Racket Head Speed

[hockeyscout]

is that a yes or no to the video?

Its getting posted for Geoff in November to look at the string.

[stroke]

is that a yes or no to the video?

[hockeyscout]

hockey, I think you really need to post some video of your improvement on the ATP Type 3 Forehand. The talking about it time has kind of passed.

Did I say I made an improvement on the ATP 3? No. That is putting words in my mouth I think.It's all about getting to an ATP 4 or 5. That takes years Stroke. I wonder, is everyone here consciously trying to set a bar higher, or do they see ATP 3 as the be all and end all?

[stroke]

hockey, I think you really need to post some video of your improvement on the ATP Type 3 Forehand. The talking about it time has kind of passed.

[hockeyscout]

hockey, you may need to reread Dr. Gordon's articles on the ATP Forehand. It is all about more compact, more racquet head speed, most biomechanically efficient way to hit a forehand. The example 10splayer gave us is definately in the neighborhood.

I read everything.

This ATP 3 stuff is really great, it is. I love classical tennis. However, it's essentially meaningless to me, and what I want to do. ATP 3 is classic.

[stroke]

hockey, you may need to reread Dr. Gordon's articles on the ATP Forehand. It is all about more compact, more racquet head speed, most biomechanically efficient way to hit a forehand. The example 10splayer gave us is definately in the neighborhood.

[hockeyscout]

Haha, this place is getting nuttier by the minute. But anyway go, the floor is ypurs.

We've got a much different standards on athleticism, size, set ups and skill sets.

[10splayer]

Man, we use that word a lot. Even the young kids use it. If you heard the language kids use on the ice at the 5 to 10 year age groups you'd shake your head. I laugh at McEnroe. Its nothing he's saying compared to a hockey player. I wonder what the tennis world would think if a tennis player could talk like a hockey player, and play psychological mind games with an opponent at that level. Its such a nice civilized game, which is great.

Anyways, to get the topic back on track. I think that guys strokes are just awful, and quite frankly I think my eight year old baby girl hits a harder flatter ball. I am being 100 percent serious here. Deadly.

I am not sure why everyone is so fan-boy appreciate about it. I think mama would throw our little girl off the court if she was ever engaging in such unproductive mayhem.

I would laugh at my little girl if she moved like that guy, and matter of factly suggest she take up lawn bowling or something.

The MMA kids I train would tease my kid and call her a sissy if she played in this sort of fashion.

For us, its a pretty poor standard of play.

Wit all due respect, I can elaborate why it looks so bad to me athletically and aesthetically from a hockey coaches perspective. Maybe you guys might agree with a few things I am pointing out, or maybe you might be comfortable with the current paradigm of what traditional classic tennis looks like, who knows.

Haha, this place is getting nuttier by the minute. But anyway go, the floor is ypurs.

[don_budge]

The Shape of the Swoosh…and Racquet Head Speed

The Shape of a Swing…and Racquet Head Speed

Speaking of shaping the swing. I speak to my students about shaping their swings in the shape of the NIKE “swoosh” in order to shape their shots. The cursive small letter “C” shape...with a long tail. I draw a picture of it with my index finger in the air. I advise them that there is an imaginary piece of pencil lead in the tip of their racquet.

1 set the racquet in ready position, cheating slightly to the forehand
2 turn the shoulders a bit and set the racquet face in the direction of the ball
3 now continue to turn the shoulders and the racquet face is now facing the opposite wall, hands just separating on the racquet
4 take a step and turn the shoulders onto the line of the feet and set the racquet along these two lines…now you have three lines in a single plane
5 turn the shoulders to the ball and show me where the ball meets the racquet position (racquet head slightly lower than the hand)
6 follow through position catching the racquet with the free hand and ready to return to ready position

Now I will demonstrate the swing for them...telling them to listen. I look amongst them for someone wearing the NIKE "swoosh". Look I say to them…the NIKE swoosh is really a “swing” and it makes a noise. Listen I say to them..the noise is a “swoosh” sound as the racquet face is accelerating and meets the ball and just beyond as the noise tails off. The racquet starts to make the swooshing sound just as the racquet is coming to the ball. Just before my step 5. Perhaps this is an indication of the racquet head speeding through the ball. I have my students stand in front of me and I tell them to listen as I swing. Then I tell them to point to the spot where the noise begins…and where it ends. Swoosh…says the racquet. Did you know that is what the NIKE swoosh means? I hope you have learned something.

The shape of the swing is related to the shape of the shot...perhaps inversely related. The shot makes sort of an inverted swoosh…rising and taking off fast on a ascending line but descending rapidly as the topspin takes effect and pulls on the air to bring the ball down quickly…also providing a safety margin for error in the clearance of the net. The shape of the swing influences the shape of the shot.

I remember sitting on top of a mountain somewhere in Arizona. Outside of Tucson if my memory serves me correctly. I had parked my horse down the mountain and climbed the rest of the way on foot. I sat down on the very top on the summit and admired the view below. A small bird took interest in me and flew rather close. The swooshing noise that it made as it flew by me really impressed me. At the time it impressed me how loud it seemed…we were so far from the other noises that pollute the senses. Somehow it seemed so innocent...yet honest and meaningful. I loved that little bird.

[hockeyscout]

And, just to go off topic, I think you tennis players need to watch this hockey link. Its classic. You'll laugh. Guys, we play such different sports!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHMi-j7W2gM

This is Paul Newman's best movie.

[hockeyscout]

I've always wanted to be a fucking water bottle.

.

[EdWeiss]

I agree Phil

I am in agreement with Phil here. Somehow we went from a really interesting and important discussion of racket head speed (and I loved the post of 10splayer about when acceleration should occur) to something quite different and once it takes that turn it becomes hard to bring it back to the original purpose of the thread. I love reading the Forum every day to learn from everyone's perspective. Every contributor to the Forum is obviosly an over the top lover of tennis, albeit with some very different takes on the game and that is what I personally enjoy reading - not the sniping which to my mind just diminishes things. It seems that once one contributor takes a thread into a non-tennis (i.e., personal) direction, it goes downhill from there. That is at least my 2 cents.

[gzhpcu]

Did I go into the wrong thread? Thought it was about racket head speed...

[bottle]

I've always wanted to be a fucking water bottle.

[hockeyscout]

Bottle, you are just a douche as another poster has already pointed out. You need to just stick with your twilight zone thread and keep on responding to your own posts. That is about your speed.

Classy.