Forehand/Backhand - Use of core muscles

[meakinrobert]

I've been playing for a couple of years now and, being a fan of this website, I've tried to use many of the ideas presented here.

I have a coach who I see once a week, sometimes twice a week.

Last night she mentioned something that she has talked about before but which I've never really taken in properly. She talked about the use of core strength during the forehand and backhand and how she actually consciously tightens these muscles during the shot. I need to talk to her more about this but I was wondering what the opinion of the players here were on this subject.

She can generate a lot of pace with a short Monica-Seles type take-back on her backhand. Personally, I've generally tried to keep my core only gently engaged during a stroke, focusing more on trying to feel a sense of centred balance and allowing the whip effect of the back-to-forward transition to generate the pace. Consciously tightening the core muscles isn't something that's really occurred to me.

I'd be very curious to hear what others think.

[stotty]

I've been playing for a couple of years now and, being a fan of this website, I've tried to use many of the ideas presented here.

I have a coach who I see once a week, sometimes twice a week.

Last night she mentioned something that she has talked about before but which I've never really taken in properly. She talked about the use of core strength during the forehand and backhand and how she actually consciously tightens these muscles during the shot. I need to talk to her more about this but I was wondering what the opinion of the players here were on this subject.

She can generate a lot of pace with a short Monica-Seles type take-back on her backhand. Personally, I've generally tried to keep my core only gently engaged during a stroke, focusing more on trying to feel a sense of centred balance and allowing the whip effect of the back-to-forward transition to generate the pace. Consciously tightening the core muscles isn't something that's really occurred to me.

I'd be very curious to hear what others think.

The core muscles are central in creating stability. Every time you move or lift something your core muscles tension. This is done unconsciously in most cases. You don't have to deliberately tension your core. Needless to say, strengthening your core muscles pays big dividends in tennis.

[hockeyscout]

Okay, great, lets expand this topic ...

The core muscles are central in creating stability. Every time you move or lift something your core muscles tension. This is done unconsciously in most cases. You don't have to deliberately tension your core. Needless to say, strengthening your core muscles pays big dividends in tennis.

The core muscles are central in creating stability. Every time you move or lift something your core muscles tension. This is done unconsciously in most cases. You don't have to deliberately tension your core. Needless to say, strengthening your core muscles pays big dividends in tennis.

meakinrobert, a fantastic posting sir!

You're coach is interesting, and I'd certainly love to engage on this topic in depthly.

First, wow, interesting take on this Slotty.

I'd sure love for you to expand on this subject as you're above statement are so intrigung to me.

Tennis coaches say these things all the time, and for me, I just love nothing more than to hear more, and share!

It would just be great to get you're thoughts Slotty as a professional tennis coach what you are doing with isometric, isotonic and range of motion exercises? What are your developmental parameters - goals and what you are doing to ensure you don't cause troublesome voids?

Your statement of "strengthen your core muscles pays big dividends in tennis" intrigues me, and I'd love to know how you are integrating this into you're overall stroke production outcomes (if you don't mind explaining it to me of course).

I am not sure I understand Slotty's work strengthening. It would be great if he could clarify that one for me! I am never to concerned about strength.

Me, I want a specific athletic type of fluidity and smoothness of motion, not a kid who can do a ton of sit ups the wrong way, bench 1 billion pounds with bad technique and look strong (when they are not, and will not progress).

Strength is a bad word for me, sorry. I like energy, engagement and fluid power. I'd like to think I build a processor, that runs efficiently and fluidly, and generates clean energy.

Kind of like a tsunami, it don't look like much, but when it rolls up on you it is as heavy, fast and destructive.

A few thoughts now to get the thread started, as this is a must discuss topic.

Before we can think about firing the abs, and doing what Slotty advises, we need to get eight points in gear.

1.

Now, first, the bad news, you're mama taught you from the womb how to breathe. You are either world class in this regards, or average. If you're average you're already behind the field, sorry to say, and not likely to catch up unless you can get some help from someone who really understands this all important science. It's an uphill battle if you did not pick it up in the womb, or from mommy in the first six months of your life. Hopefully mama was a "specimen", and what I call an idiot savant in this area.

2.

Now, don't look to the sky here when I say this and roll you're eyes, but I want to build an athlete from the INSIDE first, not the outside (lets get to work and strengthen abs boys rarara !!!!!!, go team, hit the gym, strong abs, Rocky core, etc don't work, sorry). So, it's organs first. It needs to be done, because if it isn't development will not EVER happen and you'll be left with a kid at 16 wondering where it all went wrong, stressed, injured and psychologically - mentally a mess under pressure.

3.

Lets start with the basics in as simple a way (ABC as don_budge says). You breathe to take maintain an ideal C02 level, and when you do this you send the right nuero - transmittance to the brain which needs to learn correct sequential technique of athletic skills one way or another (of course, every kid needs to be coached differently, and if you coach - mentor them all you're going to have pretty bad athletes).

4.

I have about 12-15 different categories of breathers I can pretty much identify on cue now at this point of my experience, and I can generally sort it out all pretty quickly, and attempt to get it on the right track. It's a real complex science, however, if you want to develop serious athletes you need to ensure they know how to properly oxygenate the brain!

5.

You need to be able to understand how and why your athlete peaks out to fix these issues! How do they fall off at failure? What is the end cause of their failure? How can I fix it? For instance I have one kid who I think is strangulating himself, one who I think has to much CO2 and another who has a lack of carbon dioxide, among other issues (heavy breather, mouth breather, jaw clincher and you name it)! Now, the worst kind is the kid who's parent beats them. I see those ones from a mile away. They are breathing in a way to protect their internal organs when they get hit, and man, those ones are tough to work with, train, teach and reach for obvious reasons. Interestingly enough, the mom or dad usually breathe the same way. It's a sad effect (parents were beat as well and just don't know better). It's an interesting process fixing this, and it takes patience, however, do it right, and you'll max out the kids potential and be on the highway going to the right place.

6.

Anyways, Ed Weiss' kid was VERY interesting for me. I figured out in two seconds watching his video he wasn't a lazy kid, or a kid who didn't have a lot of drive. First off he was hanging with a pretty smart coach (Ed Weiss) who seemed like he was a sponge for new information, so I figured something else was likely going on. So I asked about blood type and diet, as I did not sense this is a kid who does not want to play tennis. First off he did not know his blood type, and neither did the doctor. Ouch. Now, when you go to a Olympic sports training program the first thing they do is, boom, check the PH level in your blood! Bingo! Well, and a few other things, but that is complex, and likely boring as hell to all of you.

7.

So, unless your PH level is where it needs to be, you won't improve SHIT in terms of technique - speed because you're body cannot heal, and regenerate itself. As well, guess what, you won't be able to use your food to get better. I saw Ed's kid had a diet with ice cream, wheat, milk, sugar and all the rest I know in an instant what the end issue is! I pretty much know the kid won't breathe right. I suspect heavy breathing. And, of course his sleep patterns will be screwed up through diet (and not breathing in the correct manner), making it even worse. So, when the athlete has corrected that, he'll see a sudden jump, that is if he takes himself off that old diet properly over a span of time so his body doesn't go into shock.

8.

So, that is the start here.

[GeoffWilliams]

Start grunting at contact. It will naturally cause an exhale, as a grunt enforces abdomen exhalation.

[hockeyscout]

That is great advice Geoff. You sure know the game well. Always a pleasure to read your insight. I am working this all out a lot with a great sprint coach, and getting much better in this area as I think it's overlooked to a major extent. Mrs. Connors was sure ahead of the pack in this regards with her son.

[stotty]

One of the things coaches try to do with performance players over here is make them aware of core stability early on in their development. Despite it being an automated process that doesn't require conscious thought, it's useful to realise what your core is doing. Physiotherapists have ways of detecting when core strength is weaker than desired in kids (or adults) and can administer simple measures/exercises for building it up.

[GeoffWilliams]

A bigger split step can also aid abdomen exhalation. Murray often goes up 9" on his split, as have many top defensive players, ala Chang, etc. More stored energy means more speed. All martial artists exhale and grunt upon strikes and defensive blocks. No one better at core than the Asian masters. Some have mastered the ability to inject power outwards through their core, to an extraordinary degree.

[meakinrobert]

Thank you for all this feedback. It's always a pleasure to read the comments on this site.

Its funny, but grunting is something I've never done, feeling a bit embarrassed about it, to be honest (I’m British). Its something I'll have to work on. I’ve recently bought an AP belt, so the two things can work together, I think. A wider base and a more conscious awareness of what’s happening with the core.

I tried grunting (a little) while serving today and it does have the benefit (new to me, familiar to others, I’m sure) of making you focus on the core. Its interesting what GeoffWilliams says about the martial arts. It makes me think of that Bruce Lee one-inch-punch. No grunting but still this focus on channelled energy.

I’ll try to find some practical progressive exercises. The trouble for me is that this kind of thing has often felt sort of mystical and difficult to grasp.

My coach emailed me with this to say:

I do consciously draw on my core (for dynamic stability more than anything), but not necessarily my core muscles to generate power.

This article explains a little more on what I had in mind when mentioning the core.
http://breakingmuscle.com/mind-body/...e-noisy-exhale

Someone like Monica Seles would also benefit from her short take back because she always tended to be set up early and leaning into her shots, therefore she often also used her body weight to generate the pace through the ball.

[GeoffWilliams]

Check out my article on grunting here on this site, and the watch the video of the stone breaker. 1,500 lb./sq.in (no grunt) vs. 2,000 lb./sq.in with grunt, and a back wards somersault snap back.