Relationship between wrist flexibility and forehand grip

[oldhacker]

Reading the recent FYB analysis of Federer's forehand grip and the apparent anomally between his easternish grip and semi-westernish swing with contact point well out in front set me thinking about a factor which I have not seen discussed before.

This is wrist flexibility by which I mean how far the wrist will lay back. In Federer's case I have read that he says he has an extremely flexible wrist. It therefore seems likely that his wrist naturally lays back further than most players. I think this could help to explain the anomally because the effect on the contact point of a wrist which lays back further is the same as moving the grip towards western. With 8 bevels on a racquet grip each bevel equates to 45 degrees of racquet rotation so the difference beyween a wrist which lays back 90 degrees as compared to 45 degrees is the same as the difference between an eastern and a semi-western grip.

I know this from experience because I have an extremely inflexible wrist (as a result of an accident earlier in life) which will only lay back 45 degrees. I hold the racquet with a semi-western grip on my forehand but have a swing and contact point closer to typical eastern because my wrist does not lay back as far as most players.

Does this all make sense ?

 

[jessey]

Must be really hard for you to hit inside-out forehands, yes?

 

[oldhacker]

Good observation. The inside-out forehand is not a shot I have ever had much success with but I had never spotted that explanation. Fortunately I have a very effective inside-in forehand which I guess I tend to play instead.

Must be really hard for you to hit inside-out forehands, yes?

 

[paulfreda]

Yes you are on the right track there.
I hit with many different grips including Hawaiian and the more extreme the grip, the less you need to pre pronate in the backswing.
Djokovic pre pronates almost completely with his face looking at the back fence. Verdasco does this also. That is because they use SW grips, not W.
But this presupposes that they hit with a lot of forearm rotation thru the shot. Not everyone hits this way. For example, Murray remains rather neutral going back with a less active forearm and this is one reason he is so very consistent.

Anyway, there is a relationship between layback, pre pronation and the grip you hold for sure.

 

[Blake0]

I understand what you're saying up in the main post, and i think it makes a lot of sense.

Don't really understand the pre pronation part in the post above..

 

[gzhpcu]

I understand what you're saying up in the main post, and i think it makes a lot of sense.

Don't really understand the pre pronation part in the post above..

I think what is meant is that to accentuate the pronation through the hit, you supinate (this is the opposite of pronation) your forearm prior to hitting.

 

[oldhacker]

hi paulfreda - I think you have misunderstood me. By 'wrist flexibility' I mean the degree to which the wrist will lay back by hinging at the wrist joint. You are talking about pronation and supination which have nothing to do with the wrist joint but rather are rotation of the forearm from the elbow joint. Your wrist joint is not involved in pronation and supination.

Yes you are on the right track there.
I hit with many different grips including Hawaiian and the more extreme the grip, the less you need to pre pronate in the backswing.
Djokovic pre pronates almost completely with his face looking at the back fence. Verdasco does this also. That is because they use SW grips, not W.
But this presupposes that they hit with a lot of forearm rotation thru the shot. Not everyone hits this way. For example, Murray remains rather neutral going back with a less active forearm and this is one reason he is so very consistent.

Anyway, there is a relationship between layback, pre pronation and the grip you hold for sure.

 

[Blake0]

I think what is meant is that to accentuate the pronation through the hit, you supinate (this is the opposite of pronation) your forearm prior to hitting.

But he said during the backswing..not while hitting :-?

 

[paulfreda]

Wrist flexion/extension misunderstanding

hi paulfreda - I think you have misunderstood me. By 'wrist flexibility' I mean the degree to which the wrist will lay back by hinging at the wrist joint. You are talking about pronation and supination which have nothing to do with the wrist joint but rather are rotation of the forearm from the elbow joint. Your wrist joint is not involved in pronation and supination.

OK
But pure flexion or extension are rarely seen.
These motions are usually used in combination with forearm movement.
But maybe you are an exception.

No problem