Topspin

[redtennis55]

Any tips for getting more brush on the ball? I have tried low to high but i found it hard to get the right brush and topspin. Thank you for your help.

 

[papa]

If your swing patch starts "below" the contact point and finishes 'high" around your shoulders, you'll get plenty of topspin. The face of the racquet is close to perpendicular at contact.

The grip might be somewhat of a problem. Put your racquet on the floor and then pick it up - this will give you a "frying pan" type grip which in tennis lingo is somewhere between an "eastern" forehand and "semi-western" grip. Give that a try and see what happens.

 

[Viper]

Brushing the ball from below and high gives you lots of Topspin, but it feels really awkward. What I do is hit it like I'm gonna hit a flat shot than as soon as the ball makes contact I pull it up and over.

 

[shindemac]

You can try a different grip. Use semi-western or western. But then you will need to change the contact point or else you will hit a fly ball or into the net.

 

[highsierra]

Take a camcorder to the court and record your groundstrokes. It's the best way to find out what you need to do, need to change. If you have never looked at yourself playing, I guarantee you the shock! And you should be able to see what you're not doing right, or enough. A video clip worth a million words, literally.

 

[L15]

Keep the normal motion just LIFT.

 

[Willy H.]

Ever tried a western grip? It takes getting used to, but the racquet angle generally puts a great amount of spin on the ball for you. Westerns aren't for everyone, but why not give it a try?

 

[papa]

Take a camcorder to the court and record your groundstrokes. It's the best way to find out what you need to do, need to change. If you have never looked at yourself playing, I guarantee you the shock! And you should be able to see what you're not doing right, or enough. A video clip worth a million words, literally.

I'm certainly not going to argue with you on this because it is true most of the time. However, just because the stroke is "pretty" doesn't mean its right either. I've seen a lot (well quite a few anyway) of players who "look good" (stokes) but they can't seem to play worth a da__. One of their major concerns is always how they look as compared to anything else.

The other factor involved here is whether the "average" player can make these "self assessments" which are meaningfull. Many can but probably just as many, if not more, have no idea what the problems are.

 

[dmastous]

I'm certainly not going to argue with you on this because it is true most of the time. However, just because the stroke is "pretty" doesn't mean its right either. I've seen a lot (well quite a few anyway) of players who "look good" (stokes) but they can't seem to play worth a da__. One of their major concerns is always how they look as compared to anything else.

The other factor involved here is whether the "average" player can make these "self assessments" which are meaningfull. Many can but probably just as many, if not more, have no idea what the problems are.

Not to be agumentative, but I just videotaped myself hitting backhands to assess why I was so inconsistant. I found I was setting up with the racquet looking like I was going to hit a slice (when I was going for topsin) and I was not turning my shoulder back nearly enough. The next time I played, I concentrated on fixing those two issues and hit the backhand better than I had in months. Yes, you have to know what you are looking at, and you have to be honest with yourself. But if you don't have the knowledge, and know someone who does, video tape can be a fantastic aid.

 

[papa]

Not to be agumentative, but I just videotaped myself hitting backhands to assess why I was so inconsistant. I found I was setting up with the racquet looking like I was going to hit a slice (when I was going for topsin) and I was not turning my shoulder back nearly enough. The next time I played, I concentrated on fixing those two issues and hit the backhand better than I had in months. Yes, you have to know what you are looking at, and you have to be honest with yourself. But if you don't have the knowledge, and know someone who does, video tape can be a fantastic aid.

Well, it sounds like you can benefit from the video of yourself, and thats good, but many don't have the slightest clue. They know that "something" is wrong but can't distinguish the "good" from the "bad". The problem is often that one small portion of the shot sets up a series of errors - very often its not watching the ball long enough or poor footwork.

 

[redtennis55]

Well I looked at the video, and the problem is that i do not bring my racquet head down, although i am brushing up somewhat. I keep it parallel to the ground so it is hard to get topspin. Now that i try to bring it down i have another problem, i stop my swing in the middle to bring it down. ANy tips on how to get a smoother swing?