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Juan Martin Del Potro has just signed up for the Apia International in Sydney before the Australian Open 2012. This will be the second straight year that Del Potro competes at the event.

Sydney is a great city and I like the tournament very much, Del Potro said. In Sydney they gave me one of the first wildcards after my injury and I appreciate this very much from then.

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In the third game of the second set, Djokovic re-aggravated the back injury he first had during the US Open.

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Hand-Eye Coordination

We have experienced an evolution in our concepts of coordination. I remember first reading about hand-eye coordination three decades ago. This was the idea that explored the relationship between what we saw and what action we were able to take as a result. So, this concept talked about seeing the ball and being able to take a swing and hitting the ball. It was a very good concept for helping us understand that there was a relationship between what we saw and what actions we could take because of it.

Rhythm and Timing

The latest ideas about coordination are based in the concepts of rhythm and timing. This concept gets us a little deeper into the relationships between our brain circuits and the rest of our body. This concept explores timing circuits in our brain and how they relate to our muscles, our sensory mechanisms, and our perceptions.

It looks at something called “motor sequencing and planning.” Basically, our coordination is about which muscles are fired off, in which sequence, to achieve some action. Coordination happens when those muscles are contracted and relaxed in the proper form at the proper time. I know that this all sounds very complex, and in reality it is incredibly complex. But, we don’t have to know exactly which brain cell or which nerve path, or which muscle gets involved with these actions. All we need to do is swing the racket and hit the ball where we want it to go.

What are Rhythm And Timing?

Timing is about the action happening at the appropriate moment to achieve the outcome. In a tennis serve, if the athlete hits the ball too early, the ball will go beyond the line and if the athlete hits the ball too late the ball will hit the net. Timing is about hitting the ball at the right time.

We often hear broadcasters telling us that an athlete has lost their timing. They (and we) see this when the player starts making double faults and unforced errors. The athlete is not hitting the ball at the precise time needed, so the ball is not going to the appropriate place.

Rhythm is about the flow of events. For the highest level of performance, an athlete needs to recognize and enter the flow of the play (often referred to as the rhythm-of-the-game) and then match it or manage it. Roger Federer is a master at entering into the rhythm of the other player’s game, and then changing the rhythm and ‘confusing’ the other player, which causes the other player to make an unforced error. Broadcasters often refer to Roger “stealing” the other player’s rhythm.

Athletes with the highest capability in rhythm are able to enter any rhythm, can change their rhythm whenever they want, and are not confused when the rhythm changes. The most common problems in rhythm is inability to recognize and match the rhythm of the other player and the inability to maintain themselves steady in their own rhythm.

Scott Hamilton talks about an ice skater entering a jump for 3 revolutions and “popping-out” after only one revolution. I really like that term to describe what I see when an athlete loses their rhythm in the middle of their play. As they lose their rhythm, they stop their own flow of play. Maintaining a steady rhythm and adapting to the existing rhythm are essential for the highest level of play.

What Affects Rhythm And Timing?

Poor rhythm and timing can be improved with proper training. This training involves tens of thousands of reps of very simple exercises maintaining a precise rhythm. It involves testing to track improvement in rhythm and timing.

Good rhythm and timing can be reduced by a variety of things. Injury, surgery, and some illnesses can disrupt the timing relationships between brain circuits and muscles and this requires training to re-establish the proper timing relationships.

Improper diet, environmental toxins, and emotional or physical trauma can temporarily degrade rhythm and timing. These can be avoided with proper precautions or overcome with some mental and physical techniques.

Rhythm And Timing On The Tennis Court

Want to see your favorite tennis player testing and activating their good rhythm and timing? Watch the player prepare to serve the ball. Notice the bouncing they do before the serve? They are verifying their continued good rhythm and timing. If they cannot maintain a good rhythm in that bouncing and catching exercise, they will perform poorly in the next point.

The same goes for receiving a serve. The swaying back and forth is a way of verifying and activating their own good rhythm and timing. Some (like Juan Martin del Potro) even do a little dance to test and re-connect with their good rhythm and timing, when waiting for a serve.

Rhythm and Timing, So What?

From my perspective, Novak Djokovic is doing so well this year because his rhythm and timing are so precise. And, Roger Federer, James Blake, and Andy Roddick are players who could move up dramatically in the standings by improving their rhythm and timing.

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“I am a big proponent of his game,” 14-time Grand Slam champion Sampras said. “He has a murder serve and I like the fact he hits a pretty flat ball. That’s not easy for a guy of his height. I also like his big attitude. He’s not afraid of winning or saying he wants to be right there with Nadal and Djokovic and Federer. And part of his attitude is that he’s willing to take chances. In that way he’s a little like Federer. Federer will go for big shots and he’s willing to miss, but the makes can be incredible. Del Po is the same way.”

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Rafael Nadal played the Wimbledon 2011 final with a hairline fracture in his left foot. Nadal suffered the injury during his round of 16 match with Juan Martin Del Potro, but he decided to keep playing in the Championships after seeing the MRI. Nadal needed to take anesthetic injections to dull the pain and it now seems like he will miss the rest of the summer and maybe even the year with the injury.

This type of injury is very common in professional tennis players and professional athletes in general.

We wish Rafael the best in his recovery and hope to see him back on the court very soon!

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Mens Singles:

There were some very interesting results today. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray easily won through into the fourth, although Murray did twist his ankle mid way through the match but was able to close it out. Gilles Simon continued his impressive run with a strong win over Mardy Fish. I tipped Simon to be a very strong contender this year and he is living up to the hype.

Novak Djokovic continued his winning streak with a four set win over Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro is heading back from injury so expect better results from him later in the year.

The upset of the day belonged to Ivan Ljubicic who defeated Fernando Verdasco (16) 6-3 7-6 6-4.

Womens Singles:

In the womens side of the draw it was a bit boring today. All the top seeds pushed through, except Kaia Kanepi (16) who lost to Ekaterina Marakova in straight sets 6-4 7-5.

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Novak Djokovic who is the favorite going in to the French Open this week, will face former U.S Open champion Juan Martin del Potro when they meet on Friday.

This is only the third round, but it should be good for spectators to see a star-studded match so early in the tournament. The Argentine has won the Estoril Open a couple of weeks ago but had to withdraw from the Madrid Masters due to a hip injury. He only made the decision to play in Paris in the last week before the tournament and so far has defeated Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia. Let’s hope we will see a good match from these two great champions and that we won’t be disappointed in the end by the on-court action.

You can catch the action on the Tennis Channel from 5 AM (EST) to 12 PM, and also on ESPN2 from 12 PM to 6:30 PM (EST). In Europe, the tennis will be shown on Eurosport.

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