February 2001 -- Question: I play with
a forehand grip that is in between Eastern and Semi-Western. I have been in the process of changing my Continental grip for about the past two years now. Just recently, my swing is feeling much more natural. My coach has been telling me that when I bring my racquet back I should keep it closed and then open it a little bit right when I hit the ball. (I guess I would always have the face open when the racquet swings through the air.) On my two-handed backhand, I try and emulate Magnus Norman and just bring the racquet straight back in a very open fashion. However, to me, it makes sense to keep it closed, since it probably is more aerodynamic – just like the way a frisbee flies. I, unfortunately, find myself framing the ball, probably since I’m used to hitting a much more clean ball, as opposed to brushing up the back of the ball. Do you feel there are any advantages/disadvantages to keeping a swing more closed than open?
Answer: Your situation
raises several issues that I will attempt to answer.
(1) Congratulations on changing from a Continental grip. Although it has taken two years to change, I am sure the rewards are great since the Eastern/Semi-Western grip gives you more control and power.
(2) On your backswing, I would recommend you keep the palm down as your coach suggests. This places the upper arm and shoulder in an anatomically efficient position while enabling you to naturally take the racquet back with simple body rotation.
(3) It’s wonderful to emulate the great players. However, make sure you are imitating and modeling exactly what happens. Often our naked eye plays tricks on us because the eye cannot possibly pick up the extremely fast movements of tennis without visual aids. As testimony to this, the table lamps in your home look as though they emit a single, constant beam of light to the naked eye. In actuality, they are cycling on and off but the eye is not sensitive enough to detect the oscillation.
For that reason, I would suggest you review Magnus Norman’s stroke production with the assistance of slow-motion video playback and study what he really does. For example, does he take the racquet back with arm motion or with trunk motion, and specifically how does he accomplish this? Does he initiate forward movement with the legs, the hips, the trunk and the arm? How is the racquet arm positioned during the swing? What is the linear motion of the racquet? Does he really take the racquet straight back or does he actually use a small loop backswing? The answers to these questions will go a long way toward helping you model this great player.
(4) Finally, be very careful trying to consciously “close” or “open” the racquet face during the forward acceleration phase of the stroke. We are talking a few degrees of rotation and the human mind simply cannot detect a degree or two while aggressively swinging the racquet. That’s why people who attempt this feat have serious control problems. Note the position of the palm of your hand when the racquet face is in a vertical position at impact. Then duplicate that position as you accelerate toward impact. That way, you keep it simple and you maximize your chances of success.
