A New Year's Serve

[bottle]

Old Guy System: Inchworms All Over The Place

Concept I: See See, CC, Si Si

So, class, are we all 12 here? We got 6 beats down to 5 . Now can we get 5 down to 3 for a close ball? No prob.

Already we were pulsing (bending one knee) as part of a service return ritual.

The first pulse that counts is right knee bending down. (Doesn't matter how much.)

The second pulse is same action only this time the left leg simultaneously re-positions itself to form semi-open stance.

Right foot then combines with hips turn in a shallow diagonal step to side. Body weight goes to right away from the target. The footwork and weight transfers describe a zig-zag.

But here comes the ideal ball the old guy has always dreamt of, the one that allows him to stand there like a potted plant.

"Inchworms forever!" he mutters to himself. That would be a three-beat rhythm. Ask any inchworm.

He bends his right knee (count 1). He straightens his right knee (count 2). He bends his right knee (count 3).

Concept II: Easier See See

The see see is a deception shot. So it is of utmost importance that we decide what we are deceiving off of.

First choice is a left right left smash forehand anywhere deep and slantwise in the opposite court. (Always play the deuce court in doubles.)

The angle of the oncoming ball is very good for this. Perform the inchworm as much along this line as you can.

Racket goes back level through all three steps. The hand then hinges from the wrist. All the nonsense that youthful players employ once they've turned their shoulders has now condensed into a simple hinging from the wrist.

Can we hold this timing action, just keep the wrist straight now to hit our see see? We can but perhaps we've used too much time to be as skillful at it as John M. Barnaby.

We've gone inch inch inch after all-- three counts. Now comes diagonal step of adjustment foot-- a fourth. And the brush-- a fifth. Ugh.

So we step first with right foot, zag with left foot to become semi-open, slant with adjustment foot and brush. Well, four counts are better than five.

This see see is going to work, but can one hit a deep hard return off of similar mechanism? Why not? One hits right left right all the time for wider balls. Just try the same thing for a closer ball, stepping almost straight toward a deep target.

Of course, many opponents will never notice whether you lead with one foot or the other. They won't notice that or much else. Assess their power of comprehension during warmup. And lull them thereafter with a constant inchworm rhythm.

[bottle]

Five Beats, Not Six

Note 3: Now I see a semi-open shot where left foot moved first but not far. Now one shifts to rear foot and then back to left foot. Now one lifts heel and steps (the whole diagonal step). Now one brushes. The whole deal: beat beat beat, beat beat beat. I'll have to try this.

Self-feed quickly revealed that I was taking too long. This was the essence of what the film-writing guru Robert McKee urges over and over. Everything depends on the wedge between anticipation and reality.

Unlike my childhood friend the lobber David Peoples (Bladerunner, The Unforgiven, Hero, Ladyhawke and others), I never made a go of the film thing. David, not really a McKee fan, knows that his best script, TO THE WHITE SEA, will probably never get produced although the Coen brothers optioned it. It is after the late James Dickey novel of the same name, and Dickey called up David to say he liked it.

Despite my lack of screenwriting chops, I go now for five beats not six: step step step diagonal step with adjustment foot and brush. One can hit this shot either semi-open or square stance. There is no especial need to take the racket back independent from the shoulder, it seems to me. And the brush can be upward radial deviation combined with a smidge of forearm roll and scissoring at the elbow. That leaves elbow lift if you are in a jam or roll of the upper arm if you are in a jam even worse than that.

[bottle]

Use Replacement Step with See See

I almost can't believe it when the see see works well in one doubles match and not well in the next even though the competition is less.

In an effort to increase repeatability, I work now from the standpoint of dance.

Most of the balls for a good see see are short in some respect, so I start with my inchworm footwork-- left right left in this case.

Now I hit the ball with the exact same rhythm as the inchworm: 1) is lifting of heel of adjustment foot. That is in place of a step. There is just a lifting of the heel. 2) is the part of diagonal step by adjustment foot in which anchor foot stays flat. 3) is part of this diagonal step in which anchor foot becomes a pivot foot.

More time has been taken to hit the shot, which has turned into more of a relaxed brush, and the shoulders now face the acute target.

Note: This kind of writing is weird. I would be the first to admit that. I write the above, and then I ask, Could one just brush with the shoulders already pivoted to their new position? Or does the brush start earlier than that?

Note 2: One can learn to "pulse" when doing swing or jitterbug. One bends one's knee, straightens it a little, bends it again to generate ground force. There is your inchworm rhythm again, a function of listening to internal music. So just pulse like this on return of a serve that is coming right to you.

Note 3: Now I see a semi-open shot where left foot moved first but not far. Now one shifts to rear foot and then back to left foot. Now one lifts heel and steps (the whole diagonal step). Now one brushes. The whole deal: beat beat beat, beat beat beat. I'll have to try this.

[bottle]

Backhand Slice Lob for a Double-Roller with Composite Grip

Forget the second roll-- the one that closes the strings on the ball.

Keep the first roll, which seems to combine arm straightening with opening of the racket face (now that I look at it) with all of this part of forward swing rather than backswing or transition.

[bottle]

See See Cont'd: A Banana-Shaped Swing

Take racket back or rather away on estimated level of where the ball will be.

Swing elbow around a racket's width below this estimated level.

The slight descent occurs from beginning of forward arm swing.

I think of this as simple change of direction rather than loop but perhaps this is semantics.

The slight descent from what otherwise would be levelness coinciding with backswing occurs only from body tilt caused by heel rise in adjustment foot.

The forward elbow started from outside with good separation from the body.

The elbow keeps same separation out front even though it went slightly down thanks to the entire body tilt.

An alternative would be that elbow ran into body-- not good.

Elements that create subsequent upwardness of brush: 1) tilted axis of upper body and 2) radial deviation, i.e., abrupt hand movement toward radius bone.

1) will not work unless rotation of upper body is simultaneous with rotation of centered hips which is intimately related to diagonal step of adjustment foot.

Note: I advise left right left inchworm to initiate the shot but realize one may not have time for that in returning a serve say that is quicker than anticipated. Turn and one step will be the rule then. But don't sell yourself short, reader, in the jitterbug department. The more small steps possible the greater the likelihood of perfect positioning and rhythm.

Questions: Do I overthink? My answer to that question is another question. Reader, do you already own this shot? If you are an average player or even an average player on the tour you sure as hell don't.

To my mind the shot is intrinsically more complex than my ability to cerebrate. That is why I try to master it in a series of daily increments similar to the Bill Murray film GROUNDHOG DAY.

Eventually, I think, this shot will become no more difficult than any other.

Also, putting one's overthought into a shot appropriate to it may save one from overthinking other aspects and strokes of one's game.

[bottle]

At the Park

For instance, to return to "Figure 47" (don't watch it twice but rather 12 times) note that during step with front foot the rear heel stays down (frame one). In frame two the arm has circled around staying level and the non-turning right heel has just raised. So what did the body weight do just then? Consolidated as if you just stepped across a small creek and are getting settled on the other side.

A semi-professional or professional tennis player just came up to a fence and wondered what I was doing, why wasn't I using a ball machine? I explained to him the reasons why I hate ball machines and he looked faintly amused. He offered to go to his car and get his racket and have a hit with me but I told him I had a doubles match tomorrow morning and felt I was getting somewhere with the self-feed and wanted to continue with it.

It was a decision I never would have made in the old days. I used to believe it was a sin if anybody offered to hit with you and you refused.

But I always am on the lookout-- there is my present focus-- on about to be 102 Aunt Frieda's "stupid little thing that might make a big difference." For me, personally, as of today, it is the raising of the see see back heel without turning it out as in a normal square stance forehand.

As that heel comes up the straight wristed racket arm comes round till it coincides with the point to one o'clock toes of the front foot. That's when stroke gets solid even though body weight will veer off to right as described by adjustment foot's diagonal step across.

The solid stroke is a spin from the hips with radial deviation upward by cross-bone action of the hand occurring during the contact. One needs to be physically and psychically centered for this, but it will work. Although one cannot expect anyone to understand what one is talking or writing about if one has taken more than 10 years arriving at some point. The poet and assistant men's varsity coach at Penn State, Theodore Roethke, said that.

Well, reader, whether you understand me or not, I feel I am coming into command of this shot-- again-- and even though I'm American, am, as the Brits say, "chuffed."

[bottle]

Re-introducing the Normal Learning Progression of Straight Back First, Loop Later

Novak Djokovic hits a lot of straight back shots, I've noticed. Heck, sometimes if he's got an open court, he hardly takes his racket back at all but just massages the ball, something open to smart women and tiny children as well.

Ever since I decided to make the see see my signature shot after the 70-year-old I once saw using it to defeat the 30-year-old town/city open champion in Virginia, I've gotten much more interested in straight back shots and not just for concealment of my see see.

One can hit a modified straight back Djokofore or even a Federfore with pretty close to full power.

Then, if wanting to go all out one can lead with the elbow like Djokovic or James Blake and spring the racket head back and around for extra racket head speed melding into the same mostly solid and therefore baseball-like swing. (Winston-Salem Davis Cup story, his opponent Richard Gasquet: Watching James Blake hold his racket by the rim with both hands and hit a crowd thrown ball into the rafters of Joel Coliseum.)

[bottle]

Tennis: Don't Overthink but when you Must, Have Fun with it

For instance, to return to "Figure 47" (don't watch it twice but rather 12 times) note that during step with front foot the rear heel stays down (frame one). In frame two the arm has circled around staying level and the non-turning right heel has just come up. So what did the body weight do just then? Consolidated as if you just stepped across a small creek and are getting settled on the other side.

[bottle]

Roll-less and Soul-less and Simple and Maybe Effective

This experiment is predicated on whatever the grip that works. Straight-wristed swing keeps level and away from core and comes smoothly around to where hips chime (or kick) in. Brush to come from radial deviation of hand (hand movement upward toward radius bone).

A first question assuming substance of first paragraph here is promising in self-feed: I've swung arm from shoulder already. Why would I want to do that more? A first observation: Front foot is pointed at 1 o'clock on ground clock where 12 would be toes pointing at net on a perpendicular. Racket can swing level to coincision with front foot, i.e., both foot and racket will point in the same 1 o'clock direction and serve as cue to "walk." Second obs: Weight gets all the way on front foot early since this shot will be "brush up and don't hit." That's why adjustment foot's heel rose a little before the big diagonal catch step.

Body slides forward while the arm and racket make their slow circle to the pointer foot, but from there the hips rotate around a still axis. Or an almost still axis. For body weight slants almost imperceptibly now in a new direction away from the ball.

Note: Toes point at 1 but front foot step is on a perpendicular to 12 and delayed rear foot step is on a diagonal to 2:30 with toes pointing to 12 .

[bottle]

Step by Step Creation of a Difficult Shot (Until It is Easy)

Have tried shoulders then hips then leg. Now try hips only from frame four of Barnaby's see see. You can detect the early hips turn connected to first half of the diagonal step...

The first three frames show all arm with slight divergence from sideline.

Now body and arm or rather arm and body take over in frames four and five.

Mentally but not physically divide the step in two.

Welby Van Horn and Ed Weiss in SECRETS OF A TRUE TENNIS MASTER discuss normal "third movement" or "key role of the adjustment foot in the rotation."

In a square stance forehand, there can be a little of it, just a few inches to outside good for balance and extending the hip rotation which up till then worked against the flat anchor foot.

But hips rotation is hips rotation no matter how it is done and some of the methodology may be interchangeable.

The Johnson/Boswell combination of Van Horn/Weiss discuss sliding rear foot considerable distance to turn closed shot into square shot right while hitting ball in a one hand backhand.

And reducing excessive width between feet in a square stance shot by sliding rear foot closer during production of some shot that started badly.

I now see Barnaby's model here as biggest adjustment step ever, with this diagonal step connected to ALL of the delayed hips rotation and eventual rotation of the anchor foot even more delayed within that.

Note: One experiment will keep wrist straight just like Barnaby's combined with a circular and level arm swing to get the racket tip sufficiently around before the hips take over. Target is radical requiring extreme measures.

[bottle]

Look at the Five Pictures

Study Figure 47 carefully...See Figure 47 again.-- John M. Barnaby

The longer arm plus the stronger grip plus simultaneous rolls from both the upper and lower arm combined with moving hunch from the hips close the racket to a seemingly ridiculous degree.

Go ahead but time the cinnamon rolls so that their tail end coincides with the beginning of upper body rotation with back foot still in contact with the court and heel slightly raised but not turned back toward rear fence as in a standard neutral forehand. Create a fish hook shape in other words. The shank of the hook is slightly lengthened by the moving hunch and body weight slanting off to right.

How can such a closed racket face be effective? Perhaps the answer is not to analyze too much. When hand moves away from body, one's racket pitch opens. Balancing considerations obtain desired pitch.

[bottle]

Continued

Good morning class. I see that not all 12 showed up. That's okay. The shot we're learning is only for those who truly want it.

First, let's all make arm the length of Jack Barnaby's. Concealed grip is what I advised yesterday (more westernized than a strong eastern like Roger Federer's). Take arm back as far as one would for a straight ahead shot. Use a three-step inchworm to direct last step by left foot square toward the net.

As racket changes direction, lay back from the wrist. Forget the forearm roll-down and ulnar deviation of a full mondo. Wrist lay back is the most significant departure from Jack (John M.) Barnaby. He keeps his wrist straight.

Body tilt to right is important. So are the notions of subtracting weight, diagonal step to change compass reading of rear leg by 100 degrees, head finally moving slightly to right, rear foot rising at heel but not turning out, delay of leg finally being pulled forward to side, initial shoulders turn before that, roll from muscles in both upper and lower arms to accelerate the racket tip parallel to the sideline.

It is a lot to remember and best taken step by step until one can finally just decide to hit the shot. The process is identical to learning a seemingly impossible sentence in a foreign language.

My design thought here is that it's easier to roll first and sweep later than vice-versa if you actually want to make the shot.

Lever getting longer implies easy acceleration. Racket head therefore goes faster just about the time that body weight diverges from shot.

Here is the five-photo sequence again of Jack Barnaby making the shot. He was the main tennis coach at Harvard for 50 years. But there is a lot of rowing (crew) at Harvard. Perhaps that is why he takes a bit more body angle as racket goes forward. This hunching along with the double arm roll, to my mind, increases the distance of racket moving parallel to sideline.

[bottle]

The Topspin Angle: I Thinks and I Don't Thinks

Are the dozen students who actually clicked on the five # 2708 pdf pictures called The Topspin Angle still with me?

I don't think that John M. Barnaby is "stacked" but rather is AS MUCH BENT OVER FROM THE HIPS as Ellsworth Vines, Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods.

But I think upper body turns first, the evidence being what rear foot is doing in frame 5 .

I think the upper body is pulling the lower body which pulls the leg through.

I don't think the rear foot walks through at all.

It rather is pulled to the side.

The difference in rear leg as compass setting from beginning to end is 100 degrees.

Rear leg goes on a straight diagonal path. Weight goes on that same straight path. Shoulders turn crosscourt but weight goes out to right above the footwork and preceding it.

The angle of the spine (and Barnaby's is bent too much) is such that turn of the shoulders will form an uppercut. The back can be straight and still be bent over at essential angle.

My grip-- part of a four sharp ridge thumbnail system that I now use for all of my shots except for my serve and overhead-- is more westernized for this shot only.

To conceal this grip I keep racket at exact same pitch in wait position as for a straight ahead but slip my thumbnail one pointy ridge to the right.

The jury still is out, but to start the kinetic or forward shot I simultaneously twist both upper and lower arm. Upper arm, because of right-angled and in close elbow, "farm-gates" the racket tip around while lower arm "power-closes" the strings.

Returning to Barnaby, racket tip swings along the sideline for frames one, two and three.

Think about that, reader, but think about direction of weight transfer too.

Arthur Ashe once envisioned a fantasy forehand in which human head pitched to the left and the human hit the left side court with his right shoulder.

In studying head in relation to the broad black stripe on the ceiling one can see that head (and weight) went to the right, not to the left, by completion of this shot during which elbow flew up past the shoulder.

Note: Subtraction of body weight from the see see to me is mind-blowing idee. But the farm gate arm work I propose is different from Barnaby. Why not try both arm arrangements before making a choice?

[bottle]

Reality of Ulnar-Radial Adjustment

The radius (inner and bigger) and the ulna (outer and smaller) are the two long bones in the forearm. "Radial deviation" therefore refers to one of the possible directions the human hand can go, "ulnar deviation" another.

But movement and pre-movement adjustment are two different things. My friend who played on the tour used more "deviation" in his ground strokes than most people do. This pretty much worked on the forehand side: His shot was not fast enough for very top of the tour but was uncannily accurate. From trying to do the same on the backhand side he ruined his wrist for a long time.

I'm not sure I want any of it. Well, maybe on a topspin lob once in a while.

The "adjustment" however needs to be thoroughly fooled around with particularly if one is attempting see see.

Because everything with see see has to do with constant error, i.e., hitting too much into the court or too high or into the net.

We once were told to keep hand cocked above wrist for racket firmness-- on what? Groundstrokes and volleys both. And we know that when volleying we can easily achieve a sharper crosscourt angle by simply lifting racket tip a bit higher.

Why should these considerations not apply to the see see as well even though topspin is involved? Would one be able to bend the ball like Beckham or a skillful golfer in tennis toward the net and away from the opponent?

[bottle]

Square Stance See See

It's just a trick! Any dummy can learn a trick.

John M. Barnaby: RACKET WORK: THE KEY TO TENNIS, page 127:

"Hide Your Angle

Study Figure 47 carefully. (I Bottle have attached it below.) Note the player uses a closed stance, obviously threatening to play straight. This serves to conceal the planned crosscourt or at least prevent an anticipatory move by the opponent. As the shot is made the striker pivots sharply so he is actually facing crosscourt at the conclusion of the swing and his right leg has walked completely around the ball, thus turning it decisively to the left at the last minute. See Figure 47 again. If this turning effect is withheld as long as possible it is extremely difficult for an opponent to divine one's intent, so he gets a late start on what should be a long journey."

This seems so simple and is tennis instruction I have been aware of for many decades but maybe wasn't ready for until now. And maybe the best tennis instruction never gives up all of its meaning, the final part of which the true student must work out on his or her own.

And maybe the best information always has something behind it, a secret.

Let us indeed study Figure 47 or "The Topspin Angle" carefully as Barnaby twice tells us in the one paragraph, looking for any secrets or perhaps if failing to find any invent one or more of our own.

First, note Barnaby's straight wrist, for this photo essay is of John M. Barnaby himself, the most underappreciated tennis writer there ever has been just as John Cowper Powys is the most underappreciated first rate novelist there ever has been.

Me, I don't want that straight wrist. Not when I've spent beaucoups time learning to mondo. Also I think that the player using a laid back hand can deliver more vertical brush (from forearm roll) than Barnaby will as he envelops the ball. The easier route in my view is yes to get the hand laid back but without losing one's aim point.

To that purpose I advocate using a right-angled arm as a farm gate to get the racket head fully around to where it needs to be. But the forearm can keep going around on same fulcrum of elbow held in even after the brushed contact.

As for the "trick" here, which is the delay of right or adjustment foot which then steps decisively all the way through, I decided in self-feed to start the step with strings five inches from the ball.

I think the distinction Welby Van Horn makes between anchor foot and adjustment foot is useful here. Heel of right foot (the adjustment foot), gets up in the air but doesn't turn out as in a conventional forehand.

Left foot (the anchor) stays flat a long time as in a conventional straight ahead but is ready to get up on toes for a big pivot, which is different. That rotation/pivot, delayed, comes all from or with the sudden walk through.