Tennis is a game of rhythm. We all know this, but there is little to no information on what that rhythm is, exactly.
Once the ball is struck, it flies freely through the air with only one force acting on it - the force of gravity. As the ball rises, the ball's vertical movement slows until it reaches an apex, or float, before beginning to drop back to the ground.
Gravity acts on more than just the ball. It acts on all objects, and what's more, it does so at a constant rate of acceleration, known in physics as the gravitational constant.
If you coordinate your movement with the bouncing ball, you can time your body and racket to float and drop with the ball to greatly assist your rhythm and timing. This moment of floating with the ball is something I call "The Mutual Float."
Rhythm and timing are not things that you can force into existence, any more than a musical or dancer cannot force their steps to be in time. The key to perfect, effortless timing is to treat the game of tennis like a dance, with the bouncing ball providing the music.
Achieving a mutual float all but guarantees an effortless and automatic acceleration into contact. The key is to stay loose and dynamic throughout.
To learn more about the mutual float and to see it in action, I recommend checking out this video here:
As always, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Take care, and stay loose!
~Scott aka "The Zen Coach"
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