ATP forehand

[jcraig]

I just finshed reading part 1 of the article about the ‘New ATP Forehand’ and its says that the forward swing is intiated with the hand movng forward. However, from the video, it looks to me like it is intiated with the forward movement of the shoulder as well as the body (legs) moving up. What am I missing?

[johnyandell]

It's a good question.

I think an important distinction here is the chain of events versus how it may be activated.

In reality it goes legs, hips, shoulders. But you are holding a racquet in your hand and that it what ultimately you are trying to move. Your body knows how to move your hand. So by keying on the movement of the hand--assuming the preparation is correct--you activate the whole chain of events in the proper sequence.

[GeoffWilliams]

It's a good question.

I think an important distinction here is the chain of events versus how it may be activated.

In reality it goes legs, hips, shoulders. But you are holding a racquet in your hand and that it what ultimately you are trying to move. Your body knows how to move your hand. So by keying on the movement of the hand--assuming the preparation is correct--you activate the whole chain of events in the proper sequence.

Listen to this guy.

[don_budge]

Pulling...on a very heavy object.

I just finshed reading part 1 of the article about the ‘New ATP Forehand’ and its says that the forward swing is intiated with the hand movng forward. However, from the video, it looks to me like it is intiated with the forward movement of the shoulder as well as the body (legs) moving up. What am I missing?

"If these positions are established, when the hand pulls the racquet forward toward the contact,"...Dr. Brian Gordon

You aren't missing anything...you just slightly misquoted and consequently misinterpreted. He doesn't say that the swing is initiated with the hand moving forward. He says pull. There is a big difference. This is the problem largely with this thesis or is it the strength of the thesis...it is the language that can trip one up.

Dr. Brian says "when the hand pulls the racquet" but what he means by that is that it is not just the hand that is pulling on the racquet. It is the whole body in effect as John points out in his post. It is a sequence of events.

Imagine that someone is holding your racquet from behind you when you are in position between your backswing and your forward swing and they ask you to pull on the racquet. If you lamely pull on the racquet with just your hand, as most beginning tennis players will, he will then instruct you to use your whole body as if you are to pull on a rope that is attached to something very heavy behind you to encourage you to use your legs, hips and shoulders in the pulling motion.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=1945

We had an interesting discussion in this thread titled "Backswings" started by licensedcoach, about the push back of the backswing and the initiation of the forward swing with the pulling motion. Of course the language is less impressive...even though the ideas are basically the same. There isn't much new under the sun.

[stotty]

"If these positions are established, when the hand pulls the racquet forward toward the contact,"...Dr. Brian Gordon

You aren't missing anything...you just slightly misquoted and consequently misinterpreted. He doesn't say that the swing is initiated with the hand moving forward. He says pull. There is a big difference. This is the problem largely with this thesis or is it the strength of the thesis...it is the language that can trip one up.

Dr. Brian says "when the hand pulls the racquet" but what he means by that is that it is not just the hand that is pulling on the racquet. It is the whole body in effect as John points out in his post. It is a sequence of events.

Imagine that someone is holding your racquet from behind you when you are in position between your backswing and your forward swing and they ask you to pull on the racquet. If you lamely pull on the racquet with just your hand, as most beginning tennis players will, he will then instruct you to use your whole body as if you are to pull on a rope that is attached to something very heavy behind you to encourage you to use your legs, hips and shoulders in the pulling motion.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=1945

We had an interesting discussion in this thread titled "Backswings" started by licensedcoach, about the push back of the backswing and the initiation of the forward swing with the pulling motion. Of course the language is less impressive...even though the ideas are basically the same. There isn't much new under the sun.

Well said, don_budge. And I can tell you the girl's forehand is looking really quite good of late. I may briefly post an update soon.