Are you "Forrest Gumping" It?

You're probably wondering what I mean by this provocative title. I'll explain:

In a pivotal part of the movie Forrest Gump, child Forrest is being chased by bullies. Confined to a stiff body-braces, he struggles to outrun them, until the braces unexpectedly break away. Free of their limitations, Forrest discovers he can actually run exceptionally fast, and easily escapes his tormentors.

When I see tennis players who overly rely on tension, it reminds me of this scene. They often struggle to swing with the pace they'd like, but do not realize it's not for a lack of muscles, but an excess of muscle tension, that keeps them from accelerating to their fullest potential. 

If you struggle with acceleration, here is something you might try: STOP trying.

With your racket in your hand, loosen your grip, then simply whip the racket through the air in a very casual way. Are you swinging faster than you normally would when you play? If so, you've probably been "Forrest Gumping" it. 

In that case, it's time to let the braces go. It begins with a loose grip, and gets established with effortless and easy shadow strokes. Once you are able to feel a looser stroke production, it's time to try hitting your strokes again, but with a deliberately loose and relaxed approach.

For some of you, this advice may be all you need to transform your game.  But for the vast majority, I'd encourage you to go to some of the Gravity Tennis social media pages and explore our free instruction videos. You're also welcome to go to gravitytennis.com and download our 8 point relaxation checklist if you haven't already. It's completely free.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments.

Stay loose, everyone.

Scott aka "The Zen Coach"