Interactive Forum September 2022: Jannik Sinner Forehand

[arturohernandez]

JY probably has something to say on the subject, arturo.

Here's a quote from the latest issue's Your Stokes (Drew's Forehand):

"For Drew on his forehand, the first key was to improve his turn. And the key to the turn for any player is the left arm stretch.

Drew's left arm was bent and never straightened out completely. Although his shoulders were turned, they were around 90 degrees or less to the net."

Perhaps Sinner doesn't manage this when rushed? Or perhaps he just coils better, with or without a straight arm. He must have tremendous upper body flexibility, as well as strength, given what BG says about his "aggressive upper body rotation".

regards
Rob

I have tried this with my daughter. Might remind her tomorrow on the practice court. Here is her coil. My guess is that John would want it to be more than 90 degrees to the baseline. Or not. Any opinion johnyandell?

[johnyandell]

Yes that would be my first idea. Fully stretched around the bounce.

[jschaff]

You do not have to have a long lever to hit the ball hard. Look at Fabo and Alcaraz. Both are small guys with shorter arms than, say, Isner or Sinner. Fognini, Alcaraz, and Nadal intentionally make contact with a straight arm, with their core going at maximum angular velocity, This results in maximum racket head speed at contact. This results in maximum/optimum ball compression that results in maximum/optimum ball control. Actually these guys have a quick angular acceleration of their bodies that they stop abruptly ( see Casper Ruud and Alcaraz in slow motion from their US Open semifinal matches). This abrupt stoppage creates massive potential energy that results in maximum kinetic energy at the racket string bed. This is the biomechanical explanation for their incredible ball speed and control.

I could watch these guys for hours (and I do) looking for that one little efficiency move that gives each of them such a "mutant" ability to do what they do. You wanna see something biomechanically amazing? Watch Kyrgios' serve, or Isner's serve. Amazing stuff there. Of course being 6-10 with arms that reach to the sky, and hitting the ball from 4 ft inside the court without foot faulting can be a serious advantage too.

[jschaff]

I tell all my students to point their off shoulder (left for rightys and right for leftys) at the oncoming ball. This makes the racket face go way back and usually the hitting surface aims at the back fence before it uncoils/unloads on the ball. And it takes almost no muscular force to get the intended result. It definitely works.

[doctorhl]

You do not have to have a long lever to hit the ball hard. Look at Fabo and Alcaraz. Both are small guys with shorter arms than, say, Isner or Sinner. Fognini, Alcaraz, and Nadal intentionally make contact with a straight arm, with their core going at maximum angular velocity, This results in maximum racket head speed at contact. This results in maximum/optimum ball compression that results in maximum/optimum ball control. Actually these guys have a quick angular acceleration of their bodies that they stop abruptly ( see Casper Ruud and Alcaraz in slow motion from their US Open semifinal matches). This abrupt stoppage creates massive potential energy that results in maximum kinetic energy at the racket string bed. This is the biomechanical explanation for their incredible ball speed and control.

I could watch these guys for hours (and I do) looking for that one little efficiency move that gives each of them such a "mutant" ability to do what they do. You wanna see something biomechanically amazing? Watch Kyrgios' serve, or Isner's serve. Amazing stuff there. Of course being 6-10 with arms that reach to the sky, and hitting the ball from 4 ft inside the court without foot faulting can be a serious advantage too.

I swear that Alcaraz pivoted over 180 degrees on his front foot while hitting his two hander putaways, several times against Ruud.