Every Tuesday, this site looks at a training or technology concept that shapes how tennis is played. Last week, I wrote about my latest training side quest, using a soccer ball to improve my tennis footwork. Toe taps were the logical place to start. Since then, I have added another basic soccer ball-handling drill to the experiment.
Bell touches involve tapping a soccer ball back and forth between the insides of the feet. The ball starts between the legs, and a light touch with one foot sends it toward the other. That foot redirects it back. The movement continues with the player staying light on the feet and transferring weight from side to side.
As with the toe taps discussed last week, the objective is to keep the ball under control. That remains somewhat aspirational for me. My soccer ball still occasionally escapes, which requires a quick adjustment to retrieve it and get back into rhythm. Considering that my reason for experimenting with these drills is to improve my feet rather than my soccer game, I am not convinced that is entirely a bad thing.
I have started alternating toe taps and bell touches during a conditioning routine I call “Tennis Points.” This is one of the custom timers I have built in Seconds Pro. Each interval consists of 35 seconds of work followed by 25 seconds of recovery. The 35-second work period is based on the average length of a tennis point, while 25 seconds corresponds to the time allowed between points. I use that timing structure for several conditioning exercises because it provides a reasonable approximation of the work and recovery cycle experienced during matches.
Alternating the two soccer drills within that structure has revealed that they place very different demands on the body. Toe taps require repeatedly lifting each foot onto the top of the ball. They elevate my heart rate considerably more than I expected, and currently push it higher than my normal jump-rope intervals.
Bell touches produce a different result. My heart rate during those intervals is much closer to what I see when jumping rope. However, I think they provide more benefit for balance and lateral agility. Each touch requires me to shift my weight sufficiently to free the opposite foot, make controlled contact with the ball, and then reverse the process almost immediately.
That movement has obvious applications to tennis. Court coverage involves large explosive movements, but it also depends on much smaller adjustment steps. Players are required to continuously shift weight between their feet to maintain balance and prepare to move in either direction. Bell touches compress those repeated lateral weight transfers into a very small space.
The ball adds another useful complication. Once I establish a rhythm while jumping rope, the movement becomes highly predictable. My feet essentially repeat the same task until the interval ends. Bell touches require me to account for the dynamic location of the ball on every repetition. A poor touch changes the next movement. Given my current level of ball control, that happens often enough to keep things interesting.
That variability is one reason I have started alternating the two soccer drills rather than replacing my jump-rope work with either one. I am getting different movement demands within the same conditioning session. Toe taps emphasize higher foot movement and place greater demands on my cardiovascular system. Bell touches shift the work laterally and require more balance and ball control. Jumping rope still has a place because it is an efficient way to develop rhythm and quick feet.
I am still early in this soccer-ball experiment, but bell touches have joined toe taps in my regular training rotation. Both have exposed footwork and coordination deficiencies that jumping rope does not, which gives me something specific to improve.
The longer-term objective remains unchanged. I am gradually working my way toward more advanced ball-control skills until I can finally master the hacky sack and eventually maybe even the keepy-uppy skill.
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