Practice Videos

[Topspin Shot]

I did various wall drills today and got a few minutes on tape. Volley speed work, overhead smashes, and a groundstroke point that got cut off when my phone ran out of memory. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWfL8-uYr0&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glY2ZLXLX9s&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eW6LYBKjek&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q

 

[RajS]

Hey TS, how far away from the wall are you standing when you do those volley drills? Pretty quick hand, by the way!

 

[Topspin Shot]

Hey TS, how far away from the wall are you standing when you do those volley drills? Pretty quick hand, by the way!

Thank you. For speed, 5 feet or so from the wall. But I'll also stand 15-20 feet from the wall to work on transition volleys and sometimes move forward and backward between the two distances while keeping the ball in the air.

 

[crash1929]

Much prettier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZRryAiyr3M

j/k

 

[Rivers Scott]

Looking good. However I do not see the value in that overhead exercise. Surely, the way you need to hit an overhead to keep the 'rally' going with the wall does not bear resemblance to how you would hit an overhead in matchplay?

It seems you need to hit more directly down against the wall than you would in a match - unless of course this is an overhead where you are standing right over the net which is an easy shot anyway. You also are forced to take it lower than you would in a match and I would be think that it may instil these bad habits.

 

[Rozroz]

Much prettier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZRryAiyr3M

j/k

now let's see her doing it with one hand.

 

[taurussable]

I did various wall drills today and got a few minutes on tape. Volley speed work, overhead smashes, and a groundstroke point that got cut off when my phone ran out of memory. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWfL8-uYr0&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glY2ZLXLX9s&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eW6LYBKjek&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q

include some court video next time

 

[Topspin Shot]

Much prettier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZRryAiyr3M

j/k

What's prettier? Her form or her form?

Looking good. However I do not see the value in that overhead exercise. Surely, the way you need to hit an overhead to keep the 'rally' going with the wall does not bear resemblance to how you would hit an overhead in matchplay?

It seems you need to hit more directly down against the wall than you would in a match - unless of course this is an overhead where you are standing right over the net which is an easy shot anyway. You also are forced to take it lower than you would in a match and I would be think that it may instil these bad habits.

It isn't perfect, but I find it's still good practice. It's kind of like hitting groundstrokes on the wall in that I have to be careful not to get too slappy.

include some court video next time

I'll try to get some court vids up.

 

[Chas Tennis]

Overhead technique

I did various wall drills today .................. overhead smashes...........................................
..................................................................
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glY2ZLXLX9s&list=UUuFVCRX5zNr10dxmbeM1B9Q
........................................................

A few years ago I decided that I had to have more pop on my volleys. I tried adding as much power as I could with about a 90° angle in the elbow. DON'T TRY THIS. On one of the first few attempts at this new volley technique - that I came up with without much research -I gave myself a Golfer's Elbow injury (torn tendon). My volley technique was very close to your overhead smash technique.

I did not know at the time, but that motion is internal shoulder rotation. It is powered by the lat and pec, probably the two largest muscles attached to the arm.

I have looked very briefly at a few high speed videos of pro smashes. At first look, these overhead smashes appear to be abbreviated serves - with some motions over less of a range of motion than for the serve. Both use internal shoulder rotation in the same way with a nearly straight arm. Also, there may be some other overhead smash techniques being used successfully in high level tennis. ?

On the serves, it is OK to apply heavier force using ISR because the arm is straight (and not with a 90° angle at the elbow), the arm and racket's moment of inertia is low about the arm's axis, and there is not the stress that produced my Golfer's Elbow with the 90° angle in the elbow. (I've seen a few references that say Golfer's Elbow injuries might be associated with the forehand or serve - no details. ) Baseball pitchers also use a similar elbow angle and ISR in part of the pitching motion but they don't have the racket extending out.

I'd stop doing that overhead technique unless you can find it being done by high level players in high speed videos.