By Lenny Schloss, Founder/CEO of Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach
The eyes are often overlooked when developing a tennis swing. Perhaps that’s because we take them for granted, using them every day to scan, track or focus. Tennis requires something more. To consistently hit quality shots these three functions must operate in a precise sequence. Treating each function independently leads to “head shifting” — your eye shifting prematurely from the point of contact. This creates inconsistency and the majority of missed shots.
Point of Contact Training
POC training unifies the three eye functions — scan, track and focus — so that they perform as a team. When this happens, the full potential in the “kinetic chain” is unleashed and your true athletic potential can be reached. It has been proven that eye reflex can be changed and replaced with a more helpful reaction that produces almost immediate results.
A Coach’s Normal Focus
Coaches normally concentrate on larger actions like stroke technique or footwork, allowing players to repeat the same mistakes over and over. This is a dead-end street. By removing all conscious thinking, you produce an improved link between the eye and body.
My Best Advice
Add POC training to your system as a separate emphasis to build a more solid foundation for all training and dramatically reduce mishits. This is how the kinetic change works. There are detailed drills that can help, so take advantage of them and see tennis become more fun and rewarding almost immediately.
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Schloss, a former All-American, Top 10 U.S. pro and award-winning club owner and manager, has trained thousands of players and coaches on point-of-contact concepts and why it’s the fastest way to better tennis. Learn more at theeyecoach.com.
