A New Year's Serve

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Re-surfacing Route 1, the Old Net-Post Highway

Deciding not to go to Morder's Dump, where they crush both cars and the adhesions in your shoulder, I resolved simply to rebuild the Old Net-Post Highway.

Because of the lay of the land, we'd have to ensure the presence on our construction site of all the latest surveyor's equipment: a graphite dumpy level, a zylon laser level, more performance little giant ladder system, magnesium pro theodolite paint spectra, morph beam stonex striper and titanium astrolabe.

If I wanted a reliable kick by 12/21/09, my seventieth birthday, repeatable all day every day and hit with a mild chopper grip, the goal must be to preserve the full, effective motions even when somewhat upside down of Weird Slice 1 and 2 . First, I could see, one must loosen the rule that beginning of every serve must go along the baseline. This was literally true for the slices, but for spin, would same orientation hold? How could it when shoulder was farther back and more turned around? The solution came after thorough consultation with the entire work crew.

Send arm, were it brought down, on a line PARALLEL to the baseline. Of course the energy does nothing of the sort but goes straight up into the sky. Correct orientation of elbow, however, remains as crucial as ever.

Bringing the majority of assembled tools into play, we can now ask, If we start with toss farthest toward net-post, which is placement for the successful slices, and then toss at six-inch intervals in a progression toward head and perhaps behind, how much higher should each contact be than the one before? And do we really want to, can we even, go behind the head after which the contact heights will start to diminish? This is the subject of our exhaustive research which we shall publish in a blue spiral notebook with titanium covers.

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Stories in the Acquisition of KICK

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1) Developed two interesting slice serves, complementary, both of which, like it or not, stay low. They are complementary in that when one doesn't work, the other does. In both, toss is toward the net post and initial swing is along the baseline.

2) MOO (method of operation): Bring toss back along same line with net post. Keep the constants constant, which frees you up to change grip if you eventually choose to. Keep same fully closed stance.

3) The thinking is that there's really no difference between slice and spin other than toss and perhaps grip. Toss is the biggest difference. Initial swing along the baseline combined with toss farther back along same line formed with net post would be a departure from anything ever tried by me (before).

4) No matter where the toss is, it must be on net post line. No matter how high or rearward the elbow is, it must be positioned to unfold along the baseline. These serves have worked well for you (me). They're not going to stop now.

5) If ball is directly over head will one hit a different part of it? Establishing imaginary lines on the ball was a big part of developing the two slices. In one the wrist straightens in tandem with extension from the elbow. The pronation then goes up and hits the ball (illustration A). In the other, pronation (forearm) occurs in tandem with extension from elbow followed by wrist snap (illustration B). We're only looking for a cue; it's doubtful that racket is still going up. Such an invertedly prepared wrist snap, however, is healthy and produces an interesting result.

6) Simulate these contacts on ball held up with left hand and with racket in right hand. Now bring ball back and forward in various toss positions along the line to and from the net post. Always keep elbow pointed so that its internal action will go along the baseline. How do these various positions change part of ball that will be hit? One wants to study and memorize the different ball parts once one has glommed on to what works.

7) Hit serves using same continental grip as for the two good slices. With toss directly overhead, use new contact lines-- illustration C for delayed wrist extension serve and illustration B for delayed pronation serve (!). This time pronation really will take the strings upward while right on the ball.

8) A general observation: As you draw toss farther and farther back along the line to net post, the initial swing is STRAIGHT UP. This narrative therefore dictates extremely high contact point. All the low toss talk one hears is for somebody and something else. You won't generate enough racket head speed unless contact is very high-- since most of the same racket gyrations must now go in a single plane rising straight up. And there is a paradox involved in this serve, viz., your elbow unbends toward right fence, so you think you're losing upwardness of motion. In fact however, pronation of the forearm now effectively takes racket farther left than ever before.

9) Conclusion: There is more than one way (poor kitty!). The service instruction I've received has been to knife racket edge toward ball and then
veer off to right. This didn't always work well enough for me. And I know of good serves from Mirnyi, Stich and Ashe that start from left to right.

10) A major factor in all serves is abrupt stoppage of the arm so that either kind of subsequent motion, pronation or wrist closing, can proceed in a pure way. But what would the poor lady on the web think-- the one who is convinced that every serve, spun or not, is hit right on the nose like a centerball shot in billiards? The above illustrations, I hope, demonstrate the truth of off-center serves. Off-center? Why? To generate spiralspin along with topspin and sidespin.

That's just one line of inquiry. Another is serves with more extreme grip (heel of hand on panel 7 for me), high elbow, and centrifugation of racket upward and to left from upper arm twist. I then want (need) to fire triceps back the other way! i.e., UAT right to left, triceptic ext. left to right and then stop arm abruptly for either

A. more pronation
B. wrist extension and pronation combined
C. wrist extension then pronation.

Following these strict instructions, one may then wish to perform a "Heil Hitler"
at the top to stop the arm. I remember being shocked by the first tennis book I ever read because it used that phrase "Heil Hitler!" in describing a kick serve-- shocking, yes, but equally effective in athletic instruction as the "high five" everybody now likes, I conclude fifty years later.

Reality check: Just played a match. There's a lot of theory in all the stuff above. Perhaps a better route-- particularly when using extreme grip, is just
to say, "I'm going to pronate much more than ever-- before, during and after
contact." The idea comes from UTube videos of Coach Kyril, a guy who's not afraid to be simple. For me this may mean getting away from my usual concern over whether arm extension should be passive or driven by triceps muscle or both. More uncertainty could be the way to go.

In my other "line of inquiry," the first, the experiments I'd done in different tosses along the imaginary line to right net post helped me a great deal, especially at match point. I just hit one of my usual slices, neither over my
head nor way out toward the netpost. This new toss leant it some topspin and my opponent hit a home run. Why did I try that? Because he'd been beating up on some of my other experiments.

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Craft vs. Strength in Cornering a 1HBH

There are hundreds, thousands or millions of ways of hitting a one-hand backhand-- which is it? I know a few too many myself. Finally, however, I rejected Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer as models and settled on John McEnroe, mentally converting from his grip to mine (mine is heel of hand on 7.5).

This means a mid-level take-back with a bent arm conveniently similar to my preparation for a slice backhand although I hit that with continental grip. Despite all the simplicity, the smooth take-back should be slow enough to allow for a comfortable step-out.

Racket head then screws down to inside as human head comes back. In other words, after you've stepped out leading with your shoulders, you straighten your body. The racket roll to inside comes from forearm. The elbow remains stable and pointed at the ground.

As racket tip reaches its low point, you start to roll your forearm the opposite way. Over-thinking, you may anticipate a rough spot between first rolling one way and then rolling the other; in reality nothing of the sort happens but only a smooth wave which continues in tandem with concave wrist easing flat and
arm slowly straightening toward left fence if you are right-handed. And you can just keep rolling only with full arm now. Still in same motion you re-open your wrist to concave which brings the racket tip around even more...at which point you rip.

Trying this, I was surprised to find that trajectory of departing ball was lower than when I classified wrist opening with vigorous part of the swing as its trigger.

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Change of Grip for Kick is Change of Menu

That may seem obvious, but drop-down screens haven't existed for long. The service language for continental grip is better developed than that for heel of hand on 6.5, where the drop-down screen is less familiar-- especially since it's a series of specs rather than choices. This doesn't matter if, keeping self-respect, you've performed your apprenticeship with a wonderful master. A second way you might acquire the knowledge could be to turn yourself into a rat in a behaviorist's experiment-- you've got the extreme grip, finally, and it will cause you to do new things. You don't need to know them. This is true but I would prefer to know them:

over-pronation is all
no extension of wrist till way after contact
little finger can ride off racket but doesn't have to
arm straightening is mostly centrifugated from upper arm
call upper arm twist pronation or don't but use it
elbow higher than shoulder
racket circles around from left, never goes straight up at ball (I might change my mind about this later)
the upper arm twist does get edge of racket in a plane perpendicular to target before your forearm takes over
the finish is farther to the right because of the over-pronation, before return of racket to left side
a slow steady upper body rotation combined with slow pressure from cartwheel works better than more abrupt body motion
there isn't the same squeezing of loose fingers as in a continental or eastern forehand serve
the more rotary motion of all the exaggerated pronation allows the strings to ride farther back from hand than other serves, providing a better upward hitting angle
the idea of wrist extension, just the opposite for continental grip, is destructive. Contact is made with a concave (cocked) wrist.
in other serves, pronation is an unconscious, protective device often occurring in response to wrist extension. In this one, pronation is extreme, conscious and nevertheless effective
in this serve, again, relaxed arm gets most of its extension through centrifugal force from the twisting of upper limb

MOO (method of operation): I write this stuff as instruction to myself. Then I go out to the court and try it. Then I either destroy it or edit it and post it.

Takeaway: Order yourself to reproduce the conditions that caused dead ball to jump well above the cross-bar on rear fence. I don't remember them, I only remember the result, but hope to work backward from that.

Admission: There are other factors I didn't mention here, especially where they seem personal rather than applicable to others.

Grip in Practice: Heel of hand on panel 7 felt better than on 6.5 .

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More about the Guys of Post # 270

Ron's good at explaining what he isn't doing. One thing he is doing, but doesn't mention, is use ground force. How far does it go down-- to the earth's soft molten core? More likely just to the tensile strength of the hard court. But you can see him step early. No, his damaged knee doesn't bend much; but, is there a double-barreled jolt? Yes, and cleverly, it sends quick force up to his elbow and wrist. If your dead ball isn't going higher than the cross-bar like Ron's, perhaps you haven't glommed in on ground force like him yet. In my case, my main serves come in five counts. Well, this serve takes three counts, like one I had for years, and I can keep the back foot step as short as Stan Smith, so that the shrewdest of my opponents will never even realize I've temporarily abandoned platform stance. The real difference from that old minimalist serve is sufficient toss and grip. ("Oh now you tell us." That is the collective, ghostly voice of doubles partners long past.) But when Ron shows you how to obtain more grip by holding your strings above your head but parallel to the court and then grab the handle, what do you get? I'm not going to quibble over whether this is full eastern or more because the demonstration is tremendously useful. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever watched the film and yet not tried this? If not, do it right now. Puts the heel of my hand on 6.5, something easy to remember forever.

Compare grip then with Kyril's description, tremendously useful once again. Kyril shifts back and forth from continental to more extreme again and again. Why don't teaching pros do this everywhere and all the time? And why don't they remember to use cross-bar like Ron to give the student a convenient reference point in determining how high her kick serves ought to bounce. Could save YEARS OF TRIBULATION.

Now we come to Bob, who tosses like Ron but farther forward. Does he have some secret flexibility he hasn't been telling us about? And Roger. I tried full flight off of front leg followed by retraction of landing gear. My post-operated knee said, "Forget it, fella." But this didn't kill my new interest in wheel within wheel-- the way Roger pivots hip with back leg while leaving front foot point where it was.

I'm trying this on the ground before I make my small flight with so far interesting result.

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1HBH: Where this is Going

It's going toward a smooth, confident move that I can mime while I'm lying on my back in bed or walking down the street. Although I spent time trying to figure out exactly where John McEnroe rolls his wrist, I couldn't-- sometimes he seemed to do it earlier, sometimes later. Which is fine. I have decided to roll mine in unison with my extending arm and then continue the roll with full arm. Just then my wrist will re-open to concave.

Is there sequence in this final, sharp corner? A little. The full arm starts its roll, providing most of the desired turn. But almost immediately the wrist brings the racket tip around a bit more to outside of the oncoming ball.

So, what's the timing of this? Well, one has a choice: Place the whole arm roll with opening wrist for two fleeting movie frames, as I suggested before, or place the arm turn with the simultaneous slow forearm roll, wrist straightening and arm extension that preceded it.

One can cue the action either way and eventually end up through repetition with something good that is both and neither. If all the rolling feels like one linked move, you then can use wrist snap as trigger of the vigorous swing.

Somebody will want to know: Why does Bot talk like this? Well, I saw a chance to become more specific.

But I continue to believe like other critics that all discussion of tennis technique is either too detailed or not detailed enough, including mine.
All one can do is try to get things right.

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Cornering the Turn

We've come to believe that a one-hander appreciating sharpness of turn can employ it while controlling pitch through a combination of full arm roll and opening of the wrist.

But should there be sequence between these two acts? I would argue yes-- sequence with overlap, i.e., arm roll starts first and wrist opening chimes in to get you to contact.

My argument is that opening wrist brings the racket tip around a little, but rolling the arm, i.e., keeping the elbow in, brings tip around a lot. The same act most apt to destroy a forehand-- early roll of the elbow-- creates new excellence in a backhand.

So, with heel of hand glued on 7.5, we use bent-arm preparation. And wrist appears concave if your eyes are higher than your hand.

Working from obscure instruction in Talbert and Old, THE GAME OF SINGLES IN TENNIS, we know we want to straighten the wrist, make it flat, somehow integrate this transition in a positive way into the overall stroke. Some may differ-- it is their right-- but to me the question is not whether but when.

Elbow is stable. I don't want it to roll yet. Forearm can roll, however, as part of straightening of the wrist. The grip is light. Everything is about feel.

For that reason one wouldn't want to roll the wrist straight either too early or too late. If too early the focus will shift entirely to straightening the arm. If too late, the wrist closing and then opening again may all be too jammed together.

I want to be happy with the non-specificity of this. I'm not saying to roll halfway through the arm extension or at its beginning or end or to spread roll throughout but rather to find your own way through best feel. I do want full arm to roll between the two alterations of wrist.

It may be advisable here to watch a film of McEnroe again, exotic grip and all. About nine frames for slow part of stroke, two frames for fast, cornered turn, seven frames for rest of the stroke which is mostly rabbit punch.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHShortRear.mov

Two frames for cornered turn is convenient. First frame: Start rolling the elbow. Second frame: Keep rolling but add your opening of wrist. Continue the stroke then with an absence of such minor actions which now are out of the way.

The exception might be an acute short angle. You might want to keep rolling then.

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Ron, Bob, Kyril and Roger

This should be fun. Not enough fun could be the most significant factor behind most failed kick serves. The following serves are all very good, in my view. "Masters of the universe," to use Tom Wolfe's phrase, will disagree. But ask the cosmos itself. When have the MOTU's actually mattered? I just want a special serve to add to my array of stuff that stays low. I want to toss up an old, dead ball like Ron Waite and see it jump up over the crossbar on the opposite fence just like him.

Ron is a remarkable man. When you read him on the web, you discover his back, shoulder and knee troubles, along with the broken thumb on his hitting hand-- big factors affecting his serves.

And when he talks, if you are honest, you may admit that he talks as well as anybody-- a quality that some snooty tennis players will hold against a person. Not me. I'm snooty, but I think talking well is great, and I don't see how any teaching pro can be effective without it-- he won't get the girl, for one thing. So here is Ron's kick. His pockets are full of apples but not his mouth:

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/turbo_09_09.shtml

Now we go to Bob. It's interesting to compare Ron's use of wrist and his. Ron's excellent wrist snap is all of a piece, as any excellent wrist snap always must be, but it occurs after his arm is straight, does it not? Bob is different.
His wrist straightens as his arm straightens. Pronation, unconscious or not, happens afterward:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8v_qQ3FHys&feature=player_embedded

We go next to Kyril. He's pretty tough:

http://www.tennisopolis.com/video/1869403:Video:89120

I might prefer to play Roger over Coach Kyril. What kind of man is it who speaks of making pronation especially long-- "long pronation," an interesting phrase which could perhaps open a few new doors. He's pinpoint, like Ron, while Bob and Roger are platform. And Roger, he doesn't say much. I'm tempted to say he speaks with his racket or left leg, but I won't say either. Instead, I'll say he speaks by retracting his landing gear in mid-flight.

Yes, Roger extends his legs but then immediately compresses them. And turns his hips in mid-air without pivoting his front foot-- no, not until he's coming down. Think about this. You can pivot your hips any time you want. You don't have to be up in the air. And you can watch either foot pivot along with your hips-- you just have to decide which one.

Now is the time to remember what Bob promised, that he would show how Roger and other notables hit kick. And he was telling the truth. For as Roger extends his arm he straightens his wrist, too. The difference is that Bob straightens his wrist in time with his straightening front leg. Roger, he straightens his wrist in time with his compressing front leg (and back leg also, the two of them together forming his retractable landing gear):

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?2ndSDeuceRear-0094020-0001.mov

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The Missing Ingredient

Many players use free wrist movement as an essential ingredient in their one-handed backhand without ever explaining where or how. And professional tennis teachers always say too little or too much on every subject. And when a person watches the famous one-handers on video, he-she may find correct understanding of such a small movement exceedingly difficult to come by.

Slo-mo video of John McEnroe may prove the exception to this. We know from his autobiography that he always holds his big knuckle on 1.5 no matter what the stroke-- a good beginning for our detective work. Then, in the slo-mo film, because of such a strange grip, he curls his wrist until it is humped as part of his regular preparation. Next there's a bit of arm straightening, after which true vigor asserts itself. "Keep your elbow in!" McEnroe has said while criticizing Greg Radetzky (I can't help it if I like the Rusedski March)-- a second bit of evidence. In fact, when one then applies Arthur Ashe's language for another essential ingredient-- "turn the corner"-- one can see that McEnroe does this without changing his pitch. How?

There can only be one answer: He flips his racket tip around with his wrist while rolling his elbow down while keeping that elbow in.

Remember, McEnroe curled his wrist until it was unhealthily humped. But now he quickly straightens it until it is healthy as could be. The question is, What if you started with a concave wrist, curled it straight, added a bit of arm straightening, then rapidly tocked your wrist until it was concave again in assiduous imitation of McEnroe?

Would this work? Or would you have to adopt McEnroe's grip? I tried it. Voila! I'm so glad I made this discovery before my seventieth birthday. One derives immense satisfaction in finally getting around the outside edge of the ball, avoiding unwanted shear.

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"Mondo" Defined

"Mondo" is tour slang for simultaneously bending the wrist back to the max and rolling the forearm down to the max, only doing this late in the stroke cycle during or just before contact.

Theoretically, you could perform the same double action very soon in the back-swing or even while in waiting position. Practically, however, this would drain comfort and rhythm from anyone's looped forehand and would not be called "mondo," in fact would probably not be called anything but might work as a species of no backswing service return or emergency get where you lay down strings and step across with outside foot and hit ball and that's all-- very quick and simple.

If I were trying this now I might roll forearm down to the max but save some backward play in the wrist to absorb the shock of a very fast first serve.
(The strings do this anyway but you can add to their absorption with backward component of a ball catch-- you use some springy "give" in your wrist in other words.)

Returning to full loop version, we need an example, almost any current tour player regardless of whether he uses double-bend or relaxedly almost straight arm structure.

In the versions shown above (post # 267), Federer lays wrist back part way as he raises racket tip up to his side. Then he closes racket and starts extending arm back on a downward slant to about the one-third mark at which point he starts a smooth rotation of the shoulders forward while continuing to extend arm. Is there an admittedly short piece of tract where straight arm swings while solid with the shoulders? I think so.

Federer swings his shoulders around so early compared to a traditional forehand. The precedent is the innovative and great top-spinner Tiny Tom Okker of Holland.

In all cases the last minute nature of the combined wrist and forearm backward motion is part of the definition of "mondo" in my view. Since the term is slang not in a dictionary, one can never be sure, but I'm willing to bluff my way through. Language should be fun and therefore I say there is a "hot dog" or "hotshot" or "look at me!" or "ain't I great!?" aspect to every mondo.

Which is precisely why traditional instructors won't teach it. They hate show-offs and last-secondedness. Constantly, however, they underestimate the athletic ability of their recreational players. Underestimation of peasants and overestimation of aristocrats is what masters of the universe are all about.

NOTE: The last time I clicked on the three url's in post # 267 I simply was taken to high speed archive without the specific video coming up. If that happens to you, and you want to connect the one line descriptions to their intended videos, start with # 3 under Forehand, "FH Center Side." Next is
"FH Center Front." The third and final video is "FH Center Front 1," the topmost entry on the list.

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1) Mondo is going backward as racket contacts ball.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?FHCenterSide-0002720-0001.mov

2) Mondo was earlier and now wrist is unfurling (closing) at contact.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?FHCenterFront1-0001716-0001.mov

3) Mondo was early. Then wrist unfurled. Now wrist is mondoeing for a second time.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...03715-0001.mov

What is mondo or a mondo? Never have understood this.

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Mondoes for Dessert

1) Mondo is going backward as racket contacts ball.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?FHCenterSide-0002720-0001.mov

2) Mondo was earlier and now wrist is unfurling (closing) at contact.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?FHCenterFront1-0001716-0001.mov

3) Mondo was early. Then wrist unfurled. Now wrist is mondoeing for a second time.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/roger_federer/roger_federer_high_speed.html?FHCenterFront2-0003715-0001.mov

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Well, if my last formulation was inaccurate, if arch of the back is to happen slightly earlier, then what, O what, stops the arm to crack the semi-loose wrist better? Muscles in the shoulder developed through exercises? "Let no question go unanswered and no answer go unquestioned."

Perhaps from the foregoing, dear reader, you could conclude that I re-read Chris Lewit's first two articles on acquiring a kick serve-- part of what has to be the most complete and interesting presentation of the subject ever. I think I misrepresented what Lewit said and demonstrated about elbow. My impression now is that he never permits a student to give away one degree of her or his possible upward "angle" except maybe for twist kick. Just watch the way he always keeps one hand on the elbow to restrain it when manipulating a student through the service motion or part of it.

Also, I'm afraid that it's back to a more extreme stance, with more body rotation, muted or precisely controlled as it is in Lewit's system. Bob Ray's example served me well through several matches, but now I go back closer
to what I used to do.

One may wonder about my "dilettantism" with its possibility for destroying myelinization or muscle memory. All I can say is that I would prefer above all else to myelinize the process of tennis learning itself.

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The Stopper 3

The human body is very silly once again, and applying too much projective or conceptual logic to it a waste. Among the tennis-specific exercises in Chris Lewit's most recent article are a rowing finish to strengthen back muscles needed to stop the arm so the wrist will snap better and a slight chopping down of the elbow before the arm straightens up.

1) Rowing release move. A tennis player is not the only one who has occasion to try to touch his shoulderblades together. A sweep oarsman does it along with a double biceps squeeze to make a vacuum behind his blade, which then can pop clean into the air with no water resistance that would slow the boat. Using those same back muscles during a kick serve suggests that everyone should arch while raising their sternum at the very last instant before release of the wrist. This new move replaces left arm or right leg as THE BIG STOPPER. One can punt with one's leg after contact in a Bob Ray type kick serve.

2) Chopping down of the elbow. A rotorded server such as I, who can't get deep enough in Lewit's "all-important buttscratch," hates to give away any of his angle. However, if bringing elbow closer to right ear and as high as possible is now to be permitted (famous teaching pros have used WMD arguments against this with dramatizations of a poor plastic doll experiencing the complete separation, flesh and all, of her arm from her shoulder), such a natural throwing motion might become feasible.

To the court now and report back: 1) Yes. 2) Yes. Well, both ideas are very promising.

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Why Millions of Tennis Players Denied Whip-Crack

I genuinely wondered, always remembering Malivai Washington's serve. Not for nothing did people call him "The Muleteer." Everything was relaxed and flowing, like a wet towel. And everything came down to a crack of Mal's wrist in Rock Creek Park.

Tom Stow's student Jim McLennan always emphasized wrist snap with his own tennis students-- so much that his family gave him a bullwhip either for his birthday or for Christmas-- can't remember which.

And then the tennis voices began to appear. I can't remember in whose ear, other than Joan of Arc. The tennis players in Arc lost faith in the crack in Rock Creek Park.

But the voices resonating around the world from France no longer contained the snark of those in Arc. These new voices said, "I don't think this whip-crack is the genuine article. I think it's an illusion, a phantasm, a romantic notion."

I always wondered if Jim McLennan's faith was shattered by this Arc attack. So I noted with interest twenty years later surfing around the web the other day that, he has a newsletter which anyone can receive if they will overcome a few computer glitches such as overactive spam filter. And I noted that McLennan was still preaching wrist crack, in fact demonstrated how the wrist moved right there on the web video advertising the newsletter.

But I still had questions, so I conducted a rigorous pilot study of my own in which I interviewed six thousand bullwhips, six hundred wet towels, and six black snakes.

I'll spare you the towels and the snakes, dear reader, but here's what the bullwhips undulated in perfect unison speaking as one: "Look, Bot, at how I'm built. A short black handle and a long braided tail, right? I coil, I snap. Simple, no? Can't understand tennis talk anyway."

I didn't press my luck. I thought it perfectly all right to put the pronation after the whip-crack, or before it, or during it, depending on the serve, so long as you only used the word "pronation" among tennis players.

And for years there have been millions of tennis players who thought you only
pronated at service contact-- poor souls. Perhaps one can reason with them.

As for the bullwhip, the wet towel and the black snake, don't even try. They don't understand. You can use them. Other than that, for your own good, just leave them alone.