An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
Arthur Ashe started training under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Johnson in Lynchburg, Virginia at the age of 10. Before Ashe and all the other players in Dr. Johnson’s program were allowed on the tennis court, they had to first demonstrate mastery of a device known as “The Tom Stow Stroke Developer.” Levels of the Game by John McPhee provides a detailed description.
In a way, the ITF approved Player Analysis Technology list tells a story about the evolution of technology in tennis. Each report is a tiny time capsule of the current innovative thinking. The two oldest reports that appear on the ITF approved device list are Hawk Eye and something known as a KITRIS KIT.
The ITF publishes a list of approved “Player Analysis Technology” devices on their official web site. Information on each device in that list includes the official report of the evaluation. Sadly, the ITF does not publish the reports for disapproved devices. However, examination of the reports from the devices that were approved reveals the factors that are generally considered.
Since I tangentially mentioned the Wilson Triniti tennis ball over the weekend, now seems like the perfect time to discuss this new innovative ball. As I started in on my coverage for today, I stumbled across a great mystery. What is the approval status of the ball?
There is an odd psychology in hitting the overhead. The majority of recreational players seem to regard what should be an easy “put away” with a mixture of apprehension and fear. The simple fact of the matter is that it is embarrassing to miss an overhead. For the same reason, some players are reluctant to practice the shot.
Tennis can leave long lasting scars on the psyche. It can also cause physical scars. My hands bear the evidence of that fact from failed attempts to open tennis ball cans through the ages. It is a reflection of my inability to open a can of tennis balls without nicking a finger. Somewhere along the way I learned to use my non-dominant hand when opening the can. Thus, if I sliced a finger, the racquet hand remained unscathed.
Video is an essential tool in tennis development. The first time I ever saw video of myself playing tennis was at Newk’s Tennis Ranch when I was a young junior. The video camera was the size of an airline carry-on bag and was mounted on a heavy tripod. The playback equipment was also the size of a small suitcase. The image played on the TV was jittery and grainy.
Last week, the Fiend at Court household shared a video of an excellent drill for developing touch volleys. Today we are sharing another drill that is good for that purpose that was made during the same practice session.
At some point in the near future I will most likely rebrand the Fiend at Court Tuesday content theme to “Tennis Technology & Training.” In the meantime, I am going to lean forward a little bit and talk about a training topic this week.
“Fireball.” That was my absolutely favorite comment I received via Facebook after posting “The 2020 Ultimate Stocking Stuffer List for Tennis Players” last Friday. For inexplicable reasons, that comment reminded me of this clip of Vasek Popisil chugging a brown liquid from a bottle during a change over earlier this year. In that case, the substance being consumed was not his “on-court liquor of choice” — which I recently learned is a widespread phenomenon — but rather Maple Syrup.