Played tennis on my 54th birthday - here is the VIDEO and the story

tdk

Rookie
thanks for sharing your experience, but I don't understand why and how a head light racket makes the LAG working for you, can you share your thought on this?

Before when I was swinging through the ball from far behind a head light racket didnt work because I got no momentum. With a head heavy racket I could swing with a plowing motion. Now with LAG the racket head slaps back and forth quicker. Allowing for faster racket head speed. Before the swing was slower but longer and heavier, now its faster but shorter and snappier. Hopefully I could explain it well enough. With a head light racket the shorter acceleration distance is easier.
 

weelie

Professional
Coach is getting a bit annoyed sometimes because of my analytical approach but tells me I'm one of few who really has been able to change my tennis technique. Upgraded it to ATP level hahahaaa. Only joking. But seriously, the ATP FH is the goal.

Who's your coach, btw? T. J...Koski, I think he coaches in the hall you play in the vids?
 

tdk

Rookie
Here is video where I compare myself to my coach. I'm the guy in the white shirt. For me there are 5 different forehands but for the coach its always the same. To help the discussion I numbered the clips.

 

MikeLawn

New User
Your upper body is static. There is no upper body rotation and, therefore, no kinetic chain - the chain of events beginning with rotation of the right hip toward the target, which pulls the torso, which pulls the shoulders, which pulls the arm and racquet, which leads to the rapid supination pronation of the arm into contact aka "the flip." Rather, your legs and upper body are motionless and you are merely hinging from the shoulder. I will point out that it is difficult to fully execute the modern forehand, with the long finish and upper body rotation, against most walls because the courts aren't deep enough. A full swing will result in the ball bouncing behind you, and you don't have time to recover from the long finish of a modern forehand. Try to find a wall with a court as deep as a tennis court, including the 21 foot backcourt between the baseline and the fence.

This is a basic guideline: In your "set-up" position, at the back of your backswing, you should be set up in a wide, open stance (about 45 degrees to the target line), with your chest facing 3 O'Clock (from above), your right hand pointing to 5 O'Clock, and the top of the racquet pointing to the side fence, initiate your forward swing by rotating your right hip forward and allow the kinetic chain (described above), to activate the rapid supination/pronation of your arm. Your arm and grip should be loose, relaxed and mostly passive throughout the swing and follow through. At the finish, your chest will have turned nearly 180 degrees to 9 O'Clock, your elbow will be pointing to the target, and your racquet head will be down near your left hip.

Thank you for your advice. I will try to implement your suggestions into practise, but in a few months at the earliest due to the autumn/winter time. Anyway, thanks!
 

tdk

Rookie
Thank you for your advice. I will try to implement your suggestions into practise, but in a few months at the earliest due to the autumn/winter time. Anyway, thanks!

The wall being so quick at returning the balls I have long since started to let the ball bounce twice in order to have time for a long swing finish over to the left. Now I sort of count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 instead of 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2.
 

rkelley

Hall of Fame
Here is video where I compare myself to my coach. I'm the guy in the white shirt. For me there are 5 different forehands but for the coach its always the same. To help the discussion I numbered the clips.

Your set-up looks good. Generally what I'm seeing is that on the forward swing you're not releasing, or letting the racquet go. It looks like you're trying to force the racquet through a swing path. Once you start the forward swing, just throw the edge of the racquet across the ball's path. I think if you can just tap into that natural throwing feeling you'll look more like your coach.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
Here is video where I compare myself to my coach. I'm the guy in the white shirt. For me there are 5 different forehands but for the coach its always the same. To help the discussion I numbered the clips.


Your set-up looks better. You are starting to employ some upper body rotation. But, you are not really employing the kinetic chain. You are still swinging primarily with your arm, and your upper body rotation and swing are basically independent of each other. Rather the swing should be generated by and reliant on upper body rotation and arm rotation, both of which are dependent on a loose, relaxed arm and grip. It seems to me that you still have too much muscle tension in your arm. Your arm should be fairly passive throughout the swing. Compare your finish with your friend's finish at about 47 seconds. Look how long AND LOW his finish is compared to yours. His racquet head is at his left hip. Yours is over your shoulder. Notice how much you still rely on linear momentum - stepping forward into contact whereas he rotates in place. His swing is generated from upper body rotation and his arm is loose and relaxed.
 

tdk

Rookie
Your set-up looks better. You are starting to employ some upper body rotation. But, you are not really employing the kinetic chain. You are still swinging primarily with your arm, and your upper body rotation and swing are basically independent of each other. Rather the swing should be generated by and reliant on upper body rotation and arm rotation, both of which are dependent on a loose, relaxed arm and grip. It seems to me that you still have too much muscle tension in your arm. Your arm should be fairly passive throughout the swing. Compare your finish with your friend's finish at about 47 seconds. Look how long AND LOW his finish is compared to yours. His racquet head is at his left hip. Yours is over your shoulder. Notice how much you still rely on linear momentum - stepping forward into contact whereas he rotates in place. His swing is generated from upper body rotation and his arm is loose and relaxed.

I hear you. Thanks. I'm making progress I think but still too stiff and tense. I don't know exactly what the problem is but if I just swing the racket in my living room I can apply the kinetic chain but as soon as I'm on the court I tension up and loos that relaxed hip and upper body rotation to drag my arm into a swing and slap the ball. Any thoughts?
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
I hear you. Thanks. I'm making progress I think but still too stiff and tense. I don't know exactly what the problem is but if I just swing the racket in my living room I can apply the kinetic chain but as soon as I'm on the court I tension up and loos that relaxed hip and upper body rotation to drag my arm into a swing and slap the ball. Any thoughts?

Keep working at it. When learning a new skill it takes longer if you first have to unlearn an old skill. Be patient. You'll get it.
 
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