That shot could be even better if you watched the ball…

It still amazes me how many players don’t watch the ball. I’m now occasionally prone to losing the ball from time to time when I’ve been coaching for hours as my mind starts to wander, but there’s no excuse for not watching when playing – especially when waiting to receive your opponent’s serve.

Returning Serve 

A lot of people don’t watch the ball when their opponent is serving, which still strikes me as amazing. Firstly, I’m amazed that they don’t think to watch the ball and I’m often amazed that they are often able to return it – often on the volley. Think how good they could be at volleying if they only watched the ball! They’d be able to take it so much earlier and take even more time away from their opponent, which would make their volley twice as dangerous.

Not watching the serve might not lose you the rally immediately but it will leave you in a weaker position that you could’ve been in. If you’re doing well anyway, just imagine how much better it could still be simply by watching the ball.

When you watch the wall, you miss the first half of the ball’s travel and therefore miss out on valuable cues and information about the serve’s direction. This can affect your movement and positioning in particular, as if you watch the ball your feet will start readying you to hit the ball. If you don’t watch it, your feet will typically either not move or drift over in auto-pilot and leave you too close to the ball. Both of these will reduce the quality of your shot and this could prevent you from getting into the rally properly, as your opponent may be able to attack this weaker return and put you under pressure. The way you watch the ball is important too, as depending on your eyes you may need to turn your head so that you get both eyeballs on the ball.

This is not something limited to beginners either. I’ve seen lots of players do it at Division 1 and even Premier Level County Leagues before. Check you are watching the ball as your opponent serves it. All the way from their hand to the racket to the wall. Every step of the way. If you see your friend doing it, tell them to watch the serve too – but only after you’ve taken full advantage of it and beaten them.