36 - Modern Forehand - From hi-techtennis.com - Lesson 6: Rhythm and Timing - Establishing Rhythm: Pendulums, Gravity, and Arcs

 Establishing Rhythm: Pendulums, Gravity, and Arcs

Gravity is the force that lets you initiate your stroke effortlessly. By letting the double bend hitting structure "free fall", with the aid of gravity, you start the stroke off effortlessly and then use this "free" momentum to help propel the rotational and pulling motions in the next stage of the stroke. When you do this properly, it's a wonderful feeling.

When we see top players stroke the ball, we always notice how "effortless" it all looks. One huge reason for this is that they use gravity to initate the downswing of the stroke, which gives them "effortless" momentum. It's just like letting your bike "free fall" down a hill - picking up speed without having to pedal. Or when a roller coaster drops from the top of a hill and rapidly gains speed.

To take it further, we see that the entire takeback and drop is actually one big arcing pendulum. Rather than "take the racket back right away", the stroke actually starts with an easy upward and backward lift of the arm and racket, As the racket and arm lift upward and backward, the tip of the racket points straight up in the air. And then the entire hitting structure begins to fall, just as a pendulum starts it effortless path downward after reaching its apex.

Watch how the tip of Nalbandian, Arazi, Safin and Falla's racket point straight up in the air at the top of the takeback before "free falling" downward.

This wonderful, effortless pendulum takeback is, unfortunately, never achieved by the vast majority of players due to tennis teaching's obsession with "early preparation". "Get the racket back sooner!!" is a command I hear other instructors over and over, and it prevents people from ever feeling the wonderful, smooth, effortless feeling of turning the arm and racket into a pendulum, and tapping into the "free fall" that gravity provides to initate the downswing.

To get the pendulum effect, start the motion by beginning with the tip of the racket pointing forward, in the chicken wing position. Then smoothly and slowly begin the ascent up and back with the racket. DON'T do this quickly. Think slow and smooth. Like a roller coasting chugging up to the top, before it free falls down, you want to be smooth and slow with this arcing pendulum like motion.

The Top of the Arc

Gravity and the Rhythmic Takeback