Tennis breakthrough #417

David V’s trick for me of not looking where my backhand goes, instead keeping my head still as I play through the shot, worked wonders. It seems the same laws of physics govern the universe whether I follow the ball with my eyes or just trust the shot. Why, then, has it never occurred to do the same with the forehand? I look up, which means I lift my head, which means I raise my neck, which means I bring my shoulders back, which means I bring my hips back in, which means the shot goes sailing off into the next postcode. Trusting the ball means being in the right place and making the right shot. If I’m not far enough back I can’t get down to the ball, so I have no stroke, so I have no topspin. I’m always worried that if I get too far back I’ll get detached from the ball. I predict where the ball will bounce, when I should be concerned with where the ball will be when it’s time to hit it. Get back enough, get down, get round, head over the ball. Pop.

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