Bending knees: How long do you stay down.

[Oxford]

I am just learning and was speaking to a friend (5.5/6 player) and he told me to bend my knees on a forehand topspin shot and STAY down there while hitting the ball and only rise up AFTER you hit it.

I thought you were suppose to bend knees as you bring the racquet back and stand up as you were hitting (swinging forward) to drive into the ball.

How long do you stay down with knees bent?

Thanks
OX

new guy

 

[Noveson]

You rise up as your racquet is going up, is what I've been taught. Experiment, if you keeping dropping them into the bottom of the net it's because you're up too early, when that happens just stay down longer. Keep trying until you get it right

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Imagine the perfect ball at the perfect height, right in your comfort zone.

When you stroke through the ball, your racket may rise, through and up, but your knees will normally remain bent, allowing a smooth transfer of weight form back to front foot. Just as you strike the ball, push, pivot, move to cover the court or anticipate the return.

With a low ball, do the same, just get down lower, a high ball, the same, just stretch up higher.

People that change/adjust their position mid stroke are usually compensating for poor timing, technique, bad bounce, etc.

 

[TylerWeekes]

Imagine the perfect ball at the perfect height, right in your comfort zone.

When you stroke through the ball, your racket may rise, through and up, but your knees will normally remain bent, allowing a smooth transfer of weight form back to front foot. Just as you strike the ball, push, pivot, move to cover the court or anticipate the return.

With a low ball, do the same, just get down lower, a high ball, the same, just stretch up higher.

People that change/adjust their position mid stroke are usually compensating for poor timing, technique, bad bounce, etc.

This statement is poor advice at his has been quantified on several occasions that the center of gravity rises with the racket as the ball is being struck. If your legs stay bent you have a physics problem. A rising angle (the fourth link of the kinetic chain ) and a stagnant angle (the center of gravity). This means that the rising angle has to work harder because it is being offset by a stagnant angle. Too Tough!

One doesn't need to quantify forces know this anyway... slow motion film on many tennis sites shows the legs straightening, sometimes even totally straight before the ball gets hit.


-Tyler