Distance to Ball

[jeremy93]

I have been enjoying the site this last month. Question for the Forum- I believe many of my students get to close to the ball on the groundstrokes because of their hitting arm structure is so close to the body during the backswing. I think having the elbow close to the body during the backswing is a major reason why people get too close to the ball.

It's like telling your body you have to get close to the ball to hit to because you don't have much space away from the trunk. I teach club tennis and probably at least 7 out of 10 of my students consistently get too close to the ball on their groundstrokes. Again I believe it's because of their set up. Meaning they prepare with the elbow so close to the body.

Several of my students when I tell them to do a practice swing they swing with the elbow very close like a golf contact. It just seems natural for players to have the elbows in. Reading and watching so many of your articles and videos it sounds like you feel the same way. Why do you think people get too close to the ball on groundstrokes???

[eaglesburg]

I have been enjoying the site this last month. Question for the Forum- I believe many of my students get to close to the ball on the groundstrokes because of their hitting arm structure is so close to the body during the backswing. I think having the elbow close to the body during the backswing is a major reason why people get too close to the ball.

It's like telling your body you have to get close to the ball to hit to because you don't have much space away from the trunk. I teach club tennis and probably at least 7 out of 10 of my students consistently get too close to the ball on their groundstrokes. Again I believe it's because of their set up. Meaning they prepare with the elbow so close to the body.

Several of my students when I tell them to do a practice swing they swing with the elbow very close like a golf contact. It just seems natural for players to have the elbows in. Reading and watching so many of your articles and videos it sounds like you feel the same way. Why do you think people get too close to the ball on groundstrokes???

My first guess would be for greater control

[johnyandell]

Have them model the contact point with the hitting arm position you want and the space you want. Back that up with the right spacing to the start of the forward swing. Have them close their eyes and go from there back to the contact. Now have them try to replicate the entire preparation keeping the spacing. Ask them to use the same image when they hit.

[jeremy93]

Thanks John. Recently i had a couple students get there left arm straight and parallel to the baseline during a forehand and had them catch the ball literally. This helped them a lot to gauge the space they needed to hit the ball. They even told me it helped a lot. I think another good way to get them out of the too close to the ball habit is to just drop the ball for them into their strike zone so that they can FEEL the spacing of the hitting arm elbow away from the body.

[jeremy93]

My first guess would be for greater control

I think people get to close to the ball mainly because of bad footwork and poor judgment in tracking the incoming ball.

[jeremy93]

My first guess would be for greater control

I think people get to close to the ball mainly because of bad footwork and poor judgment in tracking the incoming ball.

[stotty]

I think people get to close to the ball mainly because of bad footwork and poor judgment in tracking the incoming ball.

Correct.

And so are your corrective measures in post #4. The left arm can act as an excellent spacing mechanism.

I think sometimes players deliberately (in a kind of subconscious way) get close to the ball because it feels safer and more controllable for them, despite the fact they aren't able to swing freely. Shoving can feel safer than swinging in a minority of players.

In a similar way, some beginners toss the ball very low when they serve because tossing the ball higher feels a lot more insecure, and timing more tricky.

Getting close to the ball can sometimes be a security thing.

[bottle]

But don't forget, Stotty, the whole idea of inside out swing. My first exposure to it was in the old video cassette TENNIS OUR WAY where Stan Smith advised forehand shape in which elbow started from in close and then worked its way gradually out for the hit.

As you and I have discussed before, there are many different ways in tennis to hit a ball.

Right now I'm working on a forehand which seems like complete "forward emphasis" with contact therefore a bit more to the left. The shot, which certainly is not cramped, is not really the kind of shove that would push the ball like a dead seagull but rather a very light and deft zing if I can try to describe it by its sound.

The elbow is delayed, the arm is set at 3/4 length. During the adjustment phase just before one throws that elbow from an absolutely relaxed shoulder, the tip both goes under and comes somewhat around to find the aim and height one desires. A little bit of whole arm roll as part of the preparatory mix right then sometimes can help keep contact point more constant in the different situations.

There's a lot of extension in this shot, it seems to me, a push on a stuck cellar door. Followthrough, decelerating, comes back over the shoulder yoke.

I'm writing about this shot all the time at A NEW YEAR'S SERVE but thought I might like trying to describe it to someone I know who has the knack of listening well just to see if such personal description might change or polish anything.