Pickleball Magazine 2-1 Courtesy of Pickleball Central | Page 57

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HOW WELL CAN YOU

WATCH THE BALL ?

BY JOE DINOFFER

Cup of

Joe

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES ?
atch the ball hit the racquet ( or paddle )!” We ’ ve all

“ Wheard it , and on the surface it makes sense . However , the irony of this instruction is that it is impossible .

Don ’ t get me wrong . There is definitely merit to the instruction , “ Watch the ball .” After all , tennis AND pickleball are complex and fast-paced sports . In a fraction of a second , players need to judge , prepare , and position for each incoming ball . Of course you need to watch the ball ! But , can you really see the ball hit the paddle ?
The answer is “ No .” Test it for yourself . Just bounce the ball off the paddle up in the air repeatedly . Even at this unrealistically slow ball speed , the event of ball contact happens too quickly . How fast ? About 3-4 milliseconds . But , even though you can ’ t see the ball hit the paddle , the process of trying to see that point of contact can help many players . That effort may trigger several favorable things such as better breathing , concentration , and even more relaxed and full swings .
In tennis , much of the momentum of this instruction comes from tennis great Roger Federer since he is often cited as the perfect “ ball watcher ” and his success alongside his technique is legendary . Federer has a habit of turning his head and appears to rivet his eyes on the strings at the point of contact . Although pickleball and tennis are very different , the fact that a large percentage of pickleball players have played tennis makes this comparison a relevant consideration . •
As
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Author of the Amazon # 1 Bestseller
3-Time Featured Coach
Prem Carnot THE PICKLEBALL GURU
Learn the 5 Rules of Playing Smart Pickleball at : www . SmartPickleball . com

When the game gets hot , keep a cool head

Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written seven tennis books and 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company www . OncourtOffcourt . com manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis . He brings that experience and passion to pickleball in this regular column of Pickleball Magazine .
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 | MAGAZINE 55