semiwestern comfort/ideal contact zone?

[nViATi]

I switched to semiwestern from eastern a couple of weeks ago to try and raise my comfort zone. i usually could hit great shots with low balls but i couldn't hit high balls at all. now with semiwestern i can hit higher shots a bit better but i noticed that i still hit my best at about knee height. is this normal for a semiwestern grip?

[Phil Daddario]

I read somewhere you had an extreme Western, Beratasegui style. Must've been some one else.

The ideal contact zone is whatever works for you. For most people with a SW grip, it's around the waist. It obviously varies a bit. So just do what's comfortable.

People find their comfort zone usually on what balls they were grooved to. Balls are typically fed relatively low, which is why so many people are comfortable hitting at that height, no matter what grip.

According to research and whatever, ideal zones for grips are different. Eastern grips are from the knees to waist, in that zone. SW grips are pretty much around the waist to maybe the middle chest at most. Western grips are about at the belly button to shoulders in what's comfortable.

But even if that's what's proven to be "ideal", what's really ideal is just what's comfortable. If you're hitting at the knees still, keep doing it.

[x Southpaw x]

I read somewhere you had an extreme Western, Beratasegui style.
w00t.
What's the Beratasegui style??????

[Phil Daddario]

Alberto Beratasegui (I think that's how it's spelled) was a guy with a HUGE extreme grip. One bevel past Western. He beat Agassi in some tournament, who commented the guy's forehand was extremely hard to return.

So, HUGE topspin, and probably the same huge problems with hitting the ball late and low balls. The guy must've had godly timing to get that far with the grip.

Unfortunately, after that tournament (I think he lost in the finals) nobody's ever really heard of him anywhere else. At least I haven't.

[x Southpaw x]

Alberto Beratasegui (I think that's how it's spelled) was a guy with a HUGE extreme grip. One bevel past Western. He beat Agassi in some tournament, who commented the guy's forehand was extremely hard to return.

So, HUGE topspin, and probably the same huge problems with hitting the ball late and low balls. The guy must've had godly timing to get that far with the grip.

Unfortunately, after that tournament (I think he lost in the finals) nobody's ever really heard of him anywhere else. At least I haven't.
So it's basically a continental hammer grip but hitting with the opposite face?

[Phil Daddario]

Yup. Just holding the racquet that way makes me feel awkward.

[0.2RatedPlayer]

can someone explain to me the proper way to swing on the forehand? some people say your arm doesnt move and your torso just rotates, and then theres others that say that the elbow has to move close to the body. i just don't understand the proper way to swing. i know the buttcap leads the strings, but i can't seem to apply it to my game. i have a feeling that if i dont understand this, chances are my forehand will stay mediocre for a very long time.

[AngeloDS]

I can take it anywhere, but the best spot for me is a little below or above the knee. I prefer below the knee. I feel that I get a lot more control when it goes below my knees.

For ones that are above my head, I jump up vertically and swing up over the ball and followthrough pretyt much the same except a little more down. It adds a lot of topspin to the ball and they're forced way back. 95% of those ones that go above my head are hit near or on the baseline. They go up, travel a little straight and then instantly drop. It's unreal how it happens.

It's not like a bell curve drop. It instantly drops almost 90 degrees. Like 100-110 degrees.

[nViATi]

I can take it anywhere, but the best spot for me is a little below or above the knee. I prefer below the knee. I feel that I get a lot more control when it goes below my knees.

For ones that are above my head, I jump up vertically and swing up over the ball and followthrough pretyt much the same except a little more down. It adds a lot of topspin to the ball and they're forced way back. 95% of those ones that go above my head are hit near or on the baseline. They go up, travel a little straight and then instantly drop. It's unreal how it happens.

It's not like a bell curve drop. It instantly drops almost 90 degrees. Like 100-110 degrees.
that's sort of the problem i have. when i get a high ball my shot isn't as deep. the ball seems to suddenly drop at right away but at the service line instead of the baseline area. whenever i get a low ball it seems to go deeper and seems to barely go over the net yet it is more consistent.

[Boy Wonder]

I have a semi-western grip, which now I think is getting closer to western, and low balls definitely give me the most problems. I think the problems they give is that they are harder to control to make them do your willing(topspin, etc.)

The ideal contact zone for me would probably be the belly button, a bit lower or a bit higher.

I don't have to jump much on the high balls I get. My followthrough is higher on those high balls, probably up over my head, maybe a bit lower, and the same result that Angelo gets when hitting his high balls is the result of my shot.

[AngeloDS]

7 MB - Taking High Forehands - Right Click and Save Target As (http://www.templarlegion.net/mo/high_forehand.avi)

You need divx codec to play the video, www.divx.com

I used this neat-o program and slowed it down.

Anyways, that was clearly going to be WAY above my head. I had to jump so the ball comes at head height (I'm 5'6'') for that or run up take it early, hit it, split step and then volley accordingly. Jumping took less energy for me, and I was more confident that I could hit it at his feet so he mishits.

I didn't even know I hit my balls flat like that (slow mo) with my semi-western forehand grip. It's because of my swing style, I take it back. Arch my back a little bit and load weight on my right foot. Then explode through the ball and my completion is really flowery. I think I got it from when I use to be in martial arts. But, I always thought I hit it anged like this \.

Here's my forehand when it's above my head in regular speed
High Forehand Regular Speed (http://www.templarlegion.net/mo/high_forehand_fast.avi)

As you can see with the faster video you can't really see me hit flat... I guess I hit it flat for like a micro second and brush up over the ball? Heh... wow! I guess that's where the "drive" comes from to hit it down near the baseline. I always thought I hit the ball more like this \ than |. Hmmm, never even knew I hit my balls flat like that and still gain a lot of topspin. I think it's because of my followthrough? I go low to high pretty fast and then followthrough.

I guess I hit flat and brush up over the ball really fast. Not sure.

[TwistServe]

7 MB - Taking High Forehands - Right Click and Save Target As (http://www.templarlegion.net/mo/high_forehand.avi)

You need divx codec to play the video, www.divx.com (http://www.divx.com/)

I used this neat-o program and slowed it down.



Nice program but you need about another 200 frames per second in your camera. Should go borrow Yandell's high speed cameras.

[AngeloDS]

Yeah, and I need to get a video recording camera thing and better programs :(. None of my friends have one, nor' do I posess one lol! But if anyone wants to sell their video recording camera for under $100 contact me!

[TwistServe]

Ideal contact for sw or western is usually waist to lower chest for majority of players. If you're a beginning just learning the new grip, I'd definitely stick to waist level. The extremes of that would be the knee low balls and shoulder/head high balls. You can tame both of these but should always strive to use your footwork to get the ball closer to your ideal strike zone.

[nViATi]

so i guess i just have to hit more and more aroun waist height to get used to it?

[x Southpaw x]

so i guess i just have to hit more and more aroun waist height to get used to it?
I believe what's happening in your case with the semi-western grip is that your racquet is not square when your racquet contacts the ball. If it's square at contact point, you're comfort zone would easily be between waist and shoulders.

[nViATi]

I believe what's happening in your case with the semi-western grip is that your racquet is not square when your racquet contacts the ball. If it's square at contact point, you're comfort zone would easily be between waist and shoulders.
hmm. i'll keep that in mind when i go practice later today. thanks everybody