methuselah proposition
tennis
compiled by bob ray | july 7, 2023
EDITED BY: ARIEL
Serve
You may find it strange to see a tennis court on a website for longevity.
But actually studies show that of all activities humans engage in, tennis players live the longest. So I've come to the tennis court to show a beginner tennis player how to get started.
This video is about the service/serve. The serve represents one of the most important parts of the game.
It's a shot you can't hide or run around. Let's start with the grip. It is called the continental grip, If you imagine the racket to be a hatchet, Then grab the racket like you would chop wood.
Imagine that the ball is a globe of the Earth. You are looking at it from Panama on the Equator.
If you brush the ball around Florida, you'll get a slice serve.
If I hit the center around Texas I'll get a flat serve. If I brush up along California I'll get a kick serve.
The slice is used to spin the ball away from your opponent's right or into their body. For players with arm problems, the slice is least stressful. The flat usually has more speed and is used only for the first serve.
The kick serve has a greater margin for error and bounces up higher, usually on your opponent's backhand. There are 3 heights of toss, low medium and high. Which require 3 different rhythms.
The low toss has two beats. Bend everything on the 1st beat, then uncoil on the 2nd beat.
Most players have 3 beats on their serve, Relax the racket on your back foot, then bend everything on the 2nd beat then uncoil on the 3rd beat. This requires a toss slightly higher than your racket reach.
The 4 beat serve starts with relaxing the racket on the back foot, then tossing high on the 2nd beat, then bending everything on the 3rd beat and uncoiling on the 4th beat.
When I say bending everything, I mean elbow, hips, knees and back.
You may find it works better as a progression. Start with toss and catch, then toss and hit(2 beats)
Starting correctly will save years of trying to change bad form. My next video will be about how to raise a champion tennis player. Watch for it.
Raising a Champion Tennis Player
The odds of raising a champion tennis player vary with the level of expectation. Lettering in High School Tennis is easy. Playing on a College Tennis team- takes dedication over time.
Getting a full-ride scholarship to college is one in a thousand. Getting ATP or WTA points requires talent, coaching, money, and commitment.
Making a living playing tennis, means you're in the top 100. Getting rich means you're in the top 20. Being number 1 in the World -1 in a million.
Tennis players that reach the top of the game have several things going for them. Speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, intelligence, height, and opportunity.
Opportunity usually means a parent or relative that knows the game and is willing to spend time feeding balls and guiding the prospect. It helps if there are lots of tournaments and players to practice and compete against. That is why top-level tennis players tend to develop in geographic clusters.
Southern California and Australia have produced many great players.
But after indoor courts became more prevalent, Europe started to produce more great players. Right now, the best place to live to become great is the Mediterranean Coast of Spain and living at a Tennis Academy.
If you decide you want to produce a champion, knowing the odds against that, then start out by marrying a tall athletic mate, preferably one who has played the professional tennis circuit.
When the baby is in the crib, place a mobile over their head that has a shiny object in it, so their eyes learn to track a moving object.
As they learn to walk and have balls on the floor they can kick. At about two you can have them throw balls.
Teach them to throw with both hands. Most great athletes are ambidextrous. Being left-handed has a slight advantage in tennis. At about 3 they can learn to catch. Their first organized sport should be soccer at age 5.
Ping pong should be their 1st racket sport at about 6. Gymnastics should be introduced at about 7. Tennis can be introduced at about 8.
Learning to volley comes first then ground strokes. Competition shouldn't start until fundamentals are established.
After a few tournaments, you will know whether the commitment is worth it. If they enjoy it, keep going, if not find some activity they do enjoy. At about 12 they are ready for a tennis academy.
Hopefully, it is a good one near your home, so it becomes a day camp. If you have a financially strong and generous tennis association they will sponsor a phenom.
Otherwise it could get quite expensive to travel all over the World playing international events. But, hey, you know the odds, right?
copyright 2022 bob ray | edited by ariel