RAVI'S COURT…by Ravi Gill, USPTA Professional

"Necessary Skills for Tennis"

Developing a variety of basic skills is necessary to perform at the top level for any sport... and tennis is no different. These basic skills are very important for any athlete to compete, no matter what the sport is... Tennis, Golf, Baseball or Basketball.

• AGILITY is the ability to move freely and alertly with mental quickness.
• ANTICIPATION is the ability to foresee and do ahead of time.
• BALANCE is the ability to attain, regain and keep equilibrium.
• BILATERAL MOVEMENT is the ability to use both sides of the body (arms & legs) with equal efficiency.
• DEPTH PERCEPTION is the ability to judge distance of the moving ball and move accurately in relation to it.
• FIRST STEP QUICKNESS is the ability to move to the ball quickly and accurately.
• FOCUS is the ability to maintain concentration and attention.
• FOCUS CHANGE is the ability to look from near to far and vica-versa without the momentary blurr.
• HAND-EYE/EYE FOOT COORDINATION is the ability to coordinate body movement based on what eyes have seen.
• PERIPHERAL AWARENESS is the ability to see and interpret what is happening in your side vision while still aware of what is happening in front of you.
• TRACKING is the ability to follow a moving ball smoothly and accurately with both eyes... quickly noticing speed, height, spin, angle and direction of the moving ball.

Happy New Year!