Breaking the Myth: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

     Perhaps, the most often heard comment in a lesson is, “Keep

     your eye on the ball until it hits the strings”. The simple answer

     is, no human has ever seen a ball hit the strings because (1) the

     ball is on the strings approximately four milliseconds, and

     (2) the human eye can’t record a four millisecond event.

 
     A coach may have something else in mind when using this

     overused phrase. If you pretend as though you are watching the

     ball onto the strings, your head will remain still and will not

     hinder your swing pattern. Biomechanical studies have proven

     that the swing pattern lacks consistency when a player’s head

     makes a sudden shift during the striking phase. Thus, even

     though your brain may have sent down a signal for a perfect

     stroke, it may have also sent a message to shift your head,

     which will inevitably break down a well formed stroke pattern.

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