Excellent observation about Blake and about watching the ball through to the contact point, and then holding the eyes and head still for a few nanoseconds (a la Federer) to ensure a clean strike of the ball. I have not broken a string outside of a 4 sq. in. area in the middle of my racquet in three years (always a main string, too), because I have adopted this technique.
To practice this technique, I use the practice wall. I discipline myself to pull my head away from the contact point and look at the shot ONLY AFTER I have heard the ball strike the wall. Intuitively, we think that we won't have time to react if we wait that long to look at our shot. But you would be surprised!
In addition, I believe that it is actually best to watch the ball and only the ball about 50% of the time. What? you say. Are you crazy?
Actually, not at all. Let's assume that I use the technique described above of keeping my eye on the contact point (not the ball) for a few nanoseconds after I have struck the ball, then I take my eye off of the ball for up to 3 to 5% of the total elapsed tme that te ball is in play. Now, let's assume for the sake of this argument that the time it takes the ball to travel from my opponent's racuet to my racquet is equal to the time it takes the ball to travel from my racquet to my opponent's racquet. Okay, so the time elapsed from the moment my opponent strikes the ball to the moment I strike the ball is 50 percent of the total time the ball is in play. Let me ask: what good does it actually do for me to watch the ball that I have struck fly through the air and land on the other side of the court and to my opponent's racquet? Does it help in any way to determine the flight of the ball? It's effectiveness? It's spin, power or placement? Does it affect my opponent's line call? The answer is obviously "No!"
It would be much wiser to look at my opponent as he is moving to hit the ball that I have just sent into his court. By doing so, I can pick up all kinds of useful information about my opponent and his shot possibilities: his preparation, his readiness to play the shot, his racquet face orientation (which can tell me whether it might be a topspin or slice), etc. For example, I might notice that he is busting his tail just to get to the ball. Might this be a good time to close in on te net, in anticipation of a weak reply or at least a ball that is less than his optimal best? The answer is of course "Yes!"
So, approximately 47 to 48% of the time (50% minus the 3 to 5% that I am maintaining my gaze on the contact point while the ball is between my racquet and my opponent's racquet), I should be focusing on my opponent's movement, his preparation, his racquet preparation.
It makes the old dictum, "Watch the ball!" seem trite and a little bit wrong-headed, doesn't it?
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