I cringe when players say they’ve been coached to produce ‘over spin’ on their ground strokes.
The phrase unfortunately sends the wrong message to the wrist and forearm…’to produce topspin, turn the hand and forearm over’.
Ouch. Get a refund if your coach speaks of over spin and turning the hand and forearm over in the hitting zone. Ask him or her if the forearm rotation isn’t post contact…if the picture of the master isn’t what to strive for.
Like most great golf coaches will say…there are a hundred different backswings and follow throughs but the moment of contact is not to be toyed with.
Have a look at this #1 high school singles player.
Thankfully, her coach has not told her to turn over for the desired spin. The ball is seen post contact and she’s moved the racquet up but not over resulting in up spin, cleaner contact, and far fewer net errors.
If you saw this player with this stroke practicing on a ball machine, you’d know that she would become a solid forehand player.
** Her grip is the favored semi western and, if you saw this same shot a few frames later, the hand and forearm would have turned over mostly due to comfort and accommodation to this up spin friendly grip.
** Vic Braden and Gideon Ariel discovered that the ball only resides on the strings for 4 to 7 one thousandths of a second. Ask yourself if you’re really good enough to manipulate your hand and forearm over accurately and consistently in that ever so brief window of time.
** I first heard the word upspin from Larry Loeb and The University of Pennsylvania tennis hall of famer has it right.
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