Stop talking nonsense about being relaxed when hitting the ball !!!

Kozzy

Hall of Fame
It's a fundamental human flaw to believe that what works for us individually will work for everyone else. Additionally, obsessing about technique is probably not the answer for most of us. You have to find your own way, and hit a lot of balls, to get better. If you like the way you play, and it works for you, then keep it up. Personally, I am happy for your success. I don't think I'll be moving to a two handed forehand or backhand, however, since neither works well for me.
 

Dragy

Legend
So you agree that modern tennis technique is very difficult to learn so amateurs and older players shouldnt use it. That is what I was saying from the beginning.
It’s not one-two distinction, but a range. Mimicking Fed or Rafa or Novak with success is quite tricky. There’re number of components to be recognized, learned and stitched together. Is it very difficult? Well, hundreds if not thousands of individuals achieve quite good level of command. The biggest issue is relying on false ideas, missing crucial components, and not having enough time to figure everything out and settle techniques down (like junior players do learning and polishing for at least a decade before getting into real competition).
However, there’s a route and some uniform basics, like laid back wrist at contact, full unit turn in prep and uncoil into contact, all-arm rotation to create racquet head rising motion and control stringbed angle. Those were not presented uniformly in old-school coaching (although were applied by some pro players despite being “non-textbook”). And any player may improve working on the elements gradually.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
Sounds like you should invest in 2 more Pure Aero's and make sure you get them strung before tournament. Watched the vid and I am surprised that you lost to him, didn't seem to have everything to hurt you with, and you look like the better mover. Same comment as previous match, be more aggressive with these guys and try to get them into cross court back hand rallies - you've gotta be the favourite in that pattern.
It is true that I dont behave professionally. I use two different rackets and very often they are not strung properly. In spite of that I won 25 tournaments and in 10 was in the final during last 5 years. I agree that next year it cant happen again. You are right that I need two identical well strung rackets. The problem is that I cant play in tournament using newly strung racket. I have to string it a little too hard and play 2 -3 matches. Only then it behaves as I need. Very often I just strang my rackets just before tournament so they worked well in semifinal and final. I was able to win first matches even using the board. This year these first matches were against Polish Champions so it didnt work.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
It's a fundamental human flaw to believe that what works for us individually will work for everyone else. Additionally, obsessing about technique is probably not the answer for most of us. You have to find your own way, and hit a lot of balls, to get better. If you like the way you play, and it works for you, then keep it up. Personally, I am happy for your success. I don't think I'll be moving to a two handed forehand or backhand, however, since neither works well for me.
Maybe you tried stiff two handed forehand. Read this and try.

Lesson of two handed forehand.

There are many kinds of two handed forehands but in all of them there is the same main problem. Blocking right hand by left arm. We want to accelerate the head of the racket to the greatest speed so we need space for the racket`s movement. When amateurs try to learn two handed forehand usually it looks stiff. The follow through is very short. Shortened reach is obvious. Some of these problems cant be solved but some can. Before I say how the two handed forehand should look like I will try to tell you what you shouldn’t do. Let`s check how far the racket can go across the body at different levels if the left hand is holding the handle. Up to the level of chest, the left hand blocks the movement of the right hand. Only when both hands are at the level of shoulders this problem disappears. It means that before both hands are at the level of shoulders they cant move across the body. More precisely speaking when the left hand is in front of left shoulder it should be at the level of this shoulder. Not lower. You can do whatever you want but if you make this error everything will be in vain. Now let`s see what possibilities we have for right hand. It can move upward, the same as in Nadal`s forehand but right elbow should be bent all the time or it can go upward and slightly across the body what I recommend. I just recommend two handed forehand of Peng Shuai.

Next problem is the grip. Particularly of left hand. Most amateurs try the grip with left thumb behind the handle. Don’t do it though we can find professional players who used this grip. Santoro or less known Andre Dome. It is not an accident that Santoro rarely used topspin two handed forehand. This grip was the reason. When you use this grip you cant lower the head of the racket below the level of right hand because right hand blocks its movement. If you complain because of shortened reach you shouldn’t be interested in creating even greatest problem of the same kind. So you should choose the grip of left hand which allows the head of the tennis racket to be lowered. It is between continental and semi western. I haven’t said even one word about the grip of right hand. You should remember that two handed player uses one handed forehand when the ball is far from his body. It wouldnt be wise if the grip of right hand was different when he uses two handed or one handed forehand. I recommend the grip between western and semi western.

Now about legs. If you have a strong right leg then you can use open or semi open stance. I am not strong so I use neutral stance.

Next important element is which hand is dominant or how to use right and left arm. You should find it yourself. Just experiment from using almost only right arm to using left arm as dominant. You can change it in different situations. What is my experience ? The stronger you are the most dominant right arm should be. The weaker you are the most active left arm should be. The more you use left arm the more stiff your two handed forehand is. But even if you are strong and use mainly right arm you should remember that left hand has to move upward so that it was at the level of left shoulder in front of this shoulder.

Last important problem is whether your legs should be bent or not. To answer this question we should ask another. What is the best level to hit two handed forehand ? It is at the level of your chest. If the ball is lower you should bent your legs so that the ball was at the level of your chest.
 

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
There is this Idiot pro i know at the club. he kept on telling guys all guys,, relax you grip,, Relax your grip when hitting the ball...............LOL... do you know what happened one day ?? this was in practice session. One of the guys took this advice to heart,, and on the big forehand swing,,, the racket flew out of his hand and Flew toward the back fence and hit the guy on the shoulder that was standing behind him. It hit him so hard, he ended up with Huge bruise on the shoulder. Very lucky, the racket didn't hit him in the head or nose. LMASO.....................................:laughing::laughing:(n)
 

3loudboys

G.O.A.T.
It is true that I dont behave professionally. I use two different rackets and very often they are not strung properly. In spite of that I won 25 tournaments and in 10 was in the final during last 5 years. I agree that next year it cant happen again. You are right that I need two identical well strung rackets. The problem is that I cant play in tournament using newly strung racket. I have to string it a little too hard and play 2 -3 matches. Only then it behaves as I need. Very often I just strang my rackets just before tournament so they worked well in semifinal and final. I was able to win first matches even using the board. This year these first matches were against Polish Champions so it didnt work.
I think that you will be better prepared with two prepped rackets to knock a champ off his perch.
 

mcs1970

Hall of Fame
The OP has a unique style of play, the 2 handed forehand looks strange but he hits it well and his 2 handed backhand looks really strong. It’s definitely a different style but he looks to me like a really tough player.

His backhand is definitely much, much better than his forehand. Forehand is mostly a safe stroke for him though he is proud of it. Most of his winners are from the bh side.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
His backhand is definitely much, much better than his forehand. Forehand is mostly a safe stroke for him though he is proud of it. Most of his winners are from the bh side.
You underestimate my forehand. You should remember that my right wrist is injured and right arm is dominant in two handed forehand. If I used only right arm my forehand wouldnt be even average. Adding left hand I can even hit winners. If we talk about two handed forehand we should imagine a healthy player who is using my technique. If the ball was within the reach of two handed forehand he would accelerate the ball to the speed at least 30% greater than I do it. The balls which are farther from him he would hit using one handed forehand. Because of my injured wrist I use two handed forehand always if I can reach the ball. One handed forehand only if the ball is too far to use two handed. In those situations my two handed forehand doesnt look as it should. It is true that In my videos there are more backhand winners but it is mainly because my opponents avoid my forehand. If you want to see how my two handed forehand works and how dangerous it is watch next video.
 

mcs1970

Hall of Fame
You underestimate my forehand. You should remember that my right wrist is injured and right arm is dominant in two handed forehand. If I used only right arm my forehand wouldnt be even average. Adding left hand I can even hit winners. If we talk about two handed forehand we should imagine a healthy player who is using my technique. If the ball was within the reach of two handed forehand he would accelerate the ball to the speed at least 30% greater than I do it. The balls which are farther from him he would hit using one handed forehand. Because of my injured wrist I use two handed forehand always if I can reach the ball. One handed forehand only if the ball is too far to use two handed. In those situations my two handed forehand doesnt look as it should. It is true that In my videos there are more backhand winners but it is mainly because my opponents avoid my forehand. If you want to see how my two handed forehand works and how dangerous it is watch next video.

This opponent seems way below your level. He is throwing lollipops up there for you to hit In other videos where you are more evenly matched your fh is more of a safe stroke. I am not saying it is a bad stroke or disagreeing that it works for you. Just that your bh is something I would love to have. Your fh...not so much
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
There is this Idiot pro i know at the club. he kept on telling guys all guys,, relax you grip,, Relax your grip when hitting the ball...............LOL... do you know what happened one day ?? this was in practice session. One of the guys took this advice to heart,, and on the big forehand swing,,, the racket flew out of his hand and Flew toward the back fence and hit the guy on the shoulder that was standing behind him. It hit him so hard, he ended up with Huge bruise on the shoulder. Very lucky, the racket didn't hit him in the head or nose. LMASO.....................................:laughing::laughing:(n)

All he need were fresh overgrips most probably (speaking from experience)....
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
So called loose grip is the dream of amateurs. At professional level there is no such thing.
Still going with this nonsense? Forget LOOSE grip. Think RELAXED or moderate grip pressure. Your video does not advance your claim. Don't know why you think it does.

Pro players tend to employ less grip pressure than low-level rec players. Studies by researchers, such as Jack Groppel, have demonstrated that advanced players employ grip pressure that is moderate / relaxed for most of the swing. This type of grip pressure facilitates superior strokes. it also minimizes forearm and hand fatigue.

Numerous studies show that grip pressure at contact has NO bearing on ball speed. In studies, it has been shown that a clamped racket (tight grip) and a free-hanging racket (very relaxed grip) had the same effect on ball speed. Note that this refers to grip pressure AT contact (not prior to contact).

Grip pressure prior to contact can have an effect on RHS and on the quality of the stroke. It appears that the only advantage of a tight grip is a reduction of racket twisting AFTER impact. But this twisting has NO effect on the quality or control of the ball.

https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...ppel/8b2342d268bee73f26398978be6f6a75605b4839

Two conditions simulating the extremes of grip firmness (zero vs maximal) were compared... results indicated no significant differences between post-impact ball velocity for the two conditions. Therefore, it was concluded that previously reported concepts regarding striking mass and grip rigidity are no longer tenable and that the influence of grip firmness in activities in which hand-held implements are used is important only in terms of post-impact implement control. Potential adverse physiological/anatomical effects related to over-gripping are suggested.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
Still going with this nonsense? Forget LOOSE grip. Think RELAXED or moderate grip pressure. Your video does not advance your claim. Don't know why you think it does.

Pro players tend to employ less grip pressure than low-level rec players. Studies by researchers, such as Jack Groppel, have demonstrated that advanced players employ grip pressure that is moderate / relaxed for most of the swing. This type of grip pressure facilitates superior strokes. it also minimizes forearm and hand fatigue.

Numerous studies show that grip pressure at contact has NO bearing on ball speed. In studies, it has been shown that a clamped racket (tight grip) and a free-hanging racket (very relaxed grip) had the same effect on ball speed. Note that this refers to grip pressure AT contact (not prior to contact).

Grip pressure prior to contact can have an effect on RHS and on the quality of the stroke. It appears that the only advantage of a tight grip is a reduction of racket twisting AFTER impact. But this twisting has NO effect on the quality or control of the ball.

https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...ppel/8b2342d268bee73f26398978be6f6a75605b4839

Two conditions simulating the extremes of grip firmness (zero vs maximal) were compared... results indicated no significant differences between post-impact ball velocity for the two conditions. Therefore, it was concluded that previously reported concepts regarding striking mass and grip rigidity are no longer tenable and that the influence of grip firmness in activities in which hand-held implements are used is important only in terms of post-impact implement control. Potential adverse physiological/anatomical effects related to over-gripping are suggested.
Hold the racket parallel to the ground(also strings parallel to the ground) and throw a ball at the strings holding the handle tight. Then throw the ball but just before you throw let go of the handle. Compare how high the ball bounces. I have just done it and when I was holding the racket it bounced 4 times higher. It means that the speed of the ball after impact was much greater.

With loose grip you have to acclerate the head of the racket to much greater speed to achieve the same speed of the ball. You can do it but the faster the racket moves the less control you have.
 
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SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Hold the racket parallel to the ground(also strings parallel to the ground) and throw a ball at the strings holding the handle tight. Then throw the ball but just before you throw let go of the handle. Compare how high the ball bounces. I have just done it and when I was holding the racket it bounced 4 times higher. It means that the speed of the ball after impact was much greater.

With loose grip you have to acclerate the head of the racket to much greater speed to achieve the same speed of the ball. You can do it but the faster the racket moves the less control you have.
So the racket is falling when you let it go and the ball hits it? Not following & can't visualize what you were trying to say here. Perhaps you can post a video of exactly what you were doing as proof. And so we can see your methodology.

In any event, your conclusion appears to be flawed -- it contradicts the findings of quite a few ppl who specialize in tennis physics and research. Among these are Howard Brody, Stanley Plagenhoef, Rod Cross, Jack Groppel and others. I already posted an article link for Groppel in my previous post.

For further reading on tennis physics refer to The Physics and Technology of Tennis by Howard Brody, Fundamentals of Tennis by Stanley Plagenhoef, Technical Tennis by Rod Cross (et al).
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Hold the racket parallel to the ground(also strings parallel to the ground) and throw a ball at the strings holding the handle tight. Then throw the ball but just before you throw let go of the handle. Compare how high the ball bounces. I have just done it and when I was holding the racket it bounced 4 times higher. It means that the speed of the ball after impact was much greater.

With loose grip you have to acclerate the head of the racket to much greater speed to achieve the same speed of the ball. You can do it but the faster the racket moves the less control you have.
More from Plagenhoef & Brody. Jim McClennan quotes the works of these tennis scientists in his article below:


Just How Loose is Loose?

Consider the following experiment recounted both by Stanley Plagenhoef (Fundamentals of Tennis) and Howard Brody (The Physics and Technology of Tennis). A ball machine shoots a ball at a racquet fixed firmly in a vise, and shoots a ball at a racquet either hanging from a rope or balanced on its butt cap on a table. So the contrast is between something firmly fixed, and totally loose if not unhinged. The experimenters then compare the rebound velocity from the fixed and free racquet. Stop for a moment. Common sense tells us the fixed racquet will produce greater rebound velocity.

Incorrect. Both balls rebound with equal velocity...
 

Rubens

Hall of Fame
I hate that term, 'relaxed', when applied to tennis. It makes me think about all those rec Federer wannabes who see his elegant-ballet-effortless-zen-meditation-kumbaya-my-lord-relax-your-sphincters style and try to emulate that during practice, only to tense up like crazy when playing matches.
I prefer to use controlled aggression.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
So the racket is falling when you let it go and the ball hits it? Not following & can't visualize what you were trying to say here. Perhaps you can post a video of exactly what you were doing as proof. And so we can see your methodology.

In any event, your conclusion appears to be flawed -- it contradicts the findings of quite a few ppl who specialize in tennis physics and research. Among these are Howard Brody, Stanley Plagenhoef, Rod Cross, Jack Groppel and others. I already posted an article link for Groppel in my previous post.

For further reading on tennis physics refer to The Physics and Technology of Tennis by Howard Brody, Fundamentals of Tennis by Stanley Plagenhoef, Technical Tennis by Rod Cross (et al).

If you let go of the racket just before throwing the ball, the speed of the racket will be close to zero. Only if the speed of the ball is not great then there is small difference between the result of the ball hitting the racket with the loose and tighter grip. The greater the speed of the ball the greater the difference. If what you say was true then to block fast serve you should only direct the strings to the ball without any effort to oppose the ball. You know that it is not true. Also how would you explain that when we play volley we have tight grip if with loose grip the speed of the ball would be the same ?
 
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SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
If you let go of the racket just before throwing the ball, the speed of the racket will be close to zero. Only if the speed of the ball is not great then there is small difference between the result of the ball hitting the racket with the loose and tighter grip. The greater the speed of the basll the greater the difference.
Show us.

I'm going with the methodology & findings of the experts in tennis physics & research -- Howard Brody, Stanley Plagenhoef, Rod Cross, Jack Groppel & others.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
I hate that term, 'relaxed', when applied to tennis. It makes me think about all those rec Federer wannabes who see his elegant-ballet-effortless-zen-meditation-kumbaya-my-lord-relax-your-sphincters style and try to emulate that during practice, only to tense up like crazy when playing matches.
I prefer to use controlled aggression.
How does controlled aggression relate to grip firmness? To my mind, 'relaxed grip' is a near perfect description of the grip firmness employed by the pros and other advanced players.
 

pencilcheck

Hall of Fame
There are grip strength and the style of grip.
You can hold the racquet the same way but one is more loose than the other.

loose grip sounds like a subjective definition/experience let me try my best to help clarify what I think you guys are saying And maybe help come to a conclusion.

One camp is about loose grip based on the style of grip: namely if I grip it like holding a gun or grip it like I am holding a hammer

it seems like this one camp thinks that the gun grip is supposedly mean loose while the other is more tight.

another camp seem to focus on loose or tight based on their body movement. This one I don’t know their criteria because it is very subjective to the viewer bias.

anyway, in my opinion both camps don’t have enough evidence to prove the strength of grip based on their factor or criteria aa both loose and tight can be in whatever scenario either camp claim to be in. For example, I can grip hard when I do a gun grip.

So is the claim that loose grip only works in pro?
I think it depends on your definition of loose.

my definition is that if your arm hurt then you hold it too tight, if your arm don’t hurt then it is not tight.

whether this actually occurs at pro level where their arm hurt when holding their racquet I highly doubt it otherwise they will have injuries.

whether this occurs at amateur level I also highly doubt it as most people are not stupid to hold the racquet like this is as if this is their last chance holding a racquet.

conclusion is that neither claims from either side are true and we all play with loose grip so grip strength is not relevant as an indicator of pro level or amateur level
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
There are grip strength and the style of grip.
You can hold the racquet the same way but one is more loose than the other.

loose grip sounds like a subjective definition/experience let me try my best to help clarify what I think you guys are saying And maybe help come to a conclusion.

One camp is about loose grip based on the style of grip: namely if I grip it like holding a gun or grip it like I am holding a hammer

it seems like this one camp thinks that the gun grip is supposedly mean loose while the other is more tight.

another camp seem to focus on loose or tight based on their body movement. This one I don’t know their criteria because it is very subjective to the viewer bias.

anyway, in my opinion both camps don’t have enough evidence to prove the strength of grip based on their factor or criteria aa both loose and tight can be in whatever scenario either camp claim to be in. For example, I can grip hard when I do a gun grip.

So is the claim that loose grip only works in pro?
I think it depends on your definition of loose.

my definition is that if your arm hurt then you hold it too tight, if your arm don’t hurt then it is not tight.

whether this actually occurs at pro level where their arm hurt when holding their racquet I highly doubt it otherwise they will have injuries.

whether this occurs at amateur level I also highly doubt it as most people are not stupid to hold the racquet like this is as if this is their last chance holding a racquet.

conclusion is that neither claims from either side are true and we all play with loose grip so grip strength is not relevant as an indicator of pro level or amateur level
Those who say about loose grip think that we have to accelerate the racket to great speed. The faster the racket moves the tighter we have to hold it if we dont want to throw it in the air.
 

pencilcheck

Hall of Fame
Those who say about loose grip think that we have to accelerate the racket to great speed. The faster the racket moves the tighter we have to hold it if we dont want to throw it in the air.
I see and that is also not true.



acceleration Of racquet doesn’t mean you accelerate from your arm. You can accelerate racquet at insane speed by using your legs or your waist or your shoulder. Serve is a good example of that. People don’t grip hard on serve yet they can swing a lot faster but why? that is not a question relevant to this discussion but it should demonstrate the possibility and this is true in all tennis level

also as long as you have a good and fresh overgrip you can hold on to the racquet and it will not fly off even when you accelerate racquet really fast
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
I see and that is also not true.



acceleration Of racquet doesn’t mean you accelerate from your arm. You can accelerate racquet at insane speed by using your legs or your waist or your shoulder. Serve is a good example of that. People don’t grip hard on serve yet they can swing a lot faster but why? that is not a question relevant to this discussion but it should demonstrate the possibility and this is true in all tennis level

also as long as you have a good and fresh overgrip you can hold on to the racquet and it will not fly off even when you accelerate racquet really fast
When you serve you also have to hold the racket tight. Otherwise you would throw it in the air. If you call this grip loose then I dont know what grip you call tight. Maybe you call it tight if you try to crush the handle.
 

sredna42

Hall of Fame
LOL 5 pages and people are still arguing this? When I stay relaxed on my strokes, the difference is night & day in terms of power and spin/control.

Especially on my 2hbh, when it is not working one of the first steps I take is to barely grip the handle with my right hand, to eliminate any tension in the stroke, before I dial it back in. When I am hitting it with no tension, I feel like I can do anything with the ball. Send it deep CC with heavy spin all day, rip it down the line, fold a short angle from the service line. Anything. The minute I feel tense and am not relaxed, the stroke loses all power and control (Andy Roddick syndrome).

Another thing, when I am relaxed (on 2hbh here) it feels like my hands aren't "holding" a racquet, but that the racquet is part of my arms, and the hands/handle is like just another joint, and my awareness is more in/on the racquet face, like it is the palm of my hand. Hard to describe.

Most of the debate here all can be reduced to inaccurate interpretation of what is meant by the term "relaxed" with people erroneously taking it to mean "flaccid" or similar.
 

sredna42

Hall of Fame
I hate that term, 'relaxed', when applied to tennis. It makes me think about all those rec Federer wannabes who see his elegant-ballet-effortless-zen-meditation-kumbaya-my-lord-relax-your-sphincters style and try to emulate that during practice, only to tense up like crazy when playing matches.
I prefer to use controlled aggression.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
LOL 5 pages and people are still arguing this? When I stay relaxed on my strokes, the difference is night & day in terms of power and spin/control.

Especially on my 2hbh, when it is not working one of the first steps I take is to barely grip the handle with my right hand, to eliminate any tension in the stroke, before I dial it back in. When I am hitting it with no tension, I feel like I can do anything with the ball. Send it deep CC with heavy spin all day, rip it down the line, fold a short angle from the service line. Anything. The minute I feel tense and am not relaxed, the stroke loses all power and control (Andy Roddick syndrome).

Another thing, when I am relaxed (on 2hbh here) it feels like my hands aren't "holding" a racquet, but that the racquet is part of my arms, and the hands/handle is like just another joint, and my awareness is more in/on the racquet face, like it is the palm of my hand. Hard to describe.

Most of the debate here all can be reduced to inaccurate interpretation of what is meant by the term "relaxed" with people erroneously taking it to mean "flaccid" or similar.
My two handed backhand is the best in Poland in several categories and my grip is tight during contact with the ball. You can see how it works here.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Hold the racket parallel to the ground(also strings parallel to the ground) and throw a ball at the strings holding the handle tight. Then throw the ball but just before you throw let go of the handle. Compare how high the ball bounces. I have just done it and when I was holding the racket it bounced 4 times higher. It means that the speed of the ball after impact was much greater.

With loose grip you have to acclerate the head of the racket to much greater speed to achieve the same speed of the ball. You can do it but the faster the racket moves the less control you have.
I'm calling BS on your "experiment". If you saw a difference in bounce height then you undoubtedly hit a different part of the stringbed to achieve that diff.

Instead of dropping the racket prior to impact, I tried a different approach. I balanced the racket near its midpoint (at it's balance point). No grip pressure applied. Compared this to a bounce with the racket held very tightly at the grip. No difference in bounce height at all when the ball impacted the same area of the stringbed (at the center). Tried the same thing higher in the stringbed. Lower bounce but the same height for tight grip vs no grip.
 

Dragy

Legend
I'm calling BS on your "experiment". If you saw a difference in bounce height then you undoubtedly hit a different part of the stringbed to achieve that diff.

Instead of dropping the racket prior to impact, I tried a different approach. I balanced the racket near its midpoint (at it's balance point). No grip pressure applied. Compared this to a bounce with the racket held very tightly at the grip. No difference in bounce height at all when the ball impacted the same area of the stringbed (at the center). Tried the same thing higher in the stringbed. Lower bounce but the same height for tight grip vs no grip.
Did some similar tries with similar results - grip adds nothing. Was thinking of making a short proof vid, but no time for it so far.
Polish physics education quality is a doubt since GD posting... or maybe he graduated too long ago and is too old to remember and apply correctly :p
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
Did some similar tries with similar results - grip adds nothing. Was thinking of making a short proof vid, but no time for it so far.
Polish physics education quality is a doubt since GD posting... or maybe he graduated too long ago and is too old to remember and apply correctly :p
Only if the speed of the ball is low difference is not great but the faster the ball the greater the difference. That is why I said that I threw the ball at the strings. If you hold the racket tighter the ball goes deeper into the strings what increases the potential energy of elasticity of the strings. This energy is then transfered to the ball increasing its kinetic energy. If the grip is loose part of the energy is taken by the thrown back racket. It is elementary physics.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
I'm calling BS on your "experiment". If you saw a difference in bounce height then you undoubtedly hit a different part of the stringbed to achieve that diff.

Instead of dropping the racket prior to impact, I tried a different approach. I balanced the racket near its midpoint (at it's balance point). No grip pressure applied. Compared this to a bounce with the racket held very tightly at the grip. No difference in bounce height at all when the ball impacted the same area of the stringbed (at the center). Tried the same thing higher in the stringbed. Lower bounce but the same height for tight grip vs no grip.
Each time 4 times higher bounce when my grip is tight than when I am not holding the racket. I dont understand why you are surprised.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
I am sure Jerzy Janowicz two handed backhand is the best in Poland.
Backhand of Janowicz was a defensive weapon. My backhand is offensive. I dont say that my backhand is the fastest. It is techically one of the best in several categories. +50 , +55 and +60.
 

Dragy

Legend
If you hold the racket tighter the ball goes deeper into the strings what increases the potential energy of elasticity of the strings. This energy is then transfered to the ball increasing its kinetic energy. If the grip is loose part of the energy is taken by the thrown back racket. It is elementary physics.
This is elementary ignorance. TWU did experiment on exactly that matter firing balls at the racquet - suggest that you clear this up for yourself:
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Each time 4 times higher bounce when my grip is tight than when I am not holding the racket. I dont understand why you are surprised.
Because I've seen 4 accounts (studies) done by tennis physicists / researchers that show no difference in rebound velocity with clamped (tight) vs free (relaxed) grip. I've posted references to 2 of those. @Dragy posted a 3rd. Your "science" is bunk.
 
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zaph

Professional
You underestimate my forehand. You should remember that my right wrist is injured and right arm is dominant in two handed forehand. If I used only right arm my forehand wouldnt be even average. Adding left hand I can even hit winners. If we talk about two handed forehand we should imagine a healthy player who is using my technique. If the ball was within the reach of two handed forehand he would accelerate the ball to the speed at least 30% greater than I do it. The balls which are farther from him he would hit using one handed forehand. Because of my injured wrist I use two handed forehand always if I can reach the ball. One handed forehand only if the ball is too far to use two handed. In those situations my two handed forehand doesnt look as it should. It is true that In my videos there are more backhand winners but it is mainly because my opponents avoid my forehand. If you want to see how my two handed forehand works and how dangerous it is watch next video.

Were are you getting this 30% figure from? Your forehand is steady, which does make it an excellent shot but it isn't a weapon. It is a push shot which you can direct, little more. You don't even hit your forehand as hard as I can and I aint that good.
 

grzewas

Semi-Pro
Because I've seen 4 accounts (studies) done by tennis physicists / researchers that show no difference in rebound velocity with clamped (tight) vs free (relaxed) grip. I've posted references to 2 if those. @Dragy posted a 3rd. Your "science" is bunk.
You all are wrong because tighter grip means also that I actively oppose the rebound of the rocket during the impact.
 
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