Have a Question for Me?

[ralphoaxaca]

John

I recently joined your web site and must say I have gained immediate results! To define my background a bit; I'd probably classify myself as one of the better players in Merced County.

But now the reason for writing you is this......

The section on grips has made an absolute day to night difference in my forehand. Now I'm hitting the ball in the sweet spot almost every time I hit it!
What made the difference? Well, first I want to say I always thought I had an Eastern grip but after reading your article on grips, I realized my grip was neither of any of the grips you described. In short, my index pad was on the side bevel but my heel pad was sitting on the 2nd bevel (2nd bevel from the top, left to right). So to I lined up my heel pad to sit on the same bevel as my index pad; which matches your description of the Eastern Grip . Bam!!! the difference is unbelievable; I'm swinging freely at the ball and it feels great to drive the ball!

As for the serve; I've always felt my serve was always lacking a rhythm to it; only sometimes achieving the feeling of hitting the sweet spot. It's embarrassing to tell you how many years I've experimented with the back swing and not achieving any results. Then I read "back drop" article about Paul Goldstein and John McEnroe. Then I tried the exercise you recommended where you swing the racquet in a full circle; next thing I know my serving arm seems to move freely through the serving motion and now it feels like I'm hitting the sweet spot a lot more often (day and night difference again!).

I know I've read this article about the racket drop but I still can't quite get my mind around it as to why the exercise works and how it's making such a big difference? Can you describe again what this exercise is doing to improve the mechanics of my serve?

I need a quick remedy on my two handed backhand.........for about the last month or so all 3 of my strokes; Forehand, Serve and Backhand have been working really well at the same time! Then of all of sudden; my back hand is out of sync! For a time I was able to deliver a quick clean cut at the ball; my arms seemed to swing freely through the stroke. It basically felt like I could swing as hard as I could and still hit the sweet spot while keeping the ball in play.

Now at times it feels like there's a hitch during the swing. I've tried to remedy this by stepping forward with my right foot as the ball approaches me; rather than moving my left back first to get me into a ready to hit position. This foot work seems to alleviate the hitch, but having trouble incorporating it while on the run.

Do you have any rhythm building or foot work exercises for two handed backhands like you do for the Serve?


Ralph Serrano Oaxaca

[johnyandell]

Not sure you can. Playing style is mostly a matter of personality. You can try something like having him play points and the game is to win 11 points all on winners or forced errors. But players develop in their own way at their own pace. The more confident he becomes the more he will be willing to try things.

[uspta4201423750]

p.s.

King Van Nostrum is a legend on Long Island

[uspta4201423750]

unleashing the power within

Hey John,
My son is playing well, and his stroke technique is much more solid now than ever, but he seems afraid to really hit the ball with all of his energy. He looks like he's hitting the ball about 50% as hard as he could. It's annoying because I've always been a very safe player too, and I'm dying to find a way to get him to just go for it and stop worrying about getting it in. How can I get him to unleash the beast within?

Harry Kingsley

[johnyandell]

OK back from Baja where, blissfully, I was completely unconnected for a week--something I should do far more of...but to answer the questions:

Did not attend 40s nationals--but jeff will be reporting on that.

JMP forehand hitting arm structure--very good question! His arms are ultra long, which makes any bend seem less. Also we have not filmed him yet at 250 frames which will give much more definitive look. Check out my article on his forehand in Tour Strokes. My opinion at this point is that he is like Federer--some straight, some double bend, some inbetween.

And as for Mr. KVN, don't know him, who knows maybe we will meet.

[ochi]

King Van Nostrand

How about asking King Van Nostrand to write a column? Here's a man who's been winning scores of national and international titles for decades. A really nice, modest person. I met him and his daughter, Molly, once, at a Team Tennis event. "I hear you're a heck of a player," I said. "Used to be," he replied in an aw-shucks manner. Well, he still was and still is. I'd like to know how he adapted his game through the decades. He's now 71, I believe.

I hope he'll write a book -- or has he by now?

[shiuey]

Re: Juan Martin Del Potro Forehand

Dear John,

Great posts of Juan Martin Del Potros forehand. Would you classify his forehand as a straight arm forehand?

I also had an idea for you regarding teaching the service return. I have heard it said by several instructors that you can tell the type of spin on a serve by the sound the ball makes when it is struck. Do you think that this is true? If so could you put up the sounds on your site associated with the different types of serves?

EJ

[mntlblok]

Jeffs - Greenwald and Tarango

Hey, John,

Did you attend the National 40's Hard Courts?

Kevin

[johnyandell]

He isn't really specifying but safe to say the knuckle is at least over the edge of one back toward eight.

[uspta146749877]

definition of western backhand grip

John,
Robert Lansdorp using the phrase "western backhand grip"
( see a new issue).
What is a definition of terms of bevels?
Thank you

[johnyandell]

Very hard to say anything of course without looking at the player and even watching matches. The other more extreme woman is Petrova. Seems that very few women are 4/4 or more extreme. Most have a 3.5 in there somewhere.

[florian80]

forehand grip in womens pro tennis

Hi John,

I posted this as a separate thread but then realized you have a thread where you answer questions.

what are your thoughts on acceptable forehand grips in womens pro tennis ? i am supposed to do a video analysis and possibly work with a very promising 15 year old girl that has already had some pro success. i have only seen a few clips on the iphone and it looks like her forehand grip is quite severe. looks like it is significantly underneath the handle. she is quite tall as well and her dad told me to no surprise of course that she loves high balls on her forehand and hates low fast balls. i told him that if she ever plays venus, serena or maria or whoever there wont be any high balls to the forehand but many low fast ones.

now i tried to think of top pro female players with extreme forehand grips...mauresmo came to mind but her forehand is a liability in my opinion. safina i thought about for a bit but looks like a semi-western 4/3.5 to me.
anyways...i know it is hard to put a number on these things but how far do you think is too far ?

thanks in advance

[johnyandell]

Yeah it's a great suggestion. We have a couple of things in the work's doubles wise. There are several excellent articles in the strategy section. but we would like to supplement that with actual doubles patterns and shots.

Not sure when, honestly, that'll get to the top of the list, but eventually.

[chuck62]

Doubles

John,
Have you considered starting a doubles section ? You could call it the doubles alley and have famous doubles specialists like the Bryans, McEnroe and Navratilova commenting on strategy and shot making specific to doubles. In Atlanta we have a year round doubles only league called ALTA with about 80 thousand members but I have noticed that there is verly little on the web that focuses on doubles skills.

[uspta2712824457]

Re: Edberg

6 matches would be tough to film with Edberg. I feel your pain John. No worries. With Edberg or without him, your site is still the best. Thanks again for all you do.