INSTRUCTIONAL COLUMN
Cup of Joe Waking up to the facts and myths of winning tennis.
Is ‘Racquet Back!’ Still Relevant? 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 The one-time joke on tennis pros used to be, “Racquet back, bend your knees, that’ll be 20 dollars please.” At least in the old days, this was more or less the standard of teaching tennis. After all, it worked quite well for Chris Evert in the 1960s and ’70s, didn’t it? The “old school” recommended a swing pattern for groundstrokes that was simple and easy to understand: Use your hitting arm to take your racquet straight back as quickly as possible to the back fence (right) and then follow through by finishing with the racquet tip pointing at the opposite fence. Boy, a lot has changed in the last quarter of a century.
Q: Doesn’t the racquet back position still take place in today’s game, only faster? A: No. For efficient and powerful hitting in today’s game, a very different swing pattern has evolved.
Nowadays, players only take a quick partial turn of the shoulders and hips to allow them to move quickly to the ball. This is commonly called the “unit turn.”
Q: But doesn’t the racquet eventually have to be taken all the way back and pause before swinging at the ball? A: Yes and no. Yes, the racquet takes a full backswing. No, it does not pause in the full backswing
position. From the partial turn and set-up, better players today perform one fluid and explosive motion through contact and continue with an extended follow-through. Note that the racquet does not pause between the initial shoulder turn and partial take back of the racquet all the way through the complete swing follow-through.
Q: But the actual swing path still starts at the back fence and finishes at the front fence, doesn’t it? A: Sorry. No again. The length of the swing of the tip of the racquet is actually three times longer than in “old school” tennis. The modern player now starts with the racquet tip pointing forward, then loops it back, drops it in a somewhat circular path under the ball to create the “brush up” needed for topspin, and finally finishes with the tip pointing at the player’s own back fence, not across the net. (See photo sequence at right.)
Q: Is this where the power comes from on today’s forehands? A: Yes and no. Yes, because increased relaxation and swing length maximizes racquet-head speed. The opposite would be a short swing and tight grip—more or less like driving a car with the emergency brake on. But no, not entirely. There are other contributing forces at work. Angular or rotational forces are
20
TennisLife magazine
MAY 2 0 1 0
generated from the circular motion of the swing, and ground or linear forces are created by bending the knees to load energy and then thrusting smoothly upward with the hit. On top of all that, the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints should be relaxed to create a controlled but whip-like swing that extends forward through the area of contact as well as around in a circle.
Q: But I always thought that power comes from squeezing the grip as tightly as possible? A: Lucky for most players, this is not the case. Surprisingly enough, there are many 8-year-old girls hitting harder than some 250-pound rec-
reational male players! Simply put, relaxation increases fluidity. And the more fluid your swing is, the more potential you have for your racquet head to accelerate and hit powerful shots. This concept holds true for many other sports as well. Relaxed and fluid motions that are also quick are needed to properly throw a baseball or football, as well as swing a golf club.
Q: How relaxed should the grip actually be? A: As relaxed as possible. Just keep two criteria in mind. First, you obviously don’t want to be so loose that you literally throw the racquet over
the net when you hit the ball. And, second, you eventually need to be consistent. Most coaches who look at long-term skill development will say relax first, and with patient repetition, ball control and consistency will follow. The overall idea is that in order to hit as efficiently and effectively as possible, relaxation and fluidity are essential.
1
3
2
4
5
photos courtesy oncourtoffcourt.com
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.
www.tennislife.com
21