Tennis Video Analysis
Tennis backhand consistency and form problems?
So, I play tennis a lot and I find difficulty keeping my backhand fluent, and as effective as I want it to be. I was trying to combine or adapt Sampras’, Federer’s, and Gasquet’s backhand but I cannot get the feel for it. I am a one-hand backhand user, and occasionally, if i’m tired, i use two handed. Every time I hit a one-handed backhand, the ball spins sideways [sidespin] instead of topspin [which is what I want]. Also, what kind of grip should I use? How hard should I grip my racquet for the backhand. Should my wrist be loose or locked? Should I grip the raquet inward or at the tip of the handle? Also, do you have any video links pertaining to Federer, Sampras, or Gasquet backhand analysis?
I use a one-hand backhand, and I also use Federer’s racquet with a ton of lead weight. Been playing for 21 years, and it’s taken me around 15 years to get it really good… and from the careful analysis of Kuerten and Federer videos, I have really improved it in the past few years. My practice partners say they really get afraid of it, when I line up for passing shots.
Good links:
Federer practicing… awesome videos.
You’ll also find a ton of Federer, Kuerten, and Sampras quicktime videos at the following site download that I keep on my harddrive, but you need to be a member… something like $20 or $30/year, but it’s worth it. Because you can davance frame-by-frame using quicktime.: http://www.tennisone.com/
Stance:
Although it is possible to hit a topspin one-hand open stance, I don’t recommend it – only in emergency situations. Federer does this sometimes. Ideally, you want to be in close stance. You want to drive your racquet shoulder forward into the shot, with your racquet knee in front, and bent. Try not to lean over too much toward the backhand side – lean a little, but not too much. You want to have you feet aligned under your head, but slightly in back, so that you can recover with little effort.
Grip:
I usually have my knuckle close-to or right on the top edge (Eastern to slightly-extreme Eastern grip. Federer and Sampras use an Eastern Grip, and Kuerten and Henin use an Extreme Eastern grip) I vary (now automatically and unconsiously) depending on the height of the shot. http://www.tennisone.com/magazine/grip_backhand.php) Grip should be only tight enough so that the racquet doesn’t fly out of your hand. If possible, keep a tight grip, but a loose and relaxed wrist.
Wrist:
Your wrist should be LOOSE and relaxed, but it should not be flopping around. The wrist should be pretty stationary through the contact zone, but it should not be too tight – this can lead to injury, and can rob you of some power if your timing is not right. The wrist muscles are only used to control the racquet face angle. You can see the Federer and Kuerten both have free-flowing follow throughs…. and indication that their wrists are loose.
The power in the stroke doesn’t come from the wrist – it comes form the larger muscle groups, back, shoulder, and muscles that drive the elbow.
The stability doesn’t come from the wrist – it comes from the racquet-head achieving full speed before making contact with the ball. The wrist muscles are too small and weak to do these things – they are only good for controlling the racquet-face angle.
Using too much wrist can also throw off the alignment of the stroke and racquet face.
Arm Motion:
Take-back should be high… to also look like a slice, but to also allow you to drop the racquet, before the forward swing.
My forward swing is like taking a sword out of a sheath. Do not use any wrist motion to get power. Power should come from the shoulder, and from some elbow. But the elbow should straighten out just before contact.
Spread your wings through contact — your non-racquet arm should fly backward, and your chest should open-up through the contact zone. This is to act as a ballast for the stroke (to counter the forward motion of your racquet-arm), so that you can keep your balance, stability, and alignment with the shot. This also keeps you from rotating your torso forward too early, which could rob you of power and screw-up your alignment.
The motion is also like throwing a frisbee. It should also feel like flinging a ball at the end of a chain.
Timing:
I guess it goes without saying — Start the preparation and the forward swing early. If you’re trying to use wrist to drive the stroke, then you may be doing things too late. If you are early enough, it should feel as though the racquet-head has already reached top-speed before striking the ball. All power comes from the racquet head-weight plowing into the ball…. so the racquet should already be moving its fastest when it hits the ball. You know you’ve done this successfully if your wrist is relaxed, and at contact, it feels like the racquet-head is a metal ball at the end of chain and you are pulling the ball-weight through the axis of your racquet and through the butt of your handle.
Eyes:
Keep your eyes down at the contact point, even a little after contact. Lifting you head and eyes to watch you shot too early will cause you to pull up prematurely resulting in a shank.
|
|
Speak $5.49 Based on the celebrated novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, this powerful drama stars “Twilight’s” Kristen Stewart, in an early role, as a high school freshman traumatized after she is raped. Feeling isolated and unable to talk with her preoccupied mother, she withdraws into silence. But with the help of a kindly art teacher, Stewart slowly rediscovers her voice. Steve Zahn, Elizabeth Perkins co-star…. |
|
|
PE Video Analysis Assessment Toolkit: Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis $58.51 … |
|
|
MOTIONPRO! Motion Analysis Software for All Sports Ideal for Golf, Bowling,Baseball etc… $99.99 MotionPro! is the ideal swing analysis and motion analysis software for golf, tennis, bowling, baseball, and all other sports. If you want to improve your skills as a player or as a coach then you need video feedback. MotionPro! makes it easy for you to perform powerful video analysis of any sport using equipment you probably already own! Are you looking for golf swing software or video analysis… |
|
|
Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness: Special Book/DVD Package $13.63 Features testing, techniques, drills, and training programs for maximizing an athlete’s innate movement capabilities. Book has 195 drills; DVD features complex drills and tests. Lee E. Brown, Vance Ferrigno. 2005, 264 pgs. 3 lbs…. |
|
|
Tennis Skills Analysis: A Practical Guide For Observing Performance [VHS] $207.81 This videotape shows students how to analyze and improve their own and other’s performance. The series won first place in their category in the AAHPERD Ninth National Video Contest based on concept, creativity, script writing, performance and audiovisual production…. |
