A New Year's Serve

[tennis_chiro]

Great illustrations!!

In serving, it would seem, one can't think about the SOS too often:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=spine...1t:429,r:3,s:0

Bottle,
Is this a syllabus or text from a VCU extension course? Excellent!

don

[bottle]

Spine of Scapula

In serving, it would seem, one can't think about the SOS too often:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=spine+of+scapula&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=771&bih=446&tbm=isch&tbnid=xkh_3VoEv4ZdFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.courses.vcu.edu/DANC291-003/unit_10.htm&docid=jPiCVnIZP4BCNM&imgurl=http://www.courses.vcu.edu/DANC291-003/scapula_spine.jpg&w=262&h=270&ei=flkET67SJsrrgge79_n_AQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=393&vpy=127&dur=30599&hovh=216&hovw=209&tx=82&ty=239&sig=117405255315570275247&page=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=113&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

[bottle]

A Big Forehand

As I watched David Ferrer take down Rafa Nadal in Abu Dhabi, I couldn't help but notice the reverse action in his forehand pertaining to his wrist only and not to his whole arm.

This had to interest me since I have a Ferrerfore right now for better or for worse in which arm and wrist both flap back in response to fully orchestrated forward body rotation.

Also noticeable, to this viewer, was 1) leg drive taking Daveeed off of the ground and 2) powerful shoulders rotation exceeding that of the hips so that it pulled those hips around at the end of its physical range and 3) landing then and only then for recovery back to the middle.

Translation: A lotta shoulders.

[bottle]

~

The swing must be circular. The arm straightens passively. Movement of the elbow can be part of the circularity that not only contributes to whirling the arm straight but will put strings on outside of the ball sooner. Easy angular momentum is multiplied by simultaneous elbow movement. Momentum from linear transfer of body weight is similarly multiplied by the elbow movement.

Early posting of weight on front foot prepares for the significant arm roll that sharply turns the corner. Body and shoulder joint moves upper arm away from the hand, i.e., straightens the arm, but even more than that loads the racket with little units of energy which we could call "ergs".

The form of these backhands is inside out. The projected line of flight is 90 degrees to inside. The arm is relaxed as a string. Did it stay taut?

Dwell on a flat shot is created through transition to longer lever's continued swinging but with no more twisting from the shoulder joint. (Twisting creates a sharper arc. And we want a broader arc than we just had.)

The lighter topspun shot or moonball or "academic ball" is more a combination of factors at contact. The strings wipe up as arm continues its mono-speed run forward. And one could always add a McEnroe type pogo stick hop since weight transfer as it is usually thought of already occurred but body going through the shot could still be in order.

[bottle]

Bang One Down The Line

If # 946 written 12/31/11 contained my best idea of the year, then the following idea written on 1/2/12 ought to contain the worst. But why be judgmental? Test later after the snow.

The idea of slow elbow starting simultaneous with angular and linear weight shifts proved fantastic in its promise.

So, for a down the line shot, flattened out, I'll try half as much late arm roll but directed more through the ball (with similarly vertical racket face not closing over the top).

If this doesn't work, I'll revert to keeping arm back for a longer time and devise something else.

[bottle]

A New Year's Serve

Re 12/31 (last post): Not as much roof as I may have suggested. Roof formed by racket face above head or "halo" or "lid" as visual image is all the same notion useful through being anti-flip.

Finding the correct amount of some action rather than denying it very often is crucial to successful invention.

The accelerative action of strings fanning upward, strengthened by what body and arm just did, creates a bit less overhang. One can see this if one freezes one's followthrough and then looks up.

[bottle]

Do You Really Suffer From A Feeble Capacity to Design?

Tom Allsopp's review of my book at tpatennis.net has made me better appreciate my possible niche in tennis-- "niche" being a word advanced by Steve Navarro and earlier indicated to me by Doug King-- an idea man if ever there was one. Tennis pure and simple can use more people coming up with personal thoughts and new ideas.

But this is Dec. 31 when all ideas can dry up in hope of resurgence if not madmen's "surge" in the coming year. Actually, that's a bad idea. Ideas come whenever they want and will if you make yourself open to them and refuse to be silly, backward and feeble-brained about this.

Today's design has once again to do with one hand backhand. I almost could re-name this thread or start a new one called "A New Year's Backhand" but won't. A "New Year's Serve" stands in my book for a new year's backhand and everything else new in tennis for anybody in any coming year especially if willful and self-inaugurated.

ELBOW shall move smoothly from beginning to end of the forward stroke. How then? Slow to contact and slow beyond contact-- one speed the whole way. Racket head acceleration shall be relegated to arm twist only.

GRIP: Here's the formula in dreary song that doesn't scan: "Free grip in the free world." Extreme as hell if you so choose and don't be scared. I choose extreme grip right now since I want some karate with edge of hand on ball, at contact, a good "bonk" with a hunk of hand behind it. Also, I'm going to fan the strings up the back of the ball. Extreme grip with delayed arm roll will do it.

RACKET TIP: Extremely low and far around at end of the backswing because of the extreme grip. Slightly below hand at contact. Forming a roof at end of followthrough.

ARM EXTENSION: Passive from hips rotation, shoulders rotation, weight shift forward and initial travel toward net by elbow (four-part simultaneity).

ARM ROLL: Forearm may contribute but this action comes mainly from the elbow which can travel at a constant slow speed to contact while still twisting abruptly at the last instant and continue at its one speed afterward.

[bottle]

A Bird, Plane, Snowmobile, Upside Down Bumper Car?

Andre Agassi's publicists and madmen, the ones who put their words "image is everything" into his mouth were right after all.

Agassi never said any such thing, he revealed in his autobiography.

But our topic is the Petr Korda backhand and all clues that might help a hacker to hit it.

Here image IS everything. And a snowmobile, which I've never ridden, has a leg with a ski on it.

And an amusement park bumper car, which I have ridden, carries a pole with a ski on top that contacts an electrified ceiling.

I also rode a Segue once but didn't go fatally over a cliff like the owner of the company or fall off of it like George W. Bush, who in one hand carried a racket which didn't help him guide the two-wheeled chariot toward a tennis court.

Robert Frost, the poet, was extremely interested in the border where metaphor or image representing something else stops conveying its unique meaning and breaks down. He of course didn't want to and never did cross that border.

Well, riding a Segue with a tennis racket in one hand conveys no enlightenment as to how to hit a Korda type backhand drive but could be the perfect emblem of W's presidency, and the presidency that came after that, and the one that will be determined in the coming year.

The bumper car pole rising up to a ski, however, might help a person envision what his forearm ought to do if he can just use his brain to invert the electrified ceiling above him into the tennis court surface below him.

Simpler, I guess, would be to envision a snowmobile's leg.

Because, if we remember our films of Korda and bend our arm just slightly like him so that forearm points down at the court, we may get the sense of a tactile connection with the court's surface if not an electrical connection.

So that's my idea: slant the forearm down at the court's surface so as to form a mental connection for purposes of orientation.

The racket tip, characteristically, stays up, as Don Brosseau pointed out in this discussion.

But the forearm-- no it points down to connect mentally with the court.

Then, toward end of the backswing, the rear shoulder rises like a wave as both shoulders turn farther beneath one's chin.

If one performs this stretch well enough, one will resemble the Gustavo Kuerten warlock, as in a Stephen King movie, and the forearm will become parallel to the court, the signal to swing.

[bottle]

Oregano

Add two pinches of free form to the already existing concept of twisting racket tip DOWN and elbow UP from the fulcrum of one's hand while attempting to hit Steffi-slice.

When Steffi or you or anybody hits this type of shot, they employ a pair of linked arm rolls-- one backward melding into one forward.

One can see both rolls in some of the existing film sequences of Ken Rosewall as well. At other times his racket prepares earlier so that the viewer sees-- during the hitting part of the stroke-- only the second half of the series, the forward roll.

Simple, very effective backhand slice eschews loops, rolls and anything else that might be extraneous and burn needed time.

Additionally, one can use triceptic extension to put "bite" on the ball in this simplest version.

But why can't someone-- anyone-- learn both?

If going for double-roll, I'm preaching today (before actually trying this of course), compromise on the idea of still hand during the first roll.

The hand is the hovering fulcrum of a teeter-totter, I suggested in earlier posts, but now I'm saying, "Keep that basic shape but go ahead and move the hand a bit through bringing it back a little higher to begin with-- all in the interest of loosening up and not being too conceptual and stiff."

[bottle]

Two Qualities of Backhand

Tennis players often seek a certain unclarity of mind. This is supposed to put them "in the zone." Often, it keeps them mediocre.

Some of us think the mind works best when it has a specific goal. Or question. The best tennis sometimes even happens right after we've been working on a specific issue in technique although we put such conscious and cosmic concerns to the side while we actually play.

Perhaps 40 times in the tennis fora in which I've participated I've asked the same question about straightening arm. Does it, should it straighten actively or passively? Should we use the triceps muscle? No? Somehow anesthetize or rather "fool" the muscles that oppose the triceps? Relax the whole arm the better to centrifugate it (whirl it straight)? Or remove the slack in a linear or other way or all ways, etc., etc.

Once or twice, I think, somebody tried to answer, most recently Don Brosseau while a group of people was discussing Ken Rosewall's backhand slice. I had opined that Rosewall used arm muscles. Don thought not. He thought that Rosewall straightened his arm from his hips, that everything about Rosewall was easy stroke production.

As usual (but not always) I accepted Don's view, which is more seasoned through a billion administered lessons and therefore more tennis-specific than mine.

The same question about arm straightening always comes up with regard to the serve, it seems. Here today I pose it with regard to the Korda-type one hand topspin drive backhand.

I've tried straightening the arm both ways and am prepared to say there is a difference in how the ball flies. One method produces a quicker ball. But is it more accurate? Which ball is heavier? Am I exaggerating the difference? Will I use both methods or just one?

These are among the issues I hope to resolve any way I can.

[bottle]

I pretty much agree but think a good slicer can hit fantastic angles and sometimes with a greater margin for error.

[gsheiner]

Bottle,

I think that, in the youger age groups, the slice backhand is neutralized somewhat by the ability of the receiver to run around and hit the inside out forehand and take control of the point.

And, younger players with two handers on the backhand might be able to hit over the ball and hit a nice crosscourt backhand which can open up the court more than a slice.

Still, LarryTurville has an excellent slice and was playing a great pattern over and over --a couple of slice backhands crosscourt, then the slightly inside out slice backhand up the line spinning away. He looks like he'd be a nightmare to play.

[bottle]

Here's from the seniors semifinal I just was talking about, video made by Brent Abel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDEjIt8rvAo

If this isn't a tennis lesson, I don't know what is.

Note the limited takebacks, the accuracy and everything else.

Tennis stripped down to essentials. Tennis should be economical, no?

Perhaps one realizes this better-- or should!-- as one gets older.

Even a senior or anyone trying to diverge from the central premise here ought to recognize the different dimension offered by Larry and Wesley. Anyone should find plenty to learn from them, in other words.

How easy would it be for young Turks to hit these guys off the court? Ummmm.

At the same time I can't help but think that they're an illustration from a book on tennis after 50, 60, 80, etc.

I've seen or rather experienced too many senior players who can hit very substantial topspin by now-- medium topspin at least has been around for long enough that they mastered it young and carried it with them into old age.

I guess I'm asking for the privilege of with-holding judgment on this slice-happy alternative.

[bottle]

Conservatism

Great clip. Which among other things makes me aware of the slice that Korda does use. Which is very much like the slice in the sixties' national championship semifinal video made by Brent Abel and posted right now elsewhere in this forum.

A very direct, economical, high take-back, even in the case of Korda, who doesn't bother to disguise anything.

Did you guys see that Brent Abel video? It's amazing. A slice-a-thon with both players jockeying for the slightest opening.

But this isn't the way I want to play seniors tennis. Wouldn't fit my temperament. Admirable but no thanks.

If this were billiards, it would be safe the cue ball every time. If this were chess, it would be the English opening as in Petrosian against Botwinnik.

[stotty]

Corkers

A few good Korda backhands to be seen here. Courier never leaves it alone....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCeXFXwUAz0