instructional column
Does the Follow-Through Direct the Ball?
of Joe
In “Cup of Joe,” we want to evaluate accepted methods of how tennis should be played and coached in the context of the modern game. Some readers may conclude that many of the accepted ways of thinking are now obsolete; other readers may feel their importance is reinforced. Either way, we want to hear from you—about this current topic and on other topics you’d like us to address. Email me at joe@oncourtoffcourt.com and we will try to publish your comments in future columns.
By Joe Dinoffer
USPTA and PTR Master Professional
I
remember those first tennis lessons when I was 6 years old like it was yesterday. As fate would have it, much of the instruction is what I am writing about in these columns. One of the lessons drummed into my elementary-school head was to finish my forehand follow-through in the direction I wanted to hit the ball. I guess it was supposed to work like a steering wheel that would magically direct the path of each forehand hit. Of course, the balls were tossed very slowly, but for a while my coach had me convinced. It was only as I advanced through the junior ranks and started spraying down-the-line passing shot attempts wide that I started questioning that tactic. After all, I was aiming down the line and finishing with my racquet pointing exactly where I wanted the ball to go. But against harder hit incoming balls, the magic steering wheel stopped working so well. If you want to know what controls ball direction, read on.
Q: So, is it true? Can the follow-through direct the ball? A: First let’s back up and identify the parts of the swing and what each accomplishes. The 34
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three parts are backswing, contact and followthrough. The backswing is before contact and is the part of the swing that creates power by allowing swing speed to build. The backswing is also where the shape of the swing that leads up to contact is created, and therefore helps determine the degree and type of spin and trajectory. The contact is the briefest event, usually only 2 to 3 milliseconds, and the racquet angle and path during this event wholly determines direction. What happens during contact also largely determines spin and arc. The follow-through is the part of the swing after the ball leaves the strings.
Q: If that’s true, then what is the purpose of the follow-through anyway? . A: The primary purpose is actually to avoid
injury. Think about it. If you have a 50 mph swing and stop short at contact, the tension required to make this abrupt stop could cause physical harm. It would be like a car stopped short by hitting a brick wall. Normally, when a person hits the brakes on a car, the momentum of the vehicle causes the car to continue some distance before coming to a complete
stop. It would therefore be the abrupt stop of the brick wall that causes the worst whiplashrelated injuries. Of course, when swinging a tennis racquet on all shots except perhaps the volley, there is no abrupt braking whatsoever. And that’s where the analogy “breaks” down.
Q:
On the forehand groundstroke alone, we see players finish in a variety of followthrough positions. Is one better than the other?
A: Not really. Let’s look at the current top 3 male players in the world. First there’s Rafael Nadal finishing over his head in a lasso-style follow-through, although his racquet does travel forward after contact before his relatively untraditional cowboy-like finish. Roger Federer follows through more forward and around, generally finishing below his opposite shoulder. Then there’s Novak Djokovic who follows-through with his forehand more conventionally, finishing over his left shoulder (he’s right-handed).
happen to catch a ball late. This is true with all better players these days and is certainly true with Sharapova, since we see her often finishing over her opposite shoulder when she strikes forehands comfortably in front of her. Nadal is a little different but not consistently. He has such enormous whip-like swing speed that his finish seems to be part recoil, as if he is cracking a whip. To prove this notion, take a look at how Nadal hits relatively short balls when he clearly has time to hit in front. Most players would finish forward in all of those situations. But, Nadal even plays cowboy with that lasso-like style on some of those shorter sitters.
Q: Do any players “mix and match?” In other words, does the same player finish a number of different ways and is that acceptable? A:
Sometimes. It usually depends on the height of the ball at contact and where the player is on the court. Here are two examples: If you have a low forehand and are contacting the ball well inside the baseline, your finish will tend to be upwards. On the other hand, if you are hitting a short high sitter, you might be well above the net and inside the service line. In that situation, your swing will probably be more from high to low hitting a more flat topspin forehand winner. Your finish may end up down around your opposite hip.
Q: What about Nadal’s over and behind the head finish? Maria Sharapova does it as well. Are they just late? A: Yes and no. I would say they both definitely finish up and behind their heads when they
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‘All top players are relaxed enough to let their follow-through finish as a natural extension of their swing.’ However, it is important to note that all top players are relaxed enough to let their followthrough finish as a natural extension of their swing. If your swing is loose and free-flowing, it will all happen automatically. And, when anything is flowing and automatic, all athletes will play their best.
Summary
The follow-through is important, even essential, but it has nothing to do with the direction the ball will travel. The point of contact and direction of the strings, no matter how short an event it really is, determines the direction every shot you hit will go, for every stroke in the game. No doubt about it. Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional in both the PTR and USPTA, a distinction awarded to only a handful in the tennis industry. He has published numerous books and videotapes, and is a frequent speaker at tennis conferences around the world. For more information, visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.
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