Learning Tennis For Kids: Does Timing Really Matter?

Learning Tennis For Kids : Does Timing Really Matter ?

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We guess, your kids have just discovered this wonderful sport or probably you were always interested in tennis and that’s why you booked  Kids Tennis Lessons Singapore for your youngsters.Have you ever wondered why they’re not getting good enough even after months of regular practice ? Why haven’t they improved as much as you expected ?

It may be their lack of interest, maybe it’s not the right game for them, or most importantly it might be possible that your kids aren’t paying much attention to one of the foundation pillars for being a tennis pro – i.e. TIMING.

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Really? Does it make or break your game? Most people think tennis is just two players hitting a ball randomly to send it off to the opposite court anyway!

While there’s a sea of information on widely popular topics like split step, vertical jumps and improving player’s muscle power (even on choosing racquets) there’s hardly any reliable resource on less researched aspects such as timing, which is ironically the one of the most difficult things.

No worries, as today we at TM Tennis academy, are going to find out how important Timing is!

  1. RIGHT TIME, RIGHT POWER, RIGHT SHOT :

Most average players only target to hit the ball with maximum power with a random swing straight away. While doing so can sometimes outrun the opponent and earn you a few points but it’s pure luck. If you don’t know exactly WHEN to hit the ball, you’re not gonna go far. And honestly, once you learn 2 majors – Timing and rhythm, the rest of the tennis is pretty much about lots of practice and nothing more.

It’s also important to choose the right shot according to the ball position and your movements as well. Backhand may be your strong suit, but you can’t always try that everywhere.

At TM Tennis Academy you don’t aspire to be average, so timing and rhythm matters, without question.

  1. IT’S MENTAL MATHS :

It all starts with your opponent hitting the ball. Players should start calculating the possible momentum and position of the ball in his/her own court beforehand to get a proper shot at apt time. Faster swings make more power and it’s difficult for your opponent to hit back a heavy rally ball. 

Inconsistent shots and technical errors are often very common even in long time players. Missing the timing leads to extra effort for hitting the ball. That needs tight muscle contraction and tension, only unnecessary wasting your energy and leading to a bad shot.

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  1. WHAT IS THIS TIMING?

You’ll often hear your coach say, “Duh! Your timing was off”. But what does this truly mean?

Sports science researchers, Bootsma and van Wieringen et al. (1990,) defined timing in tennis as “the time between the first forward motion of the racquet and the moment of ball contact”. Simply, it’s like a relative motion and momentum between that approaching ball and running you, right when you take the shot.

A fairly known line in the tennis circuit is that, PROs sacrifice technique for timing, and Averages get stuck in fancy techniques while totally missing out on the game on timing.

This perfectly sums up its importance in being a good tennis player, especially in the early days of your kid’s sports adventure.

How to make it better ?

Like every other sport, tennis also can’t be learnt by reading. For kids, learning the basics of timing and rhythm right from the beginning will help them with a solid foundation that will only enhance their future progress.

Lots of practice and focusing on the game itself will make the learning easier. Even most of the adult players face hard times with their timing, rhythm and footwork and that’s why we suggest getting personal training by any Kids tennis coach Singapore, for individualised practice and quick improvement. 

FEW TIPS ON IMPROVING TIMING FOR KIDS 

  1. Forget techniques that only hold back your true potential. Learning fancy shots or a special serve can be done with a few weeks practice.
  1. Play far behind the baseline. That gives you enough time and space to judge, move and hit the ball perfectly. Good for kids while learning.
  1. Stop playing random matches for points. Rather, emphasise on practice games and intense drills. 
  1. Align yourself with ball flight and blindly follow its trajectory. After all, you want a nice collision between the ball and your racquet.
  1. Build muscle memory. We don’t need to describe how vital it is for any striking game! 

That’s why drills are important. Like, play 1000 balls of a certain position a day and let the cerebellum process and retain in its complex sensory neural networks. It’ll create a nice harmony between the brain and the muscles, creating an acquired reflex.

  1. Study other player’s body and racquet movements, try to visualise how they’re planning each shot. Watch analytical reviews. Yes, visual learning matters too.

SO THAT’S IT… 

We hope you realise how vital learning timing is, for your kids. We, at TM Tennis Academy Singapore, provide best Kids tennis lessons Singapore, suitable for the individual needs of your ward. You shouldn’t look any further. Think no more, good coaching is above all when learning a game.  Have a quick look on our website for more details. Customisable schedules available. See you in circuit, happy learning !

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