?Angle of wrist layback on contact with SW forehand

[TennisDoc]

Can anybody give me their input on the following:

What is the best wrist angle at contact for the modified SW forehand?
My guess is that it is anywhere from 45-90 degrees.

Do players change this angle depending on the shot?

Does a greater wrist angle mean that the contact is further in front and that more body rotation is needed to get to the contact point? Is this why Fed with his modified SW can hit the ball with his shoulders parallel to the net at contact?

The pros clearly have the passive delayed wrist layback as described by BB but should club players just set their wrist layback right away ( assuming a forehand grip in the ready stance) in the ready position and then merely rotate their shoulders for more power?

Thanks,

 

[Bungalo Bill]

Can anybody give me their input on the following:

What is the best wrist angle at contact for the modified SW forehand?
My guess is that it is anywhere from 45-90 degrees.

Do players change this angle depending on the shot?

Does a greater wrist angle mean that the contact is further in front and that more body rotation is needed to get to the contact point? Is this why Fed with his modified SW can hit the ball with his shoulders parallel to the net at contact?

The pros clearly have the passive delayed wrist layback as described by BB but should club players just set their wrist layback right away ( assuming a forehand grip in the ready stance) in the ready position and then merely rotate their shoulders for more power?

Thanks,

At times the angle of the wrist is in a full laid back position at contact. At other times (very hard to tell even on slo-mo film) the wrist is straightening (hand is coming forward). As far as what degree? I think that would vary. But I can tell you this, if you just relax the wrist and learn to hit more in front, it will fall into place. Just let it go.

As far a club players, I think you should NOT have too loose of a wrist at first. When learning to "relax" the wrist it is important to have some pressure in the fingers to learn just how much is enough.

When learning the "relaxed" wrist, there has to be some pressure to maintain the racquet and the integrity of the swing. When we use the words "dropping the racquet head in the slot" or "let the motion lay back the wrist" there is pressure applied against the handle to help the swing along. As you get better, you will know exactly how much pressure is right for you. Just because Federer has an extremely loose wrist does not mean it is right for you. Yo might have to build up to that because you lose control of the racquet head too much. Or you may not ever have a loose wrist like his due to genetics, skills, talent, hours spent in practice, conditioning, etc..

If you want to layback the wrist willfully and perform a wrist release BEFORE contact, that is perfectly fine and you can develop an excellent forehand. Remember tennis is about consistency and if too loose of a wrist hampers your ability to keep the ball in play, you need to firm up the hand.

I for instance, have the "loose wrist" forehand. But, I do not believe it is as loose as Federers. I do not try to copy Federer, he is a different breed. I take some of the things he does within reason. I usually have pressure against the handle with my three bottom fingers. I also have the butt cap against the heel of my palm so I can loosen my fingers further while I gain leverage from that bump on the butt cap. This allows me to accelerate the racquet head extremely quickly while maintaining complete control.

The loose wrist is a guideline and you must find what amount of pressure within that guideline is right for you at your level.

 

[TennisDoc]

BB,

Thanks for the great answer. I particularly was interested in one comment you made:

"I also have the butt cap against the heel of my palm so I can loosen my fingers further while I gain leverage from that bump on the butt cap. This allows me to accelerate the racquet head extremely quickly while maintaining complete control. "

I hold my forehand with a large part of my hand off the racket. The butt of the racket is actually in my mid palm. When I do the wrist layback there is very little support and often flops back on its own before I want it to.

But, just by playing around with what you do ( butt cap against heel of palm) I can feel how much more support the wrist has and how much less floppy it is.

Great comment.

I do have another question for you but it's on another topic and , to be fair, I'll start another thread.

Thanks again for your insightful remarks,

Glenn

 

[AngeloDS]

The best angle? It really depends on how far you have your arm extended from your body. But between those large ranges is extremely general. Arm closer to your body the angle will obviously be smaller compared to extended.

Personally, I like a bent elbow that's close to the body and a laid back wrist on the semi-western forehand. Lots of possibilities from heavy topspin to flat power shots.

When I make contact my hand is usually paralell with the baseline/service line. So my hand compared to the sidelines are at a 90 degree angle. And I jsut variate topspin and flat shot by changing the plane of my swing. Across my chest will be a flat shot a little bit up will be a topspin.

But the thing is AFTER you hit your stroke. A lot of people "whip" their wrists wildly, it's not a loose hinge. It's like a door. You don't slam doors or open and close them incredibly fast. Usually, it's smooth and so should the wrist. It should be a smooth transfer from the 45-90 degree angle back to having your wrist straight. I would kind of compare it to pushing curtails or something aside. When you push something aside your wrist is usually bent and as you push it aside your wrist naturally straightens out.