trouble hitting slower than normal

[canadave]

This is going to be a slightly weird question.

I normally hit pretty hard with my PSC 6.1. I crush the ball, topspin it into the court, and play a very aggressive style. With both forehand and 2hbh, I "come over the ball" pretty heavily to counteract the huge pace I try to hit with. Not only do I hit the ball hard, but I have a very quick motion with my strokes.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to "dial it down a notch" to increase consistency. I'm having trouble doing that though.

If I swing "less hard", I can't figure out how to get my hands to roll over the ball "in slower motion" to continue to generate any topspin at all, and I can't figure out how to get any wrist "snap" into the shot. It's particularly bad on my backhand side--trying to get the two hands to move slower has thrown the shot completely off. If I concentrate on trying to hit with a smooth and less-whip-like motion, the ball tends to either come weakly off the racquet, or comes off with a little less pace than I usually hit with (good), but without any topspin and sails long (bad).

Has anyone had this type of problem and figured out how to work through it?

[LeeD]

OK, Mr.JimCourier....
Some people need fast, quick swings to get consistent. You might be one of them.
So when you try to slow down, you gotta employ DIFFERENT technique than just brushing thru the ball, you need some solid contact with a LITTLE spin to control the depth. Since that would be "old school" style, and you're new school fast swinger, it doesn't match, should it? NOPE.
So to get the consistency, not the slower moving ball, you need to concentrate on full shoulder turn, watch the ball longer, and replicate the swing each and every time depending on how you want to hit it, how it comes, and what works for you.
Slow swingers need big head heavy, super lightweight rackets.
You just happen to NOT be one of those. And if you choose that kind of racket, ....goodbye consistency to you.

[Ajtat411]

I have the same problem. It is usually when I'm begin rallying with people and I don't want to swing that hard.

I use a Wilson KSix-One 95 and it is a fast swinging racket and I end up hitting the ball long and off to the right on my forehand. My backhand is fine because I have a 2 hander.

I think it's because my mind is telling me to shorten my stroke to decrease the power therfore get more consistent. But I think I'm wrong because it doesn't work. I really need to swing the racket with a FULL swing but with 60-70% power and actually follow thru with the ball more conciously since racket speed is so slow, it is extra important that you follow thru and like LeeD said, watch the ball longer.

[marsh]

I have the problem also, particularly when I'm playing with my girlfriend or beginners that hit the ball with very little pace. This has been my greatest struggle in tennis since I started playing a year ago. I can keep up with the heavy hitters, but lose all consistency when playing against beginners.

[masterxfob]

i hit pretty flat, but switch to topspin when going for consistency.

[LeeD]

Most of us tend to play towards the level of the opposition.
Soft hitting opposition invites soft hitting from you...and vice a versa.
Mix a soft hitting opposition with you trying to hit hard, and problems usually arrive. Practice more.
Mix a hard hitting opponent with you used to slow, soft balls, and problems arise. Practice more.
One year of tennis is not any practice.
Ten years of tennis might be about average OK in being able to hit different kinds of balls.

[Double bagel]

I have the problem also, particularly when I'm playing with my girlfriend or beginners that hit the ball with very little pace. This has been my greatest struggle in tennis since I started playing a year ago. I can keep up with the heavy hitters, but lose all consistency when playing against beginners.


Sure thing buddy...sure thing.:-?

[mtommer]

Sure thing buddy...sure thing.:-?

Don't be so willing to doubt. I'm the same way. Because I hit hard, I practice at my level (wall hitting) so my strokes are grooved to my level. Because I don't actually have a solid tennis foundation if I'm taken out of my timing I suck. Faster hitters are much closer to my timing than slower hitters. If you don't believe me all you have to do is look at my wall hitting videos and anyone can see I smack the ball around. Watch me play a 2.5 player and you'll wonder if I'm a 2.0 player.

[Nellie]

If you shorten your backswing and/or use a steeper swingpath, you will get a slower, more easily controlled ball. I would not suggest adjusting arm speed, because you end up introducing too many variables.

[mtommer]

This is going to be a slightly weird question.

I normally hit pretty hard with my PSC 6.1. I crush the ball, topspin it into the court, and play a very aggressive style. With both forehand and 2hbh, I "come over the ball" pretty heavily to counteract the huge pace I try to hit with. Not only do I hit the ball hard, but I have a very quick motion with my strokes.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to "dial it down a notch" to increase consistency. I'm having trouble doing that though.

If I swing "less hard", I can't figure out how to get my hands to roll over the ball "in slower motion" to continue to generate any topspin at all, and I can't figure out how to get any wrist "snap" into the shot. It's particularly bad on my backhand side--trying to get the two hands to move slower has thrown the shot completely off. If I concentrate on trying to hit with a smooth and less-whip-like motion, the ball tends to either come weakly off the racquet, or comes off with a little less pace than I usually hit with (good), but without any topspin and sails long (bad).

Has anyone had this type of problem and figured out how to work through it?

I know exactly what you're talking about, I do the same thing. As I've video taped myself I've realized that I do put some spin on my balls and that this is the only reason my balls often land one foot out of bounds instead of hitting the fence. I've also realized that I'm not hitting spin how the pros are hitting spin. The result is that my balls go long and their balls do not. One of the biggest differences I've come to notice is that as pros hit their spin they do so with the face perpendicular to the court - not closed (sometimes maybe a little but often not), not open, perpendicular).

If you can video yourself see if you're hitting with the face closed as you generate your spin. This is what I do. I'm wondering if hitting with a closed face results in not enough ball being "grabbed" and hence not as much spin is actually being placed on the ball as opposed to brushing up the back of the ball and hitting it straight on with a perpendicular face. On the left you can see less ball surface area (allow that Paint doesn't do ellipses on an angle) is getting grabbed by the racquet. The more you hit hard, whether that's against pace or slower balls, the more surface area of the ball you have to hit while generating spin in order to generate enough spin to get that ball to land in. When you hit against harder hitters the ball pancakes more, even if you are contacting the ball with a closed face, resulting in more surface area being grabbed and hence why it's probably easier for you to be more consistent with harder hitting players.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4675/ballspin.jpg

[marsh]

Since my post only referenced pace, I was only referring to pace. Try not to be such an a**!

[user92626]

It's not slow or fast pace that is the problem. It's the variation of pace. If an oppon hits slow consistently. No problem. Hit fast consistently, no problem either. It happens that beginners tend to hit all over the place which they don't even know how their shots were made and that's what gives intermediate/inexperienced players problems.

I play with this guy who has played for a very long time who has the wackiest serve that he tries really hard. He serves in about 10% or less, but when it's in it's nearly un-returnable due to all the junk spin and pace. When that happens we all praise him as a good server! LOL.

[Bud]

This is going to be a slightly weird question.

I normally hit pretty hard with my PSC 6.1. I crush the ball, topspin it into the court, and play a very aggressive style. With both forehand and 2hbh, I "come over the ball" pretty heavily to counteract the huge pace I try to hit with. Not only do I hit the ball hard, but I have a very quick motion with my strokes.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to "dial it down a notch" to increase consistency. I'm having trouble doing that though.

If I swing "less hard", I can't figure out how to get my hands to roll over the ball "in slower motion" to continue to generate any topspin at all, and I can't figure out how to get any wrist "snap" into the shot. It's particularly bad on my backhand side--trying to get the two hands to move slower has thrown the shot completely off. If I concentrate on trying to hit with a smooth and less-whip-like motion, the ball tends to either come weakly off the racquet, or comes off with a little less pace than I usually hit with (good), but without any topspin and sails long (bad).

Has anyone had this type of problem and figured out how to work through it?

I'm surprised no one's pointed out to you that you do not generate topspin by rolling over the ball (common misconception). To generate topspin, you brush up on the back of the ball in a straight path from low to high with the racquet face open to a certain degree. The racquet face doesn't change until after striking the ball on the follow through. Even then, you don't 'roll' the frame or make any rolling motion. Depending on your grip (eastern, western SW, etc), the angle of approach, swing path and contact point will vary.

I think that's why you're not experiencing success... it's difficult if not impossible... when a ball is coming at you quickly (or even moderately slowly)... to "roll" gently and slowly over the top of it. You just come up at a sharper angle if you want to place less pace and more spin on it.

A good tool to practice this concept is the Dunlop Speedball (foam ball that's the same weight as a tennis ball but larger) or something similar (Head, Gamma and Prince also make them). You can really see and experience how changing the racquet face and angle of approach affects the spin/pace of the ball.

Stop trying to imagine (or make) your racquet face 'rolling' over the ball. You want to hit through the ball from low to high.

[mtommer]

I'm surprised no one's pointed out to you that you do not generate topspin by rolling over the ball (common misconception). To generate topspin, you brush up on the back of the ball in a straight path from low to high with the racquet face open to a certain degree. The racquet face doesn't change until after striking the ball on the follow through. Even then, you don't 'roll' the frame or make any rolling motion.

I tried to show that in my picture. You explain it much better though. I was (and still do out of habit but trying hard to break) doing exactly what you said.

[Bud]

I tried to show that in my picture. You explain it much better though. I was (and still do out of habit but trying hard to break) doing exactly what you said.

Yup... it's a common misconception that one must roll the racquet face over a tennis ball to impart topspin. Hitting with different spin and pace becomes much easier when that 'rolling' notion is abandoned.

[Bud]

Watch these Federer videos... hitting a forehand. You never see him rolling over the ball. His racquet face stays at approximately the same angle until after striking the ball... and then automatically changes orientation (based on human anatomy). He makes no conscious effort to change the racquet face after contact. It just happens naturally from the arm moving/rotating around the body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmhvKafCYsk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM0jYWfVFMw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZ7prb43Lk

[dr325i]

I had a similar issue UNTIL hitting with a coach in Serbia a few weeks ago who forced me to hit slow pace balls with the western grip (my regular), top spin (instead of pushing it). That way I was able to "feel" every FH and after an hour or so developed more controlled FH (my BH had no issues of this sort).

It is beneficial to practice half court (like the warm-ups) but make sure you hit full top-spin, low paced shots, focus on the control of your FHs.

[Bud]

I had a similar issue UNTIL hitting with a coach in Serbia a few weeks ago who forced me to hit slow pace balls with the western grip (my regular), top spin (instead of pushing it). That way I was able to "feel" every FH and after an hour or so developed more controlled FH (my BH had no issues of this sort).

It is beneficial to practice half court (like the warm-ups) but make sure you hit full top-spin, low paced shots, focus on the control of your FHs.

This is why I like to use the foam balls for this exercise. They won't fly over the fence and you can see the exaggerated spin affecting their trajectory.

[dr325i]

This is why I like to use the foam balls for this exercise. They won't fly over the fence and you can see the exaggerated spin affecting their trajectory.

I agree!
However, as I said, after an hour or so of practicing, I was able to control my spin so I don't over-power it, hit full top spin and keep it within the service lines.
Then, when we expanded to the full court length, my FP spin felt MUCH more controlled and consistent...

[canadave]

Thanks everybody. There's a lot of good advice here. I'll give it a shot next time I'm out.

[corners]

This is why I like to use the foam balls for this exercise. They won't fly over the fence and you can see the exaggerated spin affecting their trajectory.

Hey Bud, have you noticed that any of the foam balls are better than others? I got some Gamma Revolution balls, and they've the same weight of a normal ball, but sure don't bounce as much. I see the Dunlop Speedball advertises same: same weight and bounce of regular ball. Does it deliver?

[Bud]

Hey Bud, have you noticed that any of the foam balls are better than others? I got some Gamma Revolution balls, and they've the same weight of a normal ball, but sure don't bounce as much. I see the Dunlop Speedball advertises same: same weight and bounce of regular ball. Does it deliver?

I like the Dunlop speedball... it seems to be close as far as weight and bounce... just travels much more slowly through the air. Perfect for mini tennis or practicing strokes.

[SystemicAnomaly]

How do you do with mini-tennis? This is one of the primary reasons to do it.