Similar looking--I think...

[lukman41985]

Despite the big difference in grip, both players seem to have the racquet orientated in the same exact ways throughout the stroke, including through the unit turn and backswing. Both guys use a lot of arm rotation. Does anyone want to do a side-by-side and maybe flip so that Federer, lefty, can be compared with Nadal or the other way around?

[jayfro]

I think this will do it, that was about all I could come up with. Not sure how to post that here and such besides as an attachment.

[johnyandell]

Interesting eh? If you look the difference in the couple of frames prior to contact Nadal keeps the face a little more closed--a function of grip. Federer may actually rotate the shoulders a bit more too. These issues probably require the 250 frame video--which is coming. But interesting! jayfro--ironically something is off with my windows media player--it must know I hate it--because I can't play your attachment.

[johnyandell]

BUT looked at it on the desk top--not the same Raffie clip as above but still...

[jayfro]

Interesting eh? If you look the difference in the couple of frames prior to contact Nadal keeps the face a little more closed--a function of grip. Federer may actually rotate the shoulders a bit more too. These issues probably require the 250 frame video--which is coming. But interesting! jayfro--ironically something is off with my windows media player--it must know I hate it--because I can't play your attachment.

I wish I could figure out how to post my video on the forum, but if you try to open it with quicktime it should work as well. I opened it with Media Player and quicktime however when opened in quicktime it's a bit blurry. I was able to make Raffy a righty though and you can click through frame by frame on the quicktime side by side comparison. It's synched up so that they both are very close to contact at the same time.

JayFro

[lukman41985]

jafro,
That side-by-side was awesome. Thank you! It's just so intriguing to see how similar these guys look when hitting forehands. Just so much racquet speed with both--probably why they hitting the heaviest balls out on tour. Another similarity seems to be how far out front Nadal catches the ball--as far out front as Roger does. And Nadal also seems to keep that arm fairly straight at contact and through. He seems to use a little more elbow lead than Federer, but like Roger, straightens the hitting arm moving into the hitting arm position. Here's a good video of what I'm talking about:

[jayfro]

jafro,
That side-by-side was awesome. Thank you! It's just so intriguing to see how similar these guys look when hitting forehands. Just so much racquet speed with both--probably why they hitting the heaviest balls out on tour. Another similarity seems to be how far out front Nadal catches the ball--as far out front as Roger does. And Nadal also seems to keep that arm fairly straight at contact and through. He seems to use a little more elbow lead than Federer, but like Roger, straightens the hitting arm moving into the hitting arm position. Here's a good video of what I'm talking about:

It's quite interesting to see that arm position with a much more extreme grip. Good observation, I'm glad you enjoyed the right handed Nadal.

JayFro

[lukman41985]

That straight arm position is rather unique for such a westernized grip. The only other examples of other players with this hitting arm position would be Mark "Flipper" P. (Eastern grip--and I'm not going to bother spelling that last name), Paradorn (hybrid grip--and again, I'm passing on the last name...), and of course, Roger (hybrid)--so all these guys have a conservative grip. John, I know you will just love the extension on these shot:


His extension through the shot is just as good as Fed's (if not better):

In the two side views, see how straight the hitting arms are at contact? Wow, Nadal's bicep is huge!