Have a Question for Me?

[stotty]

Great feedback by Chris Lewit

John,

What a great article and subsequent thread by Chris Lewit. I know you don't always have time to peruse all the threads so I must tell you how good it's been. And for Chris to give such considered and lengthy feedback to all our questions is really quite something. It's great when such a high level coach interacts with us like this. Doug Eng has done the same in the past too.

I know I speak for others also when I say it's hugely appreciated.

[tntenniswhiz]

Greater Awareness of the Forum Area

John,

I second the comment from our friend from the UK below!!! I believe the opportunity to discuss the latest months entries and other goings on in the tennis world with thoughtful and engaged tennis enthusiasts is at least as important as the articles and videos themselves! In some ways, I think it might be the most important component of this growing community. One of the things that somewhat disappoints however, is how such a small percentage of your subscribers is currently contributing to the threads. Don't misunderstand, I am incredibly impressed with those who are taking the time to develop their thoughts and and share them with the rest of us. But if you look at who is regularly creating the new posts, it's very common to see the same names to be the ones generating them.

It's my perception that your number of subscribers has significantly grown over the last couple of years, and deservedly so. However, it's possible a good percentage of these subscribers aren't even aware of this understated gem found behind the last link of the left menu. And even better, if after discovering "us" they decide to throw in a comment or two. When that occurs, we are all served to yet another degree. \

So, I'm just bringing up the point, and no, not really offering any suggestions! I'm not really sure how you throw additional light on the what's happening in the forum area. Just think it possible that a great percentage/number of subscribers haven't been enlightened yet to the forum's benefit, and could even find contributing to be a bit intimidating once they do enjoy reading others opinions.

Just food for thought!

[johnyandell]

Stotty,

Thanks and totally agreed! I appreciate you saying it and I prod all our writers to contribute.

Greg,

Yeah it's interesting to me. I think a lot of people are lurking and reading the thoughts of others, but it is a mystery why so few post. I think this is one of the greatest resources on the site!

[tntenniswhiz]

Forum Cheerleader???

I may have to pull out my pom poms(no I don't really have any, and felt the need to say that after reading DBudge article on Tilden) and do some cheering for the forums!!

[jimlosaltos]

Stringing Open Pattern Rackets

I don't see many questions about equipment here, but I'll throw this bottle in the ocean and see what comes back.

Question about stringing these new open frame rackets. I tried the Wilson 95S and found at low tension, the strings were constantly out of place, meaning they did not provide the snap-back that is supposedly the raison d'être of co-poly strings. Yet at higher tension, the extra spin disappeared (for me at least) on most, but not all shots. {used Lux 4g at 49/ and 56 lbs mains).

I noticed Dimitrov and Nishikori switched to the Wilson 95S and from photos, it looks like they are using hybrid stringing. What tension and strings work best in these type of rackets? What are the trade-offs? Any idea how Grigor is stringing?

The whole idea is based on Cross and Lindsey; supposedly with less friction caused by fewer crosses, the strings will snap back even better, yet the strings appear not to snap back.

Confused in Los Altos <g>

[johnyandell]

Jim,

You give me far too much credit for knowing such things--and possibly for caring!

Luckily we have experts in the Forum who can probably answer your questions. Post the same questions for Geoff Williams and see what you get!

[jdcremin]

The arm bend after contact on serve

This has probably been said before but the arm bend seems to be similar to what happens after a whip cracks. The whip tip is rotated into the "crack" and at this tiny fraction of a second, the whip end is a straight line (arm at contact). After the crack, the whip "breaks" forward - there is no other possible movement. The bend of the elbow is the result of relaxation. Further, the whip cracks at full extension of the cord (the distal portion of the cord) and I think this full extension is the goal of the service motion and maybe all hard hit groundstrokes.

[johnyandell]

JD,

Think it's different on all the strokes. The elbow on the straight arm forhand is straight well before and after--but the wrist is usually not in line.

On the serve, the extension occurs but is less important than the rotation.

On the backhands both one and two the arm positions are set up up well before contact and don't typically change much at and after the hit.

Look around in the high speed archive and see what you see.

John Yandell

[jimlosaltos]

Ha!

Jim,

You give me far too much credit for knowing such things--and possibly for caring!

Luckily we have experts in the Forum who can probably answer your questions. Post the same questions for Geoff Williams and see what you get!

That's amusing. I know you've expressed disdain for tech Qs before.

I tried Geoff. best/ jim

[johnyandell]

Not disdain so much as limited mental hard drive capacity to address all possible issues. We are going to be trying to understand the basic actions of poly and poly with gut. But the micro fine differences (real or imagined) of all the possible combinations are beyond me and possibly beyond current video technology to really understand. We'll leave that to the instrument called the human hand.

[jdcremin]

JD,

Think it's different on all the strokes. The elbow on the straight arm forhand is straight well before and after--but the wrist is usually not in line.

On the serve, the extension occurs but is less important than the rotation.

On the backhands both one and two the arm positions are set up up well before contact and don't typically change much at and after the hit.

Look around in the high speed archive and see what you see.

John Yandell

Yeah, I quickly realized I was wrong about he groundstrokes but still think I'm right about the serve. I'm just talking about why the arm bends after contact - that it's simply the natural movement of a relaxed arm after it has been thrown out into full extension.

[johnyandell]

Yes I agree with the natural bend on the serve as relaxation. But the key to power is still the rotation from the racket drop up and the continuation after contact.

[jdcremin]

Yes I agree with the natural bend on the serve as relaxation. But the key to power is still the rotation from the racket drop up and the continuation after contact.

Agreed. I also wanted tell you that the articles on back foot alignment and open stance hitting on the 1hbh changed my life - it was the one big thing that I was missing. Best tennis site on the web.

[johnyandell]

That's excellent. So don't get thrown off by the new one coming out on closed stance in the pros!

[stotty]

Any idea what Borg's rpm rate was on his forehand? I just wondered ho it would compare to the players of today.