Technical Tennis

Source file: Technical_Tennis.docx.txt
Domain: coaching / technique
Tier: reports/tier-3-niche-specialty
Used in artifact: artifacts/reports/tier-3-niche-specialty.md
Abstract

Technique-focused tennis reference for coaches. Includes age-appropriate progressions.
Key points

Grip progressions: continental > eastern > semi-western > western.
Stance progressions: open > semi-open > neutral > closed.
Junior progression: red > orange > green > yellow ball.
Coaching cues: short, action-oriented, sensory.
Drill progressions: closed > semi-open > open.
Raw dump (first ~1000 words)

Copyright © 2005 by Rod Cross and Crawford Lindsey Racquet Tech Publishing (An imprint of the USRSA) 330 Main St. Vista, California 92084 www.racquettech.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Control Number: 2005905393 Cover design and illustrations by Kristine Thom Inside chapter title photos by Ron Waite, Photosportacular Printed in the United States of America ISBN-13: 978-0-97227-593-4 ISBN-10: 0-9722759-3-2 Contents FOREWORD PREFACE 1) RACQUETS INTRODUCTION Choosing a Racquet—the Basics Mistakes When Buying a Racquet Three Types of Racquet Racquets and Player Psychology Racquet Features Combine with Strokes Selecting a Racquet Is Art &amp; Science Care of Racquets RACQUET PROPERTIES POWER The Components of “Power”: Exit Speed, Rebound Speed, Racquet Speed Match Point Box 1.1: Effect of Grip Firmness on Power The Maximum Exit Power Point Changes with Racquet Speed Comparing Racquet Power Racquet Power Defined as Rebound Power Match Point Box 1.2: Maximum Effort Power Rebound Power Is the Sum of All Racquet Properties Power and Energy Loss Match Point Box 1.3: Maximum Theoretical Ball Speed The Bad News: Rebound Power Values Aren’t Readily Available CONTROL Rebound Control WEIGHT Weight and Apparent Weight The Six “Weights” of a Racquet Racquet Weight Light vs Heavy Racquets Ideal Racquet Weight Balance Point and Pickupweight Swingweight Twistweight Spinweight Hittingweight (“Effective Mass”) STIFFNESS (FLEX) Racquet Stiffness Measuring Racquet Stiffness Match Point Box 1.4:Vibration Comparison between Racquets Racquet Vibrations, Sweetspot, and Feel Vibration Dampening Shock &amp; the Center of Percussion Match Point Box 1.5: The Difference between Shock and Vibration CUSTOMIZING A RACQUET Match Point Box 1.6: Customizing Weight, Balance, &amp; Swingweight Further Reading 2) STRINGS STRINGS AND THE MODERN GAME STRINGBED STIFFNESS Static &amp; Dynamic Stringbed Stiffness Effect of String Material and Gauge on Stringbed Stiffness Effect of String Tension on Stringbed Stiffness Effect of String Pattern on Stringbed Stiffness Effect of Headsize and Stringbed Suspension System on Stringbed Stiffness Match Point Box 2.1: Rise in String Tension During a Shot Stringbed Stiffness Summary TENSION AND PERFORMANCE Tension and Power Tension Loss and Going “Dead” Tension Loss and Feel Tension Loss and Control Tension Loss and Sound Tension Loss and Pre-stretching Tension and Spin Tension and Player Perceptiveness DWELL TIME AND PERFORMANCE Dwell Time Dwell Distance Dwell Error Dwell Time and Force General Rules of Dwell Time Further Reading 3) BALLS &amp; BOUNCE BALL BASICS Ball History Rules about Balls Match Point Box 3.1: Ball Testing to Compare New and Old Balls Pressurized and Pressureless Balls BALL BOUNCE OFF THE COURT Friction Bounce Factors Bounce Factor #1: Angle of Incidence Bounce Factor #2: Incident Speed and Spin Bounce Factor #3: Hardness of Court Bounce Factor #4: Court Smoothness or Roughness Horizontal Bounce Speed Effects of Friction on Ball Spin BALL BOUNCE OFF THE STRINGS Angle of Impact Tilting the Racquet Head The Bounce Path off the Strings Further Reading 4) SPIN &amp; TRAJECTORY SPIN BASICS Generation of Spin Influence of Incident Angle and Spin on Rebound Spin Match Point Box 4.1: Effects of Spin on Bounce off the Strings Types and Uses of Spin 18 Different Ways to Hit the Ball Spin Before and After Bounce Effect of Grip on Spin Can Racquets and Strings Increase Spin? Match Point Box 4.2: Can Players Feel Spin Increasing Spin with Stroke Technique Simple Topspin Experiment Match Point Box 4.3: Topspin and the Federer Forehand Effect of Racquet Tilt on a Topspin Forehand SPIN AND THE SERVE Ball Toss Tips on Serving Arching the Back to Serve Slice Serve Serve Actions Forearm Slows Down Match Point Box 4.4: The Sampras Serve Force on Handle TRAJECTORY Vertical Launch Angle Hitting the Ball Deep Further Reading FOREWORD Several years ago, the two authors of this book and I wrote an encyclopedic tome with the imposing title The Physics and Technology of Tennis. Even though thousands of copies of this book have been sold and are still selling, and in spite of the fact that it was a Scientific American Book Club selection, it is not for everyone, and only the most motivated have read it from cover to cover. Who ever thought there was so much science to hitting a fuzzy yellow ball? But there is, and it is all there in its 435, 8.5” x 11” pages, including many hundreds of graphs, charts, diagrams, and formulas. It is a tremendous reference book, textbook, or self-teaching manual, but it is not a casual read. What is needed now is an up-to-date, reader-friendly book that covers the technical parts of tennis in a far less comprehensive and technical manner. It needs to be written so that a tennis player can pick it up, read it, and understand it. This is that book. It is written for tennis players and tennis fans, not engineers, scientists, or over-motivated super-achievers. It is still meaty and an intellectual adventure, but all the technical language has been translated to people-speak within its human-sized 160 pages. It addresses questions such as: •When you want a bit more power in your game, should you go to a heavier racquet or a lighter one? •What are the advantages of a racquet that has a bigger head? •What effect does string tension have on your game, and how does it affect power and control? •What is the difference between gut strings and synthetic strings? •What is the importance of string thickness? •What is a “fast” court and what is a “slow” court? •Should you adjust your equipment to match the court speed? •When buying a racquet, what features should you look for? •If you want to put more spin on the ball, what should you do