What an illuminating article. Love the explanation of our trajectory of interal rotations from Pete to Lendl with his initially closed backswing to Casper Rudd and his "extreme internal rotations" as John indicated.. I think this concept of ISR is a breakthrough in understanding the modern game, and you're not going to find it anywhere else but here on Tennisplayer.
When I look at Medvedev I think this concept of ISR explains the secret sauce of his forehand. This still in particular shows how the shoulder and arm are twisted backwards with the racket face close to his right hip. You can just feel how this position is going to spring the other way to turbo charge the stroke. You see the same thing with Djokovic - really extreme internal rotations from the shoulder with the tip of the racet angled by the right hip.. But of course it's true of all the tour players. I just really see it in the extreme wtih these guys and the bent arm.
medvedev_djockovic.jpg
I find the question about chicken and egg in the article quite interesting as well. Did the lighter rackets and better strings lead to this turbo charged ISR? My guess is yes. With a heavier racket it wouldn't be natural at all to interally rotate and then externally rotate in a quick burst with a heavy wooden object. But these light frames with lots of action in the strings make it possible.
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