Straighten Wrist Before Changing Grip
All depends on what level strings are as they wait in ready position, I suppose. Mine are up a bit and cheated to backhand side.
I wait there with 3.5 or 2.5 grip. The number denotes where big knuckle is. If 3.5, there most likely is going to be a change to thumb along fingers spread full slant backhand grip, anti-hammer division.
This choice does not mean that there will be no hammering but rather that mild hammering will be accomplished with a slantwise grip the better to bring the strings around to the outside of the ball.
As change begins, left hand at racket throat, which is determined to keep its palm perpendicular to court throughout the cycle, pulls hitting wrist down straight.
Left hand next holds steady to permit hitting hand to adopt the full backhand grip and spread fingers arrangement while pressing down a little, which makes sure that the hitting wrist holds its adjustment.
The two movements-- straightening wrist and changing grip are certainly linked in that they both in succession bring racket down to parallel with the court.
This wrist and grip alteration rebels against my previous entrancement with flying grip change where the whatever actions are done at once.
It rebels against also normal sequence of grip change first and wrist straightening second which produces a more complicated and therefore harder to maintain feel.
It rebels against the Bollettieri Academy where everybody is told to get the racket back lightning fast.
It doesn't get the racket back slow but does get it back in a smoothly downward and economical and controlled parade.
As foot strides-- if there is a stride-- arm straightens to a mild bend. And shoulders continue to rotate backward. And the arms corset simultaneously rotates backward around the rotating shoulders.
How does this happen? Well, the left shoulderblade stretches in toward body median as the right shoulderblade stretches outward away from the body median.
So where does racket point now? At contact spot slightly to front but slightly to the left as well. The strings are 180 degrees away from this spot, no more and no less.
Time to strike, and a strike is fast. The slower the backswing the quicker the strike.
But the strike is not so fast that there can't be some craft in it. The strings will load to the inside close to the body before they spring to the outside; i.e., one employs a double roll.
So, are strings square at contact or more than square (slightly beveled)? Slightly beveled for topspin according to J. Donald Budge in an early instructional video.
Do strings stop rolling at contact or does one go with Justine Henin when she says, "De racket rolls over de ball like dis."
Most serious tennis players work on their backhand for life. This is a much healthier view than thinking you've got your backhand after a year or two.
Note: A short player with stubby arms might get away with crowding the ball more than here. Me, I have long arms, in fact my right arm is a bit longer than my left. So, although racket butt spears close past my body, if I want to get to outside of ball without a horrible flip, I need to take the ball slightly to the side.
All depends on what level strings are as they wait in ready position, I suppose. Mine are up a bit and cheated to backhand side.
I wait there with 3.5 or 2.5 grip. The number denotes where big knuckle is. If 3.5, there most likely is going to be a change to thumb along fingers spread full slant backhand grip, anti-hammer division.
This choice does not mean that there will be no hammering but rather that mild hammering will be accomplished with a slantwise grip the better to bring the strings around to the outside of the ball.
As change begins, left hand at racket throat, which is determined to keep its palm perpendicular to court throughout the cycle, pulls hitting wrist down straight.
Left hand next holds steady to permit hitting hand to adopt the full backhand grip and spread fingers arrangement while pressing down a little, which makes sure that the hitting wrist holds its adjustment.
The two movements-- straightening wrist and changing grip are certainly linked in that they both in succession bring racket down to parallel with the court.
This wrist and grip alteration rebels against my previous entrancement with flying grip change where the whatever actions are done at once.
It rebels against also normal sequence of grip change first and wrist straightening second which produces a more complicated and therefore harder to maintain feel.
It rebels against the Bollettieri Academy where everybody is told to get the racket back lightning fast.
It doesn't get the racket back slow but does get it back in a smoothly downward and economical and controlled parade.
As foot strides-- if there is a stride-- arm straightens to a mild bend. And shoulders continue to rotate backward. And the arms corset simultaneously rotates backward around the rotating shoulders.
How does this happen? Well, the left shoulderblade stretches in toward body median as the right shoulderblade stretches outward away from the body median.
So where does racket point now? At contact spot slightly to front but slightly to the left as well. The strings are 180 degrees away from this spot, no more and no less.
Time to strike, and a strike is fast. The slower the backswing the quicker the strike.
But the strike is not so fast that there can't be some craft in it. The strings will load to the inside close to the body before they spring to the outside; i.e., one employs a double roll.
So, are strings square at contact or more than square (slightly beveled)? Slightly beveled for topspin according to J. Donald Budge in an early instructional video.
Do strings stop rolling at contact or does one go with Justine Henin when she says, "De racket rolls over de ball like dis."
Most serious tennis players work on their backhand for life. This is a much healthier view than thinking you've got your backhand after a year or two.
Note: A short player with stubby arms might get away with crowding the ball more than here. Me, I have long arms, in fact my right arm is a bit longer than my left. So, although racket butt spears close past my body, if I want to get to outside of ball without a horrible flip, I need to take the ball slightly to the side.
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