Do pro's practice breaking rackets?

If I ever attempted to break a racket I'd probably end up breaking my wrist or worse.
Is there some special technique that is used to do it properly?

Not advocating breaking racquets, but I don’t think they use the same racquets as us.

TagUrIt said:

Not advocating breaking racquets, but I don’t think they use the same racquets as us.

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They sure seem to break quite readily.
I'm just wondering about the technique. Are you supposed to let go of the racket just as it makes contact with the ground?
If so, you have to watch out for slap back as well.

It seems quite complicated to get away with it injury-free. Heck the thing could jump back up and hit you in the face!

For a charge of $1000/hr I can teach you to break racquets like the pros.

Study Zverev's style. It's the one thing he's really "world class" at.

Two ways to break a racquet with minimal self harm (recommended)
1. Hold and Smash - Make contact in front of you just like hitting a groundstroke. Keep your head down, you know where the racquet is going. Keeping your head down also protects you from the debris. If your wrist can handle hammering a nail, it can handle smashing a racquet.
2. Throw and Turn - This one is like a slice serve, you wanna make contact on the side, not the front. Extend your body, hold the racquet high, imagine a serve, start the throw, and let go of the racquet when your hand comes down to between your chest and waist. Make sure you follow through by turning your upper body and head away from the impact point, though, the follow through should come naturally if you have a high to low smash path. Either the side or the back of your body will catch the racquet or any debris if it flies back at you.

Two more ways to break a racquet, but potentially harmful (not recommended)
3. Beheading - Breaking the racquet in half at the throat using your: 1. lowerleg - using the leg as the anchor and bend the racquet toward you. 2. upperleg - this one needs a clean snap. Both cases you either look like a pro if you can do it, or an idiot if you can't.
4. Outside Assist - Similar to Hold and Smash, but you are hitting the racquet against the net post, the bench, the fence, another racquet held with your other hand, your opponent....etc. The danger here shouldn't be difficult to imagine.

Basically, don't watch the racquet make contact so your eyes don't go blind.

ONgame said:

Two ways to break a racquet with minimal self harm (recommended)
1. Hold and Smash - Make contact in front of you just like hitting a groundstroke. Keep your head down, you know where the racquet is going. Keeping your head down also protects you from the debris. If your wrist can handle hammering a nail, it can handle smashing a racquet.
2. Throw and Turn - This one is like a slice serve, you wanna make contact on the side, not the front. Extend your body, hold the racquet high, imagine a serve, start the throw, and let go of the racquet when your hand comes down to between your chest and waist. Make sure you follow through by turning your upper body and head away from the impact point, though, the follow...

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Thanks ONgame.
It's not in my nature to break rackets but I'm sure others here will benefit from your tips!

texasleaguer said:

Study Zverev's style. It's the one thing he's really "world class" at.

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I was watching some of the Munar - Fognini match last night and was impressed with the efficiency of Fognini's technique.
With little fuss and bother he ended up with a thoroughly mangled mess of a racket.

That was the impetus for the post.

As for Zverev...
I must admit that after watching his display of crazed violence my impression of him has changed quite a bit.
I had to downgrade my membership in his fan club.

Use continental grip

No pronation needed, hit on edge!!

When McEnroe played and he was known to be tempermental, I don't actually remember him breaking a racket. When he threw down his racket it was always flat so it wouldn't break. Only footage of racket abuse I found was when he attacked some water bottles and hit his racket bag on this clip.

Throw it at your opponent

If you hit it against the ground with the force of an angry pro tennis player it will break.

The frame is under quite a bit of tension, it really just needs a good excuse to cave in on itself and the forehand of a guy who trains like Federer, into concrete, is the perfect excuse.

You don't need any technique for breaking racquets. Just some genuine frustration would do.

The “step on it” method seems most efficient.

for those who feel like venting frustration without demolishing a racquet, throw the racquet to the ground with the face opened, it feels pretty good and the racquet doesn’t actually break.