This article was co-authored by Peter Fryer. Peter Fryer is a Tennis Instructor based in Derry, Northern Ireland. He works as both a tennis writer and a coach. He completed his professional tennis teaching qualification shortly after finishing university and has been teaching the sport for over 13 years. Peter began the Love Tennis Blog in 2010, and is a contributing writer for the BBC and a variety of other national media outlets.
There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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Whether you want to improve your reaction time in a competitive sport or react with superhero speed while gaming, working on your reflexes is a great habit to keep up throughout your life. It’s a fun one, too: you can start by just playing brain and video games for mental flexibility, then move on to working your body with ball and agility drills. You can even work with a sports specialist to create a particular training regimen. Get ready to start impressing friends, family and yourself with your cat-like reflexes!
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I improve my reaction speed in tennis?Peter FryerPeter Fryer is a Tennis Instructor based in Derry, Northern Ireland. He works as both a tennis writer and a coach. He completed his professional tennis teaching qualification shortly after finishing university and has been teaching the sport for over 13 years. Peter began the Love Tennis Blog in 2010, and is a contributing writer for the BBC and a variety of other national media outlets.
Sports CoachTennis movement is all about the first few steps and being as explosive as possible to get to the ball. This requires a good ready position. Rest on the balls of your feet, not your heels, for every ball, and get back into the ready position once your shot is complete. This sets you up to make fast movements and change direction very quickly. You can improve your footwork using ladder drills. If you don't have a ladder, you can create one. Use empty bottles or any household item that you can get your hands on. Work on fast movement of the legs, but remember to keep your head up. -
QuestionCan you practice listening to sounds to speed up your reactions?Michele DolanMichele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.
Certified Fitness TrainerListening to sounds may help you improve your reaction speed if you perform some kind of movement or activity when you hear a specific sound. For instance, kick or throw a ball up against a wall and catch it every time you hear a certain sound, or snap your fingers when you hear a car horn, or jump in the air or click your heels when you hear a bird chirp. Listening by itself may improve your concentration and focus, but not your reactions. -
QuestionHow can I enhance my hand/eye coordination?Community AnswerYou can practice ball games, such as tennis. Or, you could get a partner and pass a ball between the two of you, increasing or decreasing speed and experimenting with new angles. If you are currently involved in a sport, ask your coach for any tips as well. Make sure to take care of your body by eating right, working out, and sleeping enough, too.
Tips
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A brief period of exposure to bright light may also help to increase reaction speed. Wear sunglasses so you don’t blind yourself![17]Thanks
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Play some reaction games when you first wake up to help get you alert for the day and exercise your brain while it’s still in a suggestive, pliable state.Thanks
References
- ↑ http://www.futurity.org/video-games-speed-up-reaction-time/
- ↑ https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2015/bridge-for-brain-health.html
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2022/03/how-to-make-great-decisions-quickly
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-428903/How-improve-reaction-times.html#ixzz4aaU7k7Gx
- ↑ https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/what-determines-reaction-time-and-how-to-improve-it
- ↑ https://www.outsideonline.com/1959876/4-easy-drills-improve-hand-eye-coordination
- ↑ https://www.outsideonline.com/1959876/4-easy-drills-improve-hand-eye-coordination
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-428903/How-improve-reaction-times.html#ixzz4aaTW4AzF
- ↑ http://www.active.com/softball/articles/how-to-improve-your-catcher-s-reaction-time-878388
- ↑ Peter Fryer. Tennis Coach. Expert Interview. 5 July 2019.
- ↑ https://www.outsideonline.com/1959876/4-easy-drills-improve-hand-eye-coordination
- ↑ Peter Fryer. Tennis Coach. Expert Interview. 5 July 2019.
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-428903/How-improve-reaction-times.html#ixzz4aaTeTdWu
- ↑ https://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition-and-health/egg-nutrition-information
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-428903/How-improve-reaction-times.html#ixzz4aaU1XC6i
- ↑ http://www.livescience.com/54309-caffeine-improves-reaction-time.html
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/news/mood-lifting-bright-light-improves-reaction-time/
About This Article
To improve physical reaction time, try practicing ball drills, agility drills, and other sport-related drills. Balancing exercises like yoga can also help! If you want to improve your mental reaction time, practice making quick decisions in your everyday life. You can also play cards, computer games, and video games to improve your mental speed. Another quick and easy way to speed up your thinking is to chew gum, which stimulates muscles and sends more blood to your brain. For more tips on improving mental speed, read on!
Reader Success Stories
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"Doing agility tests. At first I didn't know what they meant, but now I see that it works and the eye exercises do to. "..." more