How do Tennis Ball Machines
Improve your Game?
Tennis ball machines are not simply an expensive substitute
for a practice partner or coach. Ball machines perform unique functions
that practice partners, coaches, and opponents cannot. Consistent,
correct, repetition of stroke patterns is essential to producing a dependable
stroke. By providing a practice ball that has the same height, depth,
and pace, ball machines allow strokes to be reinforced correctly.
Think of a new skill or stroke as a delicate seedling,
raised in a greenhouse under controlled conditions. Before the seedling
can be planted it is “weathered” by leaving it outside for slowly increasing
amounts of time. After it has been gradually stressed it is ready to
be planted outside for good, and will flourish. Take that same seedling
outside and expose it to abrupt changes and it will die a quick death.
When a Pro teaches a new stroke he or she feeds balls
consistently, often from just across the net. New skills are learned
with this gently fed ball to allow students to concentrate solely on
the stroke. Throwing that new fragile stroke into the chaos of match
play is a surefire way to break it down and/or revert back to your old
habits. Paying your Tennis Pro to feed you balls simply for reinforcement
is a waste of his talents and your money. There needs to be a transition
from the lesson court to the playing court. This is the primary job
of a Tennis Ball Machine.
At this point let’s walk through the process of “weathering”
a new skill for match play with a tennis ball machine. Leave as little
time as possible between the lesson and your first session on the ball
machine. Initially set the machine at low to medium pace and have it
hit to one spot. Concentrate on correct repetition. Avoid the temptation
to hit too hard too soon. Vary your aim points. It is much better
to alternate crosscourt and down the line shots than to repeat the same
stroke and aim point over and over. As the stroke becomes reinforced
through repetition gradually increase the stress level. Stand in the
middle and have the machine hit the ball a step to your right. Leave
a long enough pause between balls to allow you to step, hit, and then
recover. Move the feed farther away with each load of balls. Adjust
your interval setting so that you have just enough time to run hit and
recover without rushing or going too slow. (This is a good example
of an area where a machine is actually better than having a Pro feed
balls to you. As you tire a Pro will tend to extend your recovery time
to keep you from failing. Tennis ball machines are heartless. If you
become tired and slow down you will know it right away!)
More advanced portable machines have a feature called
Dual 2-line oscillation. Dual 2-line oscillation gives you alternating
forehand and backhands with a wide and a narrow setting. Now you can
practice changing wings and grips, pivoting, and recovering in addition
to the stroke pattern. Dual 2-line oscillation provides an important
step in transitioning your stroke. It allows you to move and hit but
still get in a lot of repetitions before you tire.
Most portable machines have random oscillation. Random
oscillation sweeps from sideline to sideline, spraying balls across
the width of the singles lines. The range of the sweep and the speed
of the sweep are preset but the interval setting can be adjusted to
vary the workout. Start slow and gradually speed it up. This is the
last step before taking your new skills into match play.
To summarize:
1.) Repeat the stroke pattern correctly with a controlled
ball until it is reinforced in muscle memory.
2.) Gradually stress the stroke practicing grip change,
pivot and proper footwork..
3.) Use random oscillation to run the full width of
the court further stressing the stroke.
If the stroke breaks down at any of these steps stay there
longer until you are ready to go to the next step. Now it is time to
take the new skills into a match play. If you walked through these
steps thoroughly I guarantee that your stroke will hold up and grow
stronger every day.
My personal experience in more than 15 years of teaching
tennis is that players that use tennis ball machines in
conjunction with lessons progress 3 to 4 times faster than
players that do not. Tennis ball machines are the crucial
link between the lesson court and the playing court. If
you are serious about improving your game you should be
serious about using a tennis ball machine.
