Question: ground strokes...

[dayvie]

I have been playing tennis for about a year and a half now, and had some questions on ground strokes...

1) How are the loop backswings different from straight backswings other than how they look (obviously)

2) Do certain grips (say eastern grip or western grip) favor certain back swings?

3) This question is kinda hard to explain but... hmm like when you hit the ball... do you have your arm swing forward so that it feels like your arm is turning your body... or do you turn your body first so that the arm is kinda following from that then you go on with the follow through? (get it?)

4) And a question on grips for 2 hand backhand... the right hand... what are the differences between if i hold the racquet with a continental grip or a eastern(or is it western.... having your index finger knuckle at the 12 oclock position of the grip) grip?

hmm sorry if I'm asking too beginner of questions, and thanks in advance for the responses!

 

[BubbleSpear]

Loopy backswings offer more speed, and thus more power and spin. More extreme grips, such as western, force the player to pull upwards more in order to hit the ball correctly, throwing in a ton more topspin. The arm should not be trailing like a whip or you'll screw something up.

 

[nickybol]

I have been playing tennis for about a year and a half now, and had some questions on ground strokes...

1) How are the loop backswings different from straight backswings other than how they look (obviously)

2) Do certain grips (say eastern grip or western grip) favor certain back swings?

3) This question is kinda hard to explain but... hmm like when you hit the ball... do you have your arm swing forward so that it feels like your arm is turning your body... or do you turn your body first so that the arm is kinda following from that then you go on with the follow through? (get it?)

4) And a question on grips for 2 hand backhand... the right hand... what are the differences between if i hold the racquet with a continental grip or a eastern(or is it western.... having your index finger knuckle at the 12 oclock position of the grip) grip?

hmm sorry if I'm asking too beginner of questions, and thanks in advance for the responses!

In a loop backswing, there`s no pause between the backswing and the forward swing. In a straight backswing, there is a pause. In this pause some of the so-called "elastic energy" is released, so you can create less power.

Certain grips favor certain forward swings, backswings are a matter of personal style.

3) I think the arm and the torso should go at the same time, at least in theory, but I`m not sure if this feels that way too.

4) With a eastern grip for your right hand on your doublehanded backhand, you can create more spin but you can have more trouble handling low balls. I think the eastern backhand grip is a fine backhand grip, but if this grip feels a bit to extreme for you, you can use the continental too.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

on item 3), this might help:

B- Bill: Question about hips/weight shift on forehand ...
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=31382

also, check the Sticky thread at the top on 1HBH and FH