentation, body positioning, and footwork.
A tennis player must use any necessary body movements to prepare for and execute each stroke, and then recover to a proper place on the tennis court. This must happen to prepare the tennis racquet to accurately manipulate the tennis ball according to the needs of the present moment during a tennis match.
Among the functional tennis stroke progression variables are the movements (backward or forward) of the tennis racquet from a ready stance, the height (low or high) of the tennis racquet at the beginning of the forward part of the stroke, the speed (slow to fast) of the tennis racquet during a stroke, the bevel of the tennis racquet face (open to closed) at the string-to-ball contact point of a stroke, and the path of the tennis racquet (low to high, high to low, and forward or backward) during the follow through of a stroke.
Functional Variables of Tennis Racquet Take-Back
Shape and height of the take-back must set the tennis racquet at proper angles to begin the forward part of whichever style of stroke is best suited to respond to the speed, height, and spin of an approaching tennis ball.
Functional Variation of Footwork
Preparation, transition, execution and recovery are functional footwork variables. Regardless of how a player practices, there will always be new tennis situations which will need functional variations of footwork.
Note
The usual footwork argument is whether an open or a closed stance is better. Both tennis hitting stances serve functional roles in tennis. More often than not, available preparation time will dictate the hitting stance to use.
The usual footwork argument is whether an open or a closed stance is better. Both tennis hitting stances serve functional roles in tennis. More often than not, available preparation time will dictate the hitting stance to use.
A Final Note:
Advanced players have grooved into their muscle memory the progressive parts of basic strokes and hits. The important thing to understand in tennis is that if any variable of a basic stroke changes, then changes to other variables can compensate to cause a consistent outcome.
Advanced players have grooved into their muscle memory the progressive parts of basic strokes and hits. The important thing to understand in tennis is that if any variable of a basic stroke changes, then changes to other variables can compensate to cause a consistent outcome.
Functional Variation is nothing new. I am using my own words to say that it is necessary to adapt the progressions of your tennis strokes to any possible tennis situation.