Tennis Myths & Truth

Tennis Myths & Truth
Myths-Turn your hips for more power /Bend your knees on the serve for more power
Truth - One can do both those movements and not hit any harder. Racquet velocity is the true determining factor for power. If movements don’t add up to more speed, no power results.


Myths -Step into the ball for more power on volleys & groundstrokes
Truth -This is related to the point above. One can step into the ball and still not send it hard. Transferring one’s weight is not a major contributor to racquet speed (although it helps). Using rotational force (called, angular momentum) is more effective for creating speed and top
players use a combination of turning and transferring weight (angular & linear force).

Myths -Use topspin to get more power
Truth - Adding spin decreases the forward velocity of the ball. The direction of the racquet speed is the important point. For example, a 50 mph flat swing will have more forward power than a 50 mph low to high swing. The resulting topspin will decrease the forward power of the
ball.

Myths -Bend your knees for more height
Truth - It is totally possible to fully bend one’s knees and still hit the net. What a coach is really trying to say is, “If you start your racquet below the level of the ball and rise through the impact, this will send the ball higher. Lowering your body will help to get the racquet lower than the impact”. Great coach, so why do you think telling someone to, ”bend your knees” will automatically do all that? The low to high racquet path through the impact is the determining factor for height.

Myths - -Stop to be balanced for your shot (groundstrokes and volleys)
Truth - Being balanced is a crucial aspect of any shot however, balanced and ‘stopped’ are not the same thing. Stopping will often ‘put on the brakes’ for all the movements required in a Stroke. One can be in ‘dynamic balance’ and still have movement (just watch the pros groundstrokes & volleys).

Myths -Take your racquet back (on groundstrokes)
Truth -This common misconception separates racquet from body movement and leads to overusing the arm inefficiently in the stroke. It is the body turn (especially the shoulder preparation) that prepares the racquet more than ‘independent’ arm movements. A coach
should look for the body preparing correctly to set the racquet.

Myths -Roll over the ball for topspin, under for underspin
Truth -Fortunately, this myth was put to rest a long time ago but it bears repeating. Spin results from the path of the racquet and the angle of the racquet being different (e.g. topspin results with a vertical racquet face and a low to high path). An impact is only milliseconds long, not enough time to ‘roll’ the ball. The racquet will often roll after a heavy spin shot, but only as the result of the racquet path and rotation of
the forearm. The ball is long gone by the time the racquet rolls. Trying to roll the racquet will not produce the spin. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of, ‘indirect coaching’. It is a false connection