Power Tennis: A Question of Strength or Relaxation?

INSTRUCTIONAL COLUMN

Cup of Joe

Waking up to the facts and myths of winning tennis.

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.

‘Power Tennis: A Question of Strength or Relaxation?’

©FRED mullane

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TennisLife magazine

DECEMBER 2 0 1 0

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ave you ever seen a 10-year-old girl hitting harder than a 250-pound linebacker? If you haven’t, you’re missing something.

It’s quite a sight! Just go to a national 12-and-under tournament where you’ll be able to witness a bunch of little girls hitting groundstrokes harder than many weight-lifting gym rats. Why? Swinging a racquet with a relaxed grip and loose arm, and a freely rotating upper body, is a prerequisite to hitting with power. The opposite is the tight-fisted and tense hitter whose muscles slow down the racquet instead of letting it speed up to strike the ball. In fact, tight muscles can slow down a swing so much they can make a yawn look fast.

Q: What creates a fast and powerful ball?

A: Fast racquet speeds are created by a relaxed and fluid swing,

not by flexed and tight muscles gripping the racquet as hard as possible. Just about all coaches will agree on that answer.

Here’s more: According to a video study of Pete Sampras’ first serve recently published on tennisplayer.net by John Yandell, a racquet-head speed of 90 miles per hour creates a ball speed off the racquet of 120 miles per hour.

The study concluded that the ratio of racquet speed to ball speed is about 1 to 1.35 at pro levels. Studies have not been conducted that we can find on slower racquet speeds, but for the time being, let’s conclude that the ball speed is slightly faster than the racquet speed. What does this mean? Faster racquet speeds produce faster shots.

Q: What part of the swing creates fast racquet speeds?

A: This is where the debate begins. There are numer-

ous opinions on which are the most important parts of the swing to create the most racquet speed. While most will correctly say it is a sequence of movements, there are some portions of the swing that clearly seem to contribute more than others. My opinion is that if you had to select just one joint to emphasize, it would be the wrist. But, be sure to read more below about this comment so it is not taken out of context.

Q: Is the length of the swing an important consideration?

snap; however, most of them talk about snapping “down” with the wrist. In reality, racquet speed at contact comes from snapping “up” rather than down. The downward flex after contact is the natural result of the initial upward snap leading up to contact.

2) Topspin forehand: On the forehand groundstroke, instructions about how to use the wrist are few and far between. One of the reasons is that slow-motion video analysis, although now available, is still not that commonplace. There are a handful of subscription-based websites that offer views of slow-motion footage of the world’s best male and female professionals. In every single topspin forehand clip, the racquet is set up with a shoulder turn and the racquet head is above the wrist after that initial turn. Then, with one whiplike motion, the wrist drops and the racquet head lags behind the wrist before the racquet head is flung or thrown forward to strike the ball. Racquet-head speed is built up quickly during this whip-like and drop-and-fling action. When coaches tell players to “get the tip of the racquet through the ball,” this is what they are referring to.

SUMMARY

The most important thing here is that a relaxed and whip-like motion that includes proper use of the wrist creates powerful shots. This is diametrically opposed to the old-school approach that has taught a firm wrist on all strokes for decades.

If you want to get a feel for a more relaxed grip and wrist, try hitting a few shots with one or two fingers hanging off the bottom of the handle.

You may lose some control for a few shots, but you should feel relatively relaxed and fluid. This relaxed feeling will steer you toward more powerful shots.

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.

A: Absolutely! A sprinter at a track and field event uses the first 60 feet to accelerate before reaching maximum sprinting speed. A short choppy swing will not accumulate much racquet speed, whereas a longer swing has more potential to do so. Be careful, however, since there is a point at which too large a swing makes it difficult to time contact with the ball consistently and you can lose ball control.

Q: So, let me get this straight. A longer swing is required, but not too long. What about your earlier comment about the wrist?

I’ve heard that you don’t want to use your wrist much at all when playing tennis.

A: The wrist is the final link in just about all swings at the ball except when volleying or blocking very hard-hit balls. As the final link in a chain of movements, the wrist is the key component to getting racquet speed. Use the wrist correctly as explained below and the entire motion chain is productive. Tighten it up and the chain of movements is virtually worthless. Yes, coaches warn against too much wrist action because a floppy wrist that is out of control leads to lack of ball control, something players definitely want to avoid. The bottom line is that wrist action is essential for racquet speed but it has to be combined with consistent and solid ball contact. Here are two examples: 1) Serve and overhead: The serve and overhead are the primary shots in tennis where most coaches advise a wrist www.tennislife.com

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