Volume 2, No. 3 - United States Professional Tennis Association

Response Time
Reaction
Time
Movement
+ Time =
Response
Time
H. Grip:
Generally, a player waits with a certain grip and shifts to the
precise grip for the next shot while bouncing into a split step
and moving toward strike-zone set up. These actions in an
advanced player are so fast and spontaneous that they almost
seem to take place simultaneously.
2. Reaction Time
Similar to the outline in Exhibit II (Page 3), the USA Tennis High
Performance Coaching Program manual defines reaction time this
way:
“Reaction time is the interval of time between the onset of a
signal or cue, often called the stimulus (2a), and the initiation
of a response. It is the amount of time it takes the brain to
recognize what to do (brain impulse, 2b) combined with the time
it takes for the muscles to start to move for the shot (muscle
impulse, 2c).”
A longer foreperiod for the returner, which is allowed by a server
who bounces the ball many times and/or has a higher toss, impacts
reaction time differently than a shorter foreperiod allowed by a
server who steps up to the line and serves without bouncing the
ball or who serves a low toss such as Roscoe Tanner or Kevin
Curren.
Reaction time can be trained, however most research suggests
that a faster reaction time of 10 percent would be the most one
could hope to improve. It is suggested that a minimum of 100
practice trials would be necessary to expect any significant
result.
3. Movement Time:
Movement time is the time between the muscle impulse and
completion of a movement, or the time it takes to move to address
an oncoming ball.
Movement time includes:
a. Change to the final grip
b. Time to the strike zone
· For this example, the reaction time was the period of
time from the visual cue or recognition of a drop shot and
the initiation of forward movement toward the ball.
· The movement time was the period of time between the
initiation of forward movement and the completion of the
return shot for a winner.
· The response time was both the reaction time and the
movement time required to complete this exchange.”
Credits and thanks
We owe thanks and credit to several USPTA members who
generously contributed their research and knowledge to this
issue:
· USPTA’s Player Development Advisory Council: Nick
Bollettieri, Jack Groppel, Ph.D., Jim Loehr, Ed.D., Rick
Macci, Paul Roetert, Ph.D. and Eliot Teltscher, David T.
Porter, Ed.D., Tim Heckler, USPTA CEO
· World-Class Tennis Technique, Paul Roetert, Ph.D., and
Jack Groppel, Ph.D., editors
· USA Tennis High Performance Coaching Program
manual
· The Mental Game, Winning at Pressure Tennis, Jim Loehr,
Ed.D.
· David T. Porter, USPTA Education Committee Chairman
and professor at Brigham Young University – Hawaii
· Maximum Tennis, Nick Saviano
· Mike Kernodle, Ph.D., associate professor at Appalachian
State University and member of the USPTA National
Education Committee
· Angus Mugford, Ph.D., mental conditioning coach at
Bollettieri Tennis Academy
· John Yandell and Advanced Tennis Research Program’s
high-speed video of world-class players
Here’s an example of how this concept applies to tennis from
the High Performance Coaching Program manual: “A player is
standing on the baseline after hitting a backhand that travels to the
opponent, landing on the opponent’s service line. As the opponent
moves forward to retrieve the shot, the player notices visually that
the racket face of his opponent is opening up, having the technical
qualities required for a drop shot. The player immediately begins
running forward to retrieve the drop shot, reaches the ball just
before its second bounce, and hits a winner down the line deep
into the opponent’s backcourt.
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