【】About the follow though

[yoshiki]

I use double bend in my forehand and my question is

after forward swing maybe during contact

should i extend my arm a little bit to get more "hit through"

or should i just keep the arm structure from forward swing/ contact/ follow through?

which one is better?

i saw some instruction about "extend to get more hit through"

confused....

[papa]

Well, to me, hitting with a straight arm is more difficult for a variety of reasons. There are a number of current pros that either hit with a straight arm or use it on occasion.

However, to my way of thinking, it requires more coordination, the arm take more abuse/shock, the consistency is significantly reduced, the recovery is slower, injury probability increases and so on. As soon as the elbow loses its contact with the torso, on the forward swing, things, for most players, go down hill quickly.

[LeeD]

Keep it slightly bent. Slightly.
In all contact sports, you keep joints bent to resist injuries. ALL contact sports.
For thousands of years, fighters kept joints slightly bent when possible, to avoid hyperX and resist twistings.

[papa]

Well, I like the double bend, elbow in arrangement.

[Blake0]

You should keep your arm structure the same, from the beginning of your forward swing to beginning of the followthrough. Losing your arm structure in your stroke will cause your stroke to be flatter, but in an inconsistent/uncontrollable manner. Try to hit through the ball while maintaining your hitting arm structure. To hit flatter, make your swing path more flatter or horizontal. To hit w/ more topspin get a more vertical swing path. To hit heavy topspin, find the best blend of the 2, hitting through the ball while still going low to high on it.

[yoshiki]

ye thanks to all

i plan to keep my DB structure during the contact and even at the beginning of my follow through

but in the backhand i often see such instruction "let the left arm totally extend in follow through (DO NOT bent too early after contact)to get better hitting result"

[papa]

Originally Posted by Blake0

You should keep your arm structure the same, from the beginning of your forward swing to beginning of the followthrough. Losing your arm structure in your stroke will cause your stroke to be flatter, but in an inconsistent/uncontrollable manner. Try to hit through the ball while maintaining your hitting arm structure. To hit flatter, make your swing path more flatter or horizontal. To hit w/ more topspin get a more vertical swing path. To hit heavy topspin, find the best blend of the 2, hitting through the ball while still going low to high on it.

You can take this to the bank. I happen to like "lift" & ""push" but terminology often gets in our way.

I've played around with various home-made devices to try and keep the arm fixed (again, I happen to like the double bend) because I'm convinced if I can get players doing it their strokes would improve. I actually did have a device that I put on a racquet butt that made it uncomfortable for the player to revert back or rotate the racquet around the rear hip. Had, still do, one for both forehand and backhand - they do vary a bit. I had real good luck with young players, fair success with young adults but as the player aged the success goes downhill quickly. I've even tried taping the racquet onto arms along with testing the numerous devices on the market which, for the most part anyway, are a waste of money. Players see me with "another" device and they just collectively moan - its almost a case where they are going to prove the thing won't work.

On ground strokes, once the fist(s) lose to the racquet head, its all over. If the stroke (say the forehand) is done correctly, the racquet head has to come thru the ball - you can't keep it back, try it.

[Blake0]

Originally Posted by papa

You can take this to the bank. I happen to like "lift" & ""push" but terminology often gets in our way.

I've played around with various home-made devices to try and keep the arm fixed (again, I happen to like the double bend) because I'm convinced if I can get players doing it their strokes would improve. I actually did have a device that I put on a racquet butt that made it uncomfortable for the player to revert back or rotate the racquet around the rear hip. Had, still do, one for both forehand and backhand - they do vary a bit. I had real good luck with young players, fair success with young adults but as the player aged the success goes downhill quickly. I've even tried taping the racquet onto arms along with testing the numerous devices on the market which, for the most part anyway, are a waste of money. Players see me with "another" device and they just collectively moan - its almost a case where they are going to prove the thing won't work.

On ground strokes, once the fist(s) lose to the racquet head, its all over. If the stroke (say the forehand) is done correctly, the racquet head has to come thru the ball - you can't keep it back, try it.

Not really understand what you're trying to say....well basically just the last part..(last 2 sentences)

[paulfreda]

Your question reveals what will most severly limit your tennis development.

My answer is find out for yourself what works !
Find a backboard or ball machine or steady hitting partner willing to feed balls to you and try out both.

It should not be an either or situation; it rarely is.
Rather find out the benefits and problems with each technique.
Then try to combine them a little bit.

There are times when you need advice, but this is not one of them.

I must confess that early on in my tennis development I actually asked my teacher if I could "do this". Then I realized I was a grown man and could do whatever I wanted. The right question should have been ..... what are the advantages and disadvantages of this technique and when is it most useful [like for CC FHs with little time to set up or when you need a down the line passing shot]

[papa]

Originally Posted by Blake0

Not really understand what you're trying to say....well basically just the last part..(last 2 sentences)

Well, that's all right - sometimes I pass myself too.

[papa]

OK, sorry BlakeO. What I meant is that the racquet head should not get ahead of the hands prior to contact. You want to start the swing as if your pulling a towel out of someones hands that standing behind you - in other words the butt is pointed at the incoming ball with both hands on the same side until the ball bounces. As the legs, hips and shoulders rotate into the ball the racquet is going to come around anyway - you really can't prevent it. You have to have push and lift to hit the ball correctly.

[Blake0]

Originally Posted by papa

OK, sorry BlakeO. What I meant is that the racquet head should not get ahead of the hands prior to contact. You want to start the swing as if your pulling a towel out of someones hands that standing behind you - in other words the butt is pointed at the incoming ball with both hands on the same side until the ball bounces. As the legs, hips and shoulders rotate into the ball the racquet is going to come around anyway - you really can't prevent it. You have to have push and lift to hit the ball correctly.

I understand now, and i agree with that..but that's not what i was talking about...

Here..watch this video..hopefully this explains what i was trying to say.

http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/vide...arm-positions/

[papa]

Originally Posted by Blake0

I understand now, and i agree with that..but that's not what i was talking about...

Here..watch this video..hopefully this explains what i was trying to say.

http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/vide...arm-positions/

Tried but it wants me to join something before I view it - however, I think I understand where your coming from and I probably have seen the video you mentioned in the past. My answer is, sure if you want a little more pace, push a little longer as you lift.