Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership
Strokemaster
STROKE MASTER
Rafael Nadal’s ability to hit off the back leg and swiftly turn defence into attack has long been marvelled over. This month, we look at some of the core elements that help the Spaniard consistently execute great shots under immense pressure.
What do you see? Racquet drops nicely below the wrists and will travel up towards contact Heel–toe landing assists Nadal’s ability to absorb force upon grounding Centre of gravity is maintained between base of support Back leg searches to be as close as possible to the incoming ball
Right hand dominance is apparent post contact Centre of gravity is maintained between base of support Arms have been active while his body has remained relatively stable Nadal’s physical strengths evident through his ability to remain balanced through contact Racquet is appropriately parallel to the net Back leg has absorbed the landing force and is now stable through contact Late contact will mean the right hand will need to play an active role Head and eyes remain firmly fixed on contact point
Callum Beale, a former professional who achieved singles and doubles rankings on the ATP Tour, is Tennis Australia’s Coach and Talent Development Manager in NSW. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science, Human Movement.
PRESENTED BY
www.tennis.com.au/coaches OCTOBER 2015 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
29