The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
Body Typing
Now that we have introduced you to brain typing, let me review how body types affect motor skills and athletic potential.
The two opposing body types are called fine motor skilled dominant and gross motor skilled dominant. Individuals have a genetic predisposition to have a motor skill preference. Motor skills are signals sent from the brain through the nervous system into the different muscle groups.
Fine motor skilled athletes excel from the muscles found from the elbows through the hands and fingers. A common compliment given to a fine motor skilled athlete is, “They’ve got good hands.”
Gross motor skilled athletes prefer the use of the larger muscle groups found in the torso, legs, and feet. Gross motor skilled athletes are known for their superior core balance and elegant body coordination.
Raising athletic royalty requires matching the demands of your child’s sport, style of play and/or position with your child’s preferred brain type and body type design.
Here is an example of motor skill dominance in American football: a wide receiver’s primary job description is to catch the ball. It may prove beneficial if that particular athlete playing that particular position be fine motored skilled dominant (Good hands). However, the field goal kicker in the very same sport, on the very same football team has a very different job description. His primary job is to simply kick the ball. In this athlete’s role, it may prove beneficial that his genetic predisposition be gross motor skills dominant (core and leg drive). While it is essential to develop a well-rounded competitor, it’s important to note that all athletes possess a dominant body type which will naturally excels in the ideal environment position and/or sport.
“Raising a champion requires the development of a well-rounded athlete. For example, if your child is fine motor skilled dominate, plan on spending
more time and energy developing their
gross motor skills or vice versa.”
Knowing your child’s genetic makeup is critical. It helps to avoid the needless frustrations found in athletic development and in life. Being aware of your athlete’s natural strengths and weaknesses will better prepare you to assist your child and their coaches in their sport, style of play and/or position that they would most naturally excel.
The above section is courtesy of my book: Raising Athletic Royalty. If this topic is of interest to you I recommend Googling: Braintypes.com
Jon Niednagel coined the term “Brain Type” and holds the registered trademark. Jon’s brain typing system (The Brain Type Institute) was developed by applying a combination of sciences to estimate athletic ability. Though his work stemmed from the teaching of psychiatrist Carl Jung and the later work of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, his innovative approach may become the most accurate science of human understanding on earth.
