How High Do Your Balls Bounce?

[CivicLx]

When I'm running really fast, mine can reach my chest...j/k :mrgreen: My tennis potnah often complains that the balls I hit, especially my serve seem to bounce real high...I guess around shoulder level. I use probably somewhere between a continental and an eastern and don't generate much top spin that I know of, but even when I hit pretty flat, he spends a great deal of time complaining about high bounces so I don't know if it's me or what...how high do your shots bounce?

[snoflewis]

my forehands have some kick to it because of my western grip, although im trying to flatten it w/ a semiwestern...the majority of serves end up around abdominal level...my topspin serve around shoulder...and plus, you should tell your whining partner to shut the hell up because who wants a whining partner....if he cant get used to your high kicks...how is he going to practice higher groundstrokes? its not like all of the shots are gonna fall at his feet...i mean..is he a noob? i mean..there's moonballing, and there's balls that kick high, you should start moonballing and asking him which one he prefers...lol

[Jon Hampton]

You probably have great follow through on your serve. It's possible to make a first serve jump around shoulder height by just following all the way through your serve (with your body), as opposed to just your arm.

[CivicLx]

well...I don't know what I'm doing on my serve...I always thought I hit it pretty flat, but I had an instructor watch me serve and he said I put quite a bit of spin on the ball because of where I'm tossing...I can feel it now, and now I'm having a hard time serving flat.

as for the groundstrokes, I don't try to make them bounce high either and I don't usually notice how high they bounce...every now and then I'll realize they're up around his shoulder...yeah we're both still noobs but I play more often than he does so he still needs to adjust...but yesterday he referred to them as garbage balls...in fact I was reading the "Venus classless" thread and kind of reminded me of the same thing...I don't think he really means to give me such a hard time, but he's complained about me hitting too short, too deep (complains more about short balls), balls bounce too high or they bounce too low like 6 inches off the ground...so with all those problems, it's like I have to hit the ball perfectly to his liking...

I don't know...I think as he gets better he'll stop complaining...thanks for the replies :)

[AngeloDS]

It really depends. I'm good at controlling the bounce by how my swing path is. Regularly, my balls will bounce maybe 4ft-5ft? Backhands, most people don't expect it but I can make them bounce a good 7-8 ft in the air. Forehand with a lot of topspin I can make them bounce up atleast 8-9 ft.

[snoflewis]

well...the noob thing comes all w/ learning...just try to control your placement, whether it's short or long...and once you can hit them on purpose, start learning dropshots and lobs to piss him off even more

[CivicLx]

and once you can hit them on purpose, start learning dropshots and lobs to piss him off even more

haha...actually my partner is my dad who's older so he would get pretty upset about drop shots...i'm actually a little nervous when we play...I mean I'm older so it's not a big deal, but I am a noob too and it's like I'm trying to learn how to play tennis competitively but I'm also trying to learn how to play so it's easier for him...like a lot of times when I hit deep, it's not to be in control of the rally but to make it easier on him and keep him happy :neutral:

[CivicLx]

just bumping to see if anyone else has something to add ;)

[Noelle]

Well, I find myself shortening and flattening my groundstrokes when I hit with my cousin and my sister; they both only started playing tennis very late last year. They both tend to stand in no-man's land and can't take deep topspin balls (which are often high-bouncing, too). So, it's usually flat balls I hit to them.

I find that with my more experienced hitting partners, though, they can pretty much back up and wait for the high balls to drop, or come forward and hit them on the rise. They have more problems with my flat skidding shots, so it's always fun to give them that instead of the high bounce.

[CivicLx]

I thought that I did hit flat, but I don't see how flat balls bounce that high... Like I said though, he also says that I hit balls that bounce like 6 inches off the ground...and these are normal forehands...man I swear as much as he complains about me hitting the ball at different depths and with different changing pace, I might as well just turn pro and get paid for this :mrgreen:

[mistapooh]

It really depends. I'm good at controlling the bounce by how my swing path is. Regularly, my balls will bounce maybe 4ft-5ft? Backhands, most people don't expect it but I can make them bounce a good 7-8 ft in the air. Forehand with a lot of topspin I can make them bounce up atleast 8-9 ft.

That's basicly a lob then.....

Me, I'm short so I have to have good net clearance to stay in the point, I'm guessing 4-5 ft.

[PM_]

I smack a lot of topspin so generally they do bounce higher.

[CrazyScheiner]

My best topspin forehand hit about 3 feet by luck, my best topspin serve raised a good 6 feet.

[kabob]

Doesn't everybody learn how to hit a variety of shots? I can hit most any spin on my forehand side and can even topspin a shot that will bounce over an opponent's reach. Of course, that means I have to hit a moon ball of a topspin lob, but there you go. My kick serve can go head high on a 6' person, but it requires so much racquet speed to generate that much spin that I shank those kinds of serves more often than not.

[SageOfDeath]

i don't think it really matter how high your balls bounce, its just matters how you can control your use of spin. If you are intentionally making it bounce a certain height, and can change it to more flat, or extra spin, that is what matters.

However if you are hitting a forehand consistantly that bounces up 8-7 feet after it bounces, perhaps you should hit a bit flatter. :) Though if your opponent can't handle the bounce, by all means countinue.

[dakels]

My first serves are very flat and very low. Height also has a big part in this. I am 5'9" and my arms are not that long so my first flat serves are not going to bounce high whereas a guy 6'5" with a long reach hitting the same flat serve will kick up higher. With second serves there is topspin which kicks up and topspin which drives forward more. Mine drive forward more. This comes again from trajectory. I keep my topsin serves low and fairly powerful (about 80% of my first serve speed). If I kick up a slowing higher trajectory topspin they will kick much higher. I only use that on shorter players to their BH side if they are not comfortable with high backhands which many aren't.

I played a guy the other day who had a 70-80mph twist second serve. He was about 6'6" with long arms built like a basketball player. His second twist serve easily bounced well over my head (standing 6" inside the baseline). I could almost overhead his serves. Twist serves grip the court and have a tendency to jump up higher then most serves while also moving in the opposite direction you would expect. I had to move up well inside the baseline (3-4 feet) to try to catch these balls early on the rise and it was still very difficult. One of my best skills is my ability to jump in on the second and take it early but this guy's second serve had me shanking balls left and right. Even landing 6 feet in front of me the ball would jump up to my shoulder or head level already. Twist serves are also one of the most difficult to take on the rise since their trajectory is not reliable and as predictable as other shots. I had to resort to chipping (deep) most of the second serves and moving in. While I could have moved back well behind the baseline, his twist combined with very windy day (30mph gusts) made it even worse. Overall a very frustrating day for me.

[kabob]

However if you are hitting a forehand consistantly that bounces up 8-7 feet after it bounces, perhaps you should hit a bit flatter. :) Though if your opponent can't handle the bounce, by all means countinue.
Works for Nadal :p

[DX_Psycho]

my serves bounce up to around 6 feet if they're not stopped.

my forehands are usually with a bit of top spin until i go for a top spin cross court to open up the court. i usually hit with as much top spin as i can with my eastern grip on these and it bounces aroudn their face-level.