A New Year's Serve

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From Swim to Rip in One-Handed Topspin Backhand

Petr Korda's timing is so good that he can hit the ball seemingly from straightening of his body alone.

I've described the final arm action in this shot as a slow swim, with the idea that arm provides adjustment but not power.

Vic Braden once aspired to a similar backhand in which arm didn't figure at all. Remember when he was in Argentina and had a holster made for working the racket from his hip?

Maybe one isn't as good as that or just wants more topspin.

"Waggle" is where my mind goes within the one-hander ideas of Doug King (https://tennisone.tennisplayer.net/m...mpart.spin.php). He describes waggle elsewhere (body and racket moving in opposite directions but body always doing the main work to send the golf club or dog's tail the opposite way). Forehands, backhands, volleys and serves are all seen to benefit from pronounced waggle.

I can't really believe I am saying this, and probably will cut such a foolish notion out of my backhand later; nevertheless, after smooth straightening and rolling of arm I plan to try extra lowering of elbow as the string up and down front side of body snaps taut.

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Building

No, just take down racket closer to body for more inside out. With more vertical conflict between bod and tail (waggle).

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Related Ideas and a Bunch of Others Beautifully Expressed by the Great Polymath

http://www.tennisone.com/ Then click on "Keys to Contact"-- One-Handed Topspin Backhand

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Application

I now see that Petr brings strings down from his shoulder to his pocket similar to what Doug King is talking about. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqpARpkF8WA)

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About the Previous Confession

I was straightening and rolling to the outside. Which creates far less racket head speed.

Fortunately, however, this thread has never been about maintaining an image. It is about hitting a tennis ball well.

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In a Power Pocket Forehand

The elbow can fly sideways toward right fence while at the same time it gets pushed by the power pocket very fast toward the net.

The sensation may be-- at first-- that arm work and body work go in the same direction (toward right fence) but the power cord is revolving as well as snapping taut.

Editing Off Any Backward Up and Down Loop
I remain committed to level backward turn of racket about the somewhat bent elbow as something embraced by overall backward body turn at the same time.

What's nice from a design standpoint is that the independent arm motion now gets to continue as elbow itself changes locus to tuck into one's canting side.

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Two Next Questions on One-Hander

What is the aeronautical banking in Petr Korda's backhand? Answer: From raised rear shoulder down to level.

Does Petr get his arm barred early like most tour players with one-handers (but not Federer)? Answer: Both methods are good but, like Federer or Doug King, Korda straightens from elbow a little at a time up to just before contact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqpARpkF8WA

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Holding Form

The first tennis social of the season happened last night at Eastside Tennis and Fitness Facility, Detroit. Would like to say I played well, but didn't, had too much that was new on the mind and had physical therapy earlier in the day so was a bit gassed.

I have two forehands, McEnrueful and straight arm topspin that I can get off quickly but now I want one where I take more space to transition from anticipation to reaction as Doug King advises. Anytime in the past that I have decided to listen to Doug King I have immedately begun to play better so why won't the same thing happen now?

https://tennisone.tennisplayer.net/m...slowmotion.php

I point especially to the yellow line graphic four fifths of the way through showing how elbow can tuck into "power pocket" or body cave a bit farther back than this player thought.

I also now think that slightly hunched-from-the hips waiting posture can help partially achieve the cave before the elbow settles in. This counters advocates of perfectly erect posture the way Poncho Gonzalez did-- he played from an athletic hunch ready to break in any direction.

Did anybody ever say that tennis doesn't entail figuring out the stuff that is right for oneself?

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DB Serve

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...DB1stSRear.mov

The slow hips turn happens as ball goes UP. The fast hips turn (and tail wag and long body kick) happens as ball starts DOWN.

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Big Muscles vs. Small Muscles in a One-Hander

The lesson or word itself does not matter. It's how and if it is received.

The tip one can start with is the racket frame sliding down the upper arm from shoulder to left pocket.

What put the racket in so close that it can actually graze you? A) bent arm, B) elbow position, C) backward roll from the forearm to open the strings, D) the image of a hoop?

Answer: A bit of all but the hoop image consolidates. (https://tennisone.tennisplayer.net/m...o.analysis.php).

As the racket slides and separates from guide hand the hips turn forward.

So tension can start building between the two hands as they slide down.

The tension needs to continue growing after the separation of hands (keep an imaginary hand on the racket)?

The racket butt is being pulled around and forward by the hips.

The arm's task is to resist by keeping the racket spear straight or even cocking a bit toward the outside.

Hips vs. front of the shoulder is the essence of the conflict just as it always has been through the history of the one-handed backhand.

But the hand never pulls the sword out of its scabbard.

Just the opposite. The hand pushes the sword further into its imaginary scabbard.

Until the hips stop and the body straightens with shoulder blades next pressing together.

That is too much. The big muscles have won.

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Reflection

Any little change in tennis is very difficult to bring off. But acquisition of a really great one-handed topspin backhand should be every sportsman's dream.

I go now to court to see if scraping upper arm with inner racket rim looks promising or good.

Also to ensure body straightening to activate racket sling before clenching together of the two shoulder blades, which is to occur after or rather above the contact.

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Green light all the way.

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Playing Tennis on Bad Knees

I understand that split step followed by descent onto foot on opposite side from desired direction is quicker than anything I am about to do.

But it hurts. Even though one could then bring down other foot now splayed in a rapid staccato-- bip bip.

One might see then bip-bip-- step.

So what to do? One doesn't want to stand still like a stone figure on Easter Island.

I suggest the old foxtrot rhythm-- not the only one but a good one-- quick quick slow. Left right left for a forehand, right left right for a backhand, and if you get wrong-footed that's tough.

P.S. The other basic foxtrot rhythm: slow slow quick quick. I certainly don't want that one.

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My Team: The Bad Knees Bears

Volleys, overheads, lobs, service returns: Normal.

Backhands: Right left right (quick quick slow).

Neutral and Semi-Open Forehands: Left right left (quick quick slow).

Open and Semi-Open Forehands: Right left right (quick quick slow).

Shots Farther Away: Don't think but go for them.

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Forehand

So what's it going to be, dog pat or dog tail? Flip or catch? Feel for the ball or collide with the ball? Wind forearm on elbow toward the ball or save that upper arm roll for a baton like wipe? Soft hand or hard? Corn flakes or rice krispies shot from a gun?

The answers: Know thyself. Decide for thyself.

Learning the form of these Doug King strokes could not be a bad idea, not if we want to know what's out there.

And form provides freedom to use the imagination and come up with new stuff, Doug King's best idea of all.

Today I want to try a free wristed forehand identifed by Paul Metzler of Australia (https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...about%20tennis) as a shot in which laid back wrist closes gradually as racket nears the ball.

Why wouldn't this method apply to a power cord forehand?

You get the wrist open early at a place of your choosing to close it gradually along the way-- one more aid to feeling for the ball along with clearing of the hips and shape shifting of the two hands and the natural fall of the elbow to tuck into the cave in one's side.

All of these elements, simultaneous, take the racket in a mild and subtlety producing way to the ball.

Now comes the mondo, no longer a harsh flip but rather the soft catch or grab of the ball.

You just gave the strings the ability to go backward by gentle closing from the wrist first to prepare.

With this subtle hand grab happening as greatest possible force from the right edge of the bod is being applied.

Does this contact become less or more confusing if we break it down?

The bod's right edge pushes both from rotation and bod pocket transforming inside out into taut string. The elbow lifts up the ball toward the net too. The guts moving inside out act as a wedge to extend upper and lower bod. The whole arm wipes like a well-balanced twirling baton. The wrist and fingers give then tighten in a single blend of catch and toss.