Why Some People Can Hit a Ball… and Others Just Can’t (Yet)

Why Some People Can Hit a Ball… and Other Just Can't (Yet)

It’s wild, isn’t it? Some people pick up a racket, bat, or ball for the very first time and boom they just get it. The timing, the contact, the fluidity… it’s like their body already knows what to do. And then there are people who, no matter how hard they try, still swing at a tennis ball like they’re trying to swat a fly with a frying pan.

So what’s the difference?
Why do some people have the ability to hit a ball cleanly while others struggle just to make contact?

It Starts with a Throw

One of the earliest tests I use when coaching is simple:
Can the person throw a ball? Can they skip a rock?

Because that tells you a lot.

Throwing requires:
1 - Creating space
2 - Loading the body
3 - Sequencing motion
4 - Finding the perfect moment to release the object

That’s the foundation of striking sports. If someone can effortlessly throw or skip a rock, there’s a good chance they’ll transition smoothly into swinging a racket or a bat. It’s all the same movement pattern just with a tool in hand.

Add Movement… and Now We’re Talking

In racket sports, hand–eye coordination is only half the story.
The other half? Movement.

Watch any professional athlete... tennis, padel, squash... they move like dancers.
Their balance, their rhythm, their timing… the swing is simply the endpoint of a beautiful chain reaction.

That’s where the magic happens:

Movement + Ball-Striking Ability = Real Skill

And that’s why technique matters. Not because perfect form looks pretty, but because it makes the athlete efficient in motion.

The Great Debate: What Matters Most?

Ask ten coaches this question, you’ll get ten different answers:

• Is it hand-eye coordination?
• Is it footwork and movement?
• Is it willingness to learn?
• Is it killer instinct and competitiveness?

The truth?

It’s all of it.

Great coaching isn’t about choosing one
it’s about balancing all the ingredients to fast-track development.

Great players?
They’re the ones hungry to learn everything.

The Underrated Ingredient: Balance

Here’s the thing I’ve noticed throughout my coaching career:

Most people overlook balance.

Good balance + good coordination + strong determination = gold.

Balance isn’t just standing on one leg.
It’s control of your body in motion accelerating, stopping, rotating, recovering.

How do you hit a ball well while moving?
Balance.

How do you adjust to different speeds, spins, heights?
Balance.

How do you stay efficient late into a match?
Balance.

Where Does Balance Come From?

Balance begins before we can even walk it develops from crawling, standing, falling, figuring out our own center of gravity. It lives in our vestibular system inside the inner ear and shapes how we perceive space and control movement.

Some athletes develop it naturally from play and active childhoods.
Others need to learn and train it later.

But here’s the key:

Balance can be taught. It can be improved.
And improving balance improves ball striking ability period.

Final Thought

There’s no single reason why one person hits a ball effortlessly and another doesn't. But there is a recipe:

Ability + Coordination + Movement + Balance + Desire to Improve

Some are born with the ingredients.
Some learn to mix them over time.

My job as a coach?
To help every player find that perfect balance not only on the court, but in the way they move through the sport they love.