We have all been told the importance of keeping our eyes on the ball. Last fall, I worked out with a pro who helped me improve my focusing skills. He made me keep my head down and my eyes on the ball throughout my swing. He said that I should be able to see the blur of the ball on contact and by the time I raised my head the ball should be on the other side of the net.  This was difficult for me to achieve consistently. I guess we all want to see if our shot is going to be good. In match play, I began to realize that I tend to look up quicker if I am making a shot under pressure.  This often resulted in a miss hit or an inaccurate shot.  Keeping my head down and eyes focused on the ball has helped me improve my consistency, especially when hitting a ball under pressure or when attempting to hit a winner. Try to improve your focusing skills and you will notice a lot of improvement in your consistency.

Another area that one can improve his/her focusing skills is when returning a serve. Try to watch the server toss the ball. This will help you focus on the ball from its point of origin and may also help you determine the type of serve that will be hit. I know that this may seem basic but many players never actually see the ball toss. They are so pent up with returning the ball that their eyes wander away from the actual ball toss.

George Haley