Forehand with a locked elbow

[directionals]

First of all, I use an eastern FH grip. When I have a lot of time to prepare my FH, my trunk pulls my completely relaxed right arm so that my elbow is locked(my arm is straight), my wrist is laid back. My wrist/racket head will then catch up and slap on the ball. I'm not sure if my arm is straight at contact. It probably is. I understand this chain of action is a kinetic chain and it allows me to generate a lot more power than my usual FH, the one where I don't have enough time. A local pro told me that I should never lock my elbow. What is the reason for that? Am I doing my relaxed FH wrong?

 

[BevelDevil]

If your arm is truly relaxed then your elbow is probably not locked.

If you don't feel any pain or discomfort there's probably not a problem.


Did your coach tell you your elbow was locked? Or did you tell him?

 

[directionals]

My coach saw the locked elbow. I just did a shadow swing in the living room and my elbow was locked before my hand slapped forward. I have no discomfort hitting the ball this way.

When a relaxed and lagging arm is being pulled forward, isn't the elbow automatically locked when energy travels from the upper arm down to the elbow(the "inner elbow" needs to accelerate forward)? This is like whipping a whip except that a whip a completely flexible and so there's no locking on a whip.

 

[dominikk1985]

locked= extended?

the arm can be relatively straight without the arm being totally locked and "cramped".

 

[rkelley]

Look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ImeQaAyFPc

His arm is pretty straight when he hits his forehand and he seems to do alright. I take "locked" to mean that the joint is starting to bend back the other way. That's probably not good. But straight? Fed does it, and so does Nadal.

 

[directionals]

Look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ImeQaAyFPc

I take "locked" to mean that the joint is starting to bend back the other way.

Yes.

My elbow is locked for a split second right before contact and there is no discomfort. During ball contact, my elbow is not locked and my arm is even tiny bit bent. Does anyone have a similar motion?

 

[Limpinhitter]

First of all, I use an eastern FH grip. When I have a lot of time to prepare my FH, my trunk pulls my completely relaxed right arm so that my elbow is locked(my arm is straight), my wrist is laid back. My wrist/racket head will then catch up and slap on the ball. I'm not sure if my arm is straight at contact. It probably is. I understand this chain of action is a kinetic chain and it allows me to generate a lot more power than my usual FH, the one where I don't have enough time. A local pro told me that I should never lock my elbow. What is the reason for that? Am I doing my relaxed FH wrong?

When you say "locked elbow," it implies that you are holding it in the straight position with some measure of muscle tension. IMO, that's not a good idea on any shot.

 

[mightyrick]

First of all, I use an eastern FH grip. When I have a lot of time to prepare my FH, my trunk pulls my completely relaxed right arm so that my elbow is locked(my arm is straight), my wrist is laid back. My wrist/racket head will then catch up and slap on the ball. I'm not sure if my arm is straight at contact. It probably is. I understand this chain of action is a kinetic chain and it allows me to generate a lot more power than my usual FH, the one where I don't have enough time. A local pro told me that I should never lock my elbow. What is the reason for that? Am I doing my relaxed FH wrong?

Sounds like a plain old straight-arm forehand.

 

[LeeD]

Works, but hard to compensate for weirdo spins, twists, hard sidespin slices, and irregularities on the court.
Works in golf because the ball is not moving.