In our quest to improve the feel on the forehand and backhand tennis groundstrokes, we can apply the same principle used in the how to hit the volley approach.
The idea is to allow the ball to bounce the racquet back – in a similar way as the ball bounces the racquet back when we simply bounce the ball up with the racquet.
The key difference when hitting groundstrokes though is that the racquet head doesn’t really bounce back but we CAN allow it to be slowed down by the impact of the ball.
How To Feel The Ball
As you’ve seen in the video, there’s a difference between what we feel and what happens in reality.
While your goal is to feel the ball bouncing the racquet slightly back, that doesn’t really happen – or perhaps it happens here and there.
If you hit the ball gently you will feel how the ball slows down the racquet.
But what does happen if you hit the ball gently is that the racquet is slowed down.
So, the goal is really to feel the ball’s inertia at impact – which actually means to feel the ball.
If you hold the racquet gently and focus on feeling the ball’s inertia, you’ll feel that the ball does slow down your racquet.
Of course, you must be hitting the ball very gently.
The tennis ball weighs less than 60 grams (roughly 2 ounces), and the typical tennis racquet weighs around 300 grams – which is 5 times more.
But it’s not only the racquet that’s meeting the ball – it’s also the weight of your arm and the force you have generated behind it.
So, there’s no match for the ball once the mass of your arm and the racquet combined with your weight collide with the ball.
That’s why it’s hard to »feel the ball« and what it does to the racquet especially if you muscle the ball.
If we hit the ball gently and hold the racquet lightly, we will actually feel the effect of the impact in our hand – and by that, we will feel the ball.
That feel of the ball gives us the ability to time the energy transfer through our body and to hit the ball cleanly.
By feeling the ball well, we will feel whether the ball hits the sweet spot or not. Simply by that awareness, our brain will be able to make those small adjustments needed to hit the ball in the sweet spot more often.
And hitting the ball in the sweet spot gives us much more power with much less effort.
The Key To Effortless Power
There’s another benefit of trying to hit the ball gently and feel it. Because you’re trying to hold the racquet gently, you’ll realize that almost your whole body relaxes.
This doesn’t mean that your body is slumped – it means that you’re tensing muscles less when hitting the ball.
Tension is your enemy when it comes to effortless power with any tennis stroke, and therefore you need to work on hitting tennis strokes with less and less tension.
If you watch pros warm up, you’ll see how relaxed they are and actually how relaxed they WANT to be in the warm up.
Note the first 25 seconds of the above video and how slowly Roger Federer is playing (and even moving) and how relaxed he wants to be when he starts the warm up. Eventually he will accelerate – but first he wants to feel the relaxation from which he will build up more acceleration later in the practice.
Why?
Because they need to nurture this relaxation that they have acquired over the years.
They need to feel how effortlessly they are able to generate force within their body and how relaxed body and limbs allow them to do that.
That’s why, if you want to learn the proper tennis technique and dynamics, I recommend watching the pros during their warm up instead of in extreme match situations when they may be stretched to the limit or when they need to force shots in order to gain advantage in the rallies.
I personally try to feel the ball and play very relaxed and slow tennis for the first 5 minutes of my hitting hour on the court.
I want to feel how the kinetic chain flows through my body into the racquet head, and I want to feel the ball well on the strings.
My brain and body have to warm up for playing tennis again each day that I am on the court, and if you start gradually with feel and no tension, you’ll see how positively that affects your game later.
Great post Tomaz! I use soft balls a lot with my kids. Then I can feel the ball a lot more. How much do you recommend adults use these?
Hey Arturo,
Soft tennis balls are great for developing feel – especially the really big foam ones. I also use them with club players to help them develop the feel for spin and allow them free acceleration when playing mini tennis.
You could use a soft ball for 2-5 minutes when you warm up on mini tennis. How many times? As long as it helps you develop the feel.
It also allows you to really use the whole trunk rotation without the fear that the ball will fly too far.
Hi Tomaz,
Great job on your focus on feeling the ball. When I was a kid taking tennis lessons none of my tennis pros ever mentioned that, but focused on their particular techniques too much.
When I watch Roger warming up, as you point out, I see extreme relaxation, great concentration on seeing the ball and feeling it on his racquet, and an effort to accelerate through contact to a complete and relaxed finish. He doesn’t seem to get distracted thinking about his footwork or racquet preparation/back swing. He sees and feels the ball on his strings and his effort seems to be to make sure he accelerates to a complete finish.
I really enjoy your teaching as your focus is on the things that are natural and important, which equals more fun and faster learning how to play tennis the right way.
Thanks,
Larry Buhrman
The key is to feel the “throw” of the racquet through the ball rather than the “push”.
The “push” tenses the muscles – it means you think “I want to hit the ball hard / strong”.
The “throw” means you think “I want to hit the ball fast.”
Very useful tip. It makes a lot of sense. Thanks very much, Tomaz.
Tomaz, should one try for the same feel on ground strokes as they do the serve? You mention throwing the racket above(like a serve). I’m completely relaxed and throw the racket on a serve but do not have that same feeling on ground strokes – and my serve is good while g strokes are not.
Hi Jon,
It depends on the speed and type of incoming ball – but YES, forehand and backhand are “thrown” in a similar way. Just look at the above video of Roger Federer warming up and you’ll see that he “throws” the racquet into the ball.
The problem for all us mortals is that we are unable to time the ball that well in order to just throw the racquet. We need to guide that racquet a little bit more along the path. I’ll prepare an article to further explain this idea…
Hi Tomaz,
Enjoyed the video. As far as the grip goes I have always heard with the ground strokes to keep a light grip but not allow wrist to flop around.
In regard to feel I hear good players of other sports like baseball and golf describe the ball feeling airy or light when hit correctly as if they are hitting nothing if this makes sense. Since a baseball and golf ball are physically stiffer or harder than a tennis ball; when a tennis ball is hit correctly should it have this light and airy feeling also. It seems right now when I hit the tennis ball it feels more like a rock.
Hi Rob,
If you open your fingers when holding the forehand and push the racquet handle into your hand with the off-hand you will realize that the racquet is pushed against the back of your hand obviously.
Therefore we don’t need the fingers to squeeze the racquet, we need them only to support the racquet so that it doesn’t fall down.
You have four fingers under the handle and one above (thumb) – so the racquet rests on the four fingers and is moved forward with your body rotation, legs, shoulders, upper arm, forearm and hand – so need for the wrist to work hard.
And yes, the feeling is very effortless if you do it right. It must be otherwise the wrist is locked and doesn’t allow energy transfer. Will explain this and much more in my upcoming forehand video course.
Tomaz,
Regarding the one hand topsin backhand:
I’m struggling to figure out exactly what the wrist and arm are doing an the forward part of the swing. I know the elbow is locked. I know the butt of the racket is pulled toward the ball BUT is this the same arm/wrist position throughout the entire swing? Is the racket being “pulled” thoughout the entire shot or is there some wrist or arm supination going on to move the racket head into position?
I have tennis elbow from my backhand and I don’t know why. Can I send you a video?
Hi Jon, the wrist is locked too when hitting a one handed backhand but there are degrees of firmness. It feels very stiff at the beginning and eventually feels more comfortable even though it’s not moving at the point of contact.
There is some supination going on but the feeling is more of extending through the shot with the whole arm.
The often invisible part of a onehanded backhand though are the hips and the body rotation that help generate power. And sure, please send me the video!
Hi
I found very usefull your article on the feeling and mental image of “compress and roll the ball”.
Now you use the term “Throw” the racket that is for me a bit confusing and contradictory.When you “compress” the ball you have inevitably the feelig of” push” the ball not “throw” the racket.
So your comment I quote below makes me feel I am back in the begining and that I have to change again a whole process which worked for me very well.
The comment I mean is the following:
Tomaz
The key is to feel the “throw” of the racquet through the ball rather than the “push”.
The “push” tenses the muscles – it means you think “I want to hit the ball hard / strong”.
The “throw” means you think “I want to hit the ball fast
Best regards
Moufis
Hi Moufis,
I understand your confusion so let me try and clear it up. The “compress & roll” idea does lead to pushing the ball but I also pointed out in that article that you need to “squeeze” this idea into a very short time.
If you’re compressing for too long, you’ll be pushing – which is not that terribly bad except that the ball won’t go that fast.
So the end goal is to “throw” the racquet towards the ball and then in a very short moment change to “compress & roll” and then release again.
That way your racquet will have good speed and inertia before you start compressing the ball and it will move through that moment of compression much more smoothly.
I also want to point out one more thing which I will repeat more times: “There is no such thing as perfectly correct tennis instruction.”
That means that any instruction, advice or tennis tip your read can be applied in the wrong way (you can do it too much or not enough).
You need to find the right measure for everything and anything you read about improving the tennis game. Eventually rely on feel to see how much of the advice you read has to be applied to your stroke.
“There is no such thing as perfectly correct tennis instruction.” There also seems to be no such thing as a perfectly correct tennis stroke. Through this website I’m learning that there are different elements–relaxation vs. firmness, spin, height, direction, speed, relative use of wrist, arm, legs, etc.–that can be mixed in many many ways, depending on the situation and depending on what you intend to do.
I think one of the mistakes we make is looking for the perfect stroke, as though it were a static and clearly defined thing.
Thanks a lot for your direct response.Your clrarifications are enlightening.I think that on the first part of the forward swing(downward) we have to accelarate towards the ground.
I have been a believer in using mini-tennis to begin warming up for a long time, although it is not always possible to get playing partners to agree for various reasons, and it seems to me that this relaxed, gentle feeling of the racket and ball in contact while making the full stroke is at the heart of being able to hit the ball. This video exactly specifies what the focus should be in this type of drill, no matter where on the court it is being applied. Like so much of what you offer, you have taken the concept a step or two further, to the very basic level, and I really appreciate it!
Just wanted to give an update on my 1h backhand. I’ve found the key – at least for me. Relaxing the arm. I’m treating my bh just like my forehand and serve – I use almost all hips and shoulders and let the arm swing freely. This requires timing but it’s the only way to get topspin and power and the the only way to take the forearm muscles somewhat out of the picture. I feel almost no strain at my elbow and forearm when hitting this way. The downside is control but if you time it right, the topspin will bring the ball into the court. So yes, it feels just like my serve and my forehand ( whipping) – get the legs in position, turn the hips and shoulders, step forward or onto the backfoot (for open) and un-wind while LETTING the arm come through like a whip – bend the elbow and let it straighten naturally.
Look at Federer – he’s not attempting to straighten his arm prior to letting it fly- it straightens naturally as he whips it forward. The motion is this – legs, hips, shoulders, elbow, wrist – in that order – forget about the arm, it follows the shoulder automatically. One other key is to give it a tiny bit of wrist at contact, to brush up on the ball – Fed does this. I imagine I’m trying to swat a fly – got to be loose to do that.
Also, this is not what I do on a tough return of serve to the backhand. That’s still a work in progess – right now all I can do is slice it back.
Lastly – to practice this throwing type of 1h backhand, I recommend hitting balls hard and trying to get them over the back fence – this will teach you how the body needs to move to get power; timing is also learned. Then you work on topspin.
Tomaz,
I started to really feel this today, and it was great! Not only does it help your shots; it’s also deeply pleasurable and relaxing!
I think it helped that I had already worked with your volley tips and with your minimum effort concept. One of the things I like about your approach is how all the different parts are connected: the relaxation and touch of the volley technique is also present in the groundstrokes, as is the throwing feeling of the serve. It’s not so much a lot of little techniques as it is one overarching feeling of relaxed concentration, lightness and fluidity, but also solidity.
Anyway, I’m truly amazed at how your advice is transforming my tennis, and without even having met you! You’re a truly gifted teacher, Tomaz. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome, Zac, stay in touch!
One question, Tomaz…
Do you feel the ball in a similar way on the serve, or is it completely different? Other than the idea of throwing the racquet you mentioned in some of the other comments, is there any way to incorporate this kind of drill into serve practice?
Also, more generally, I’m curious what tips you have for using a wall for practicing feel by yourself. (Actually, I ‘d love to see a whole video/article of yours on using a wall for solo practice.)
Yes, there is a way for the serve. You serve with minimum effort required to put the ball in the service box.
Subtract, subtract, subtract. Do less and less and see how low can you go with effort.
As for the wall, I find it best tool to learn to play under time pressure. The backswing will usually automatically shorten and this can be used for a volley drill too.
Check this drill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cThQIhFSZk
Tomas:
I am demoing a racquet that is arm friendly with 58 stiffness and 12oz weight. I do not get any ‘feel’ for the ball when I hit. Why?
vasu
I can’t say, Vasu, but it can be the strings.
The strings are to the racket like the tires are to the car.
With poor tires you won’t drive well no matter how good the car is. The same goes for the strings…
Hello Tomas,
I really like your videos, I follow you since maybe three years.
I wanted to underline how often coaches explain technique straight from professional players observation. However in my opinion it is not possible to have identical technique when the nature of the equipment is completely different.
For me it’s basically impossible to have completely relaxed arm/shoulder if I’m hitting with a 300 grams racquet. That relaxation comes very natural if you hit with a 330 grams racquet and/or with a very high sweingweight.
I’m not saying that it’s the only factor, of course, and that’s why your explanation is very usueful, but it is a big factor and coaches should start including equipments in their theory. Racquet head speed, touch, relaxation, spin, they depend a lot of the equipment too.
Good point, Manuel, thanks for sharing!