klacr Strokes

[don_budge]

LCD (Lowest Common Denominator)…until Forehand ='s Backhand

Backhand: I really enjoy hitting my backhand. I'm comfortable with it. I like to hit it from all areas and all angles. I have variety and it just feels natural.
Take a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEN_TEQs8zo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJv8MRLEmJs


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Love my backhand. I'd be willing to made those tiny adjustments but not looking to change entire stroke obviously. Not that you are insinuating that. In fact, I need to use my comfort level on my backhand to teach my forehand. I can hit my backhand stepping in, moving wide, moving back deep, really anywhere and be completely confident in it. When I miss my backhand I'm pretty damn shocked. But that's rare.

I will showcase my slice in the next set of videos I'll post in a few weeks. I do enjoy my slice equally the same as my drive.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

If you notice that in every single one of your backhand shots that your feet are placed in the very exact position every single time. This also insures that your hips and shoulders are going to be in the very same exact position every single time. By taking the racquet back with a turn of your body you have insured that the racquet will begin it's forward motion from the very same position every single time. All of this adds up synchronistically speaking to the inner clock that see the ball as it bounces and naturally starts you towards the ball with the same rhythm and sense of balance.

When I stop the video at any point in your backhand swing you are always in the same proportionate position. That is…the body is always lined up with all the parts where they should be when they should be. When I do the same thing with your forehand the body parts may be lined up somewhat differently every time. You are lined up perfectly one time but the shoulders are way out ahead of everything another. Get my drift?

The backhand swing is therefore repeatable and is less susceptible too losing the feeling when you are under stress or are hurried. With the proper placement of the feet the hips are turning to the ball to initiate the swing every time at the same pace. No wonder…again that it feels more natural. The power is effortless and seamless. The irony is that if you desire your forehand to feel the same way as your forehand you must be able to duplicate this rhythm every single time with your swing and it will start with proper placement of the feet and lower body as I discussed with you earlier.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/rogerfederer/rogerfederer_backhand/rogerfederer_bh_center/rogerfederer_bh_center.html?FedererBHCenterFront1.mov

Take a gander at frame #36 in Roger's backswing…the three lines of racquet, shoulders and feet. The vectors are all lined up…the ducks are all in a row. To go forwards. Swoosh! Shoulders slightly tilted and the front shoulder pointed at the ball. Front foot planted securely on the ground…heel too!

The one little tiny suggestion that I have is on your backswing…you might play around with the height of your hand at the top of the swing. See how Roger Federer's racquet is tipped up more than yours. He keeps his arm closer to his body on the backswing and therefore the hand doesn't get so high either. It looks to me as if your backswing may be a tad high…afterall you are so huge it probably isn't necessary to take it back so high. I would suggest the same thing on your forehand as well.

Take advantage of your size…by making yourself smaller. More irony. On second thought…why not point that right shoulder a little more downwards at the ball with your arm tucked a little closer to your body on your drive as the upwards rotation of the shoulders on the forward swing will give some additional rpm's…which won't hurt things either. A little tilting in the shoulders may just press those boats into the earth a bit more and prevent you from lifting off of that back foot. Right heel to the ground…Big Guy.

So we borrow from the side that feels the most natural to duplicate that feeling on the other side of the body. Fortunately for you that you hit the ball flat and hard. If you were hitting the ball loopy and spinny it is a much more difficult fix.

Love the backhand. Compared to your backhand your forehand is a bit of a slap. The backhand is such a dynamic "stroke"…a rhythmic unfurling of events. Borrow from it to bolster the forehand. Balance the equation. Even though I know that you don't like the math.

I love the conversation we are having. As you said…it is teacher and student working together. What teacher wouldn't kill to have a student like yourself…it would only be a question of who?

All of my comments about the backhand were made with the forehand in mind as well. I am always working both sides of the equation…like a mathematician. Borrow from the backhand and give to the forehand. It is the forehand to concentrate on…until the equation is balanced. On the other hand you are more receptive on the left side, so some fine-tuning can be accomplished at the same time. Keep raising the bar on the backhand side…being a perfectionist you won't quit until the equation is balanced on both sides and reduced to the LCD (Lowest Common Denominator).

Tilt the shoulders…to tilt the racquet.

Any questions…feel free to ask. A great conversationalist often is the one who asks the best question.

"In fact, I need to use my comfort level on my backhand to teach my forehand."

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

[gzhpcu]

Thanks John, much easier to analyze.

[johnyandell]

Serves

Serves

[johnyandell]

Volleys

Volleys

[johnyandell]

Quicktime Backhands

Backhands

[bobbyswift]

amazing work John.

[johnyandell]

Quicktime Versions

Forehands

[GeoffWilliams]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrZXReLNU1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSVpIJ4zF80

See how berd coils sideways, angled towards the right net post? All top forehands do the same thing: angle the chest towards the net post, no matter what the stance: open, closed, neutral. Deeper knee bend, and large snap back? He has a larger coil backwards, inverting the frame towards the net, twisting against his own torso, and larger uncoil forwards. That's the shot you should be emulating. Compare it to your coil: no inversion, chest not coiled: straight on to the net, little snap back, no over the neck wrap a round on uncoil. "Shadow swing a couple of thousand times"

[klacr]

Love this thread. Great to see everyone taking an interest in one of our great contributors.

Regarding the racket drop, I thought it would be interesting to check out Del Potro as 1) he is about the same height as Kyle and 2) like Kyle, he has a conservative (old school) grip. The link below completely supports what many on the thread have said - even a big guy needs to get the racket head under the ball. As Don Brousseau said, gravity applies to everyone!


http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...nter&stroke=FH Center NeutralStance Front 240fps.mp4

"Gravity applies to everyone"

So you mean even at my size I can't disobey the laws of physics huh? Bummer. Need to have a talk with that Isaac Newton character.

Thanks for the input Ed. I think you are on the right path and bring up a fair question.
Is there a specific distance in inches or feet that I need to drop the head below the ball? Do I need to get even lower due to my height or can I drop a minimal amount due to a higher strike zone height relative to a guy that is 5'10"?
Or are these questions insignificant because the actual measurement is so minimal it would do me more harm than good if I thought about it? Should I just go out and take a few gulps from a bottle of 1945 Bordeaux and just relax? If the latter, A Mouton Rothchild perhaps?

Kidding aside, I probably would get more out of seeing taller guys still have to drop the racquet and see how they maneuver their limbs. Del Potro is a good example. What about Berdych or Cilic? Would these be good models?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwxhXbZ4f0k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrZXReLNU1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSVpIJ4zF80

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

http://youtu.be/4AhVtScEkZ4

This is what we all expect by next week.

No Promises! Although he looks good, my aspirations are much higher. I don't want to be Roger. I want to be Kyle LaCroix. Pave my own path. To be a rock and not to roll.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[EdWeiss]

Great Thread

Love this thread. Great to see everyone taking an interest in one of our great contributors.

Regarding the racket drop, I thought it would be interesting to check out Del Potro as 1) he is about the same height as Kyle and 2) like Kyle, he has a conservative (old school) grip. The link below completely supports what many on the thread have said - even a big guy needs to get the racket head under the ball. As Don Brousseau said, gravity applies to everyone!


http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...nter&stroke=FH Center NeutralStance Front 240fps.mp4

[10splayer]

http://youtu.be/4AhVtScEkZ4

This is what we all expect by next week.

[klacr]

Here's an animation of what I'm talking about in the above post. Watch how Kyle uses his shoulder rotation to start the sequence, which is followed by the pulling of the arm forward, followed by the racket which is in the slot position.

Two other standouts for me are Kyle's awesome use of his left arm. He really keeps his left hand on the racket head (right by his right ear) to get a great shoulder coil. And then start the uncoiling of the shoulders by sweeping the left hand to his opposite side.

And second, his balance and center of gravity are fantastic. He is not leaning forward or backwards. Just a solid center of gravity around which his upper body rotates.

The most interesting thing about this forehand, and some of the other positives on my other shots that people have commented on is I think absolutely ZERO about those elements. just natural. Go figure. The items that have been brought up have always been issues and I try to focus on those in the past but clearly to no avail. Funny how the mind and body connection happens.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Will send you a message soon about a possible business trip to Switzerland I have coming up. Would love to hit for a few days and we'll work on your racquet drop and my forehand

Kyle LaCroix
Boca Raton

Wow, that would be great Kyle!

[klacr]

The funny thing is, I bet Kyle is the best player in this thread....

Thanks Phil. We may never know if we can't organize this tennsiplayer.net tennis tournament now would we? . In the end, it's all relative. I currently have 0 grand slams.
Being the best hypothetical player is of little value. It's nice to be important, it's more important to be nice.

I just love to hit the ball and hit all shots against all players of all ages and ability. Love to learn about the game.

Will send you a message soon about a possible business trip to Switzerland I have coming up. Would love to hit for a few days and we'll work on your racquet drop and my forehand

Kyle LaCroix
Boca Raton