Tennis Coach Tips: Learn to serve like Andy Murray

Article by Vic Braden

1. This is a typical stance for most players. It has no significance as far as racquet acceleration and power— each player simply has his or her own way of beginning to focus on the serve. One note: When my partner, Dr. Gideon Ariel, and I analyzed subjects who used this stance, with the racquet extended, there was an increase in the activity in their trapezius (neck and shoulder) muscles. Some players actually got a little stiff using this method. That’s why baseball pitchers shrug their shoulders and exhale to relax the muscles before throwing.









2. Notice that Murray’s tossing hand is nearly parallel to the baseline rather than extended toward his opponent. This causes his body to coil, and it’s the uncoiling of the body in a particular sequence from the ground up that generates racquet speed. That sequence is called the “kinetic chain.” Notice also that Murray’s dominant arm is extended backward. Many players think they should look like the classic serving trophy, with the hitting elbow tucked way down behind them. But that trophy designer must have had a pitiful serve.







3. . At this point, Murray brings his back foot up toward his front, which momentarily stops him from uncoiling his body. He relies on loading the muscles in his upper body rather than generating a complete kinetic chain. His knees are bent to activate a forward and upward movement. While the knee bend is an initiator of the kinetic chain, in our research we found that the knee bend alone was not a huge factor in serve speed and generated less than 10 m.p.h. for most subjects.









4.  Here is where Murray fails to maximize his racquet-head speed. His body isn’t going as forward and upward as it could be. He tosses the ball farther back than, say, Andy Roddick does. In our research center, we found that the greatest racquet speed was produced when the player’s upper arm was going up and forward toward the net, as in a baseball pitch. Murray’s upper arm is traveling more upward than forward, which will limit his speed.








5. Murray makes contact with the ball at the peak of the toss, which has major advantages in serving percentages. One or two inches in height can often mean the difference between an ace or a ball that hits the tape. Andy continues to uncoil his body, which helps to increase racquet-head speed. Note that Murray’s feet have left the ground. If you jump to hit the ball before the upper arm has achieved maximum speed, you’ll lose power. This is not true if the ball is tossed out front and the server is pulled off the ground when he reaches for it







6. Murray has one foot behind the baseline when he lands. (Roddick lands more than 2 feet inside the baseline.) It’s important to get the toss as far out in front as you can. As Murray’s game continues to improve, I think you’ll see him tossing the ball farther out toward the net to maximize racquet-head speed, while remaining properly balanced to attack the net or play the point out from the baseline.

Tennis Coach Tips: Slice like Justine Henin

Slice and dice like Justine Henin  - by tennishead

 Objectives: Combination knockout

It is difficult to generate pace off a slice drive, so don’t expect to hit many winners with it. Where you aim a slice is tactical – the beauty of a sliced approach is that the ball stays low, forcing opponents to hit up or resort to slice themselves. It is also easy to move forwards through the shot, enabling you to get to the net and further cut down your opponent’s angles and options.

Conditioning: Don't forget defence.
Once you’ve honed in your slice with some cross-court rallies and thrown in a winning drop shot or five, try these out. First, have your coach or partner feed you short balls to slice and approach the net for a follow-up volley to work on your attacking game. Then, a trickier one – start inside the baseline and ask your partner to drive fast, low balls to the backhand corner to work on your defensive skills.

1. Henin is in the classic running position as she takes on this low, short ball. Her hips remain facing forward as she turns her shoulders and takes the racket back early, preventing her from slowing down and losing momentum.

Key point: Henin’s knees are already bent, helping her to approach the ball at the same height as she will strike it rather than suddenly dipping into the shot

2. She takes one last big step towards the ball, giving her a wide base from which to play. Having taken her left hand off the throat of the racket, she straightens her right arm to chop through the back of the ball.

3. The open racket face slides underneath and across the ball, while her left arm has extended backward as a perfect counterbalance to the right arm. Importantly her back leg has remained behind her, keeping her side-on during contact.

Key point: Compare Henin’s head position between frames two and three – it has hardly moved! This is the key to her balance during the shot. 

4. With her racket face moving inside the line of the ball, Henin has put slice and sidespin on the shot to keep the ball extra-low and adding to the difficulty for her opponent after the bounce. She is still at the same height she was on her approach to the ball.

5. Henin uses her legs to drive herself out of the shot and change direction rather than leaning to the right with her shoulders and sending herself off-balance. This way she is in better shape for the upcoming return as she moves forwards.

Key point: Henin’s shoulders have stayed beautifully level throughout the approach

6. She eases her way up into a driving position to approach the net and look for a kill shot. Many players stand up straight too early, but Henin rises gradually like a sprinter. This shot has been executed perfectly!

Golden rule: As with the serve and volleys, use a continental or chopper grip for your sliced backhands to keep the face of the racket open during the shot 

Tennis Coach Tips: Improve your backhand with Roger Federer

Roger Federer’s Backhand - Article by Stan Smith


Perfect balance, precise footwork, and an uncanny ability to watch the ball make Federer’s backhand a shot worth emulating.

It isn’t just that Roger Federer can masterfully hit any shot in the book—and a few shots that aren’t—but that he makes it look ridiculously easy. One of the keys to Federer’s success, and the principle reason his strokes look so effortless, is his extraordinary balance. Whether he’s hitting his huge forehand or his impressive backhand, he keeps his head and upper body remarkably quiet throughout the stroke.

1. Judging from his knee bend, you can tell that Federer is preparing for a low ball, perhaps an approach shot from his opponent. Even though he’s reacting quickly, he looks completely under control. He’s already changed his grip to one that’s slightly farther over from a classic Eastern. Also, notice the position of his racquet as he’s moving. Many players think you should prepare by immediately taking the racquet all the way back, but that’s not an efficient way to run. And while Federer’s shoulders have begun to turn, he won’t rotate them more until he plants his right foot.

2. Cradling the racquet in his left hand to control his backswing, Federer starts to turn his shoulders in unison with his racquet take-back. I like how his head is right in the center of his body. Pay attention to how he’s pointing his shoulder at the oncoming ball. This ensures good upper-body rotation, which is something many beginners and intermediates don’t do well. A full shoulder turn, along with a sound backhand grip, will help you drive the ball as well as avoid elbow problems.

3. This is a striking example of Federer’s excellent balance; he’s in the optimal position for this low ball. Even though he’s dragging his toe, he’s still got a lot of his weight on his left foot. Many players would have moved most of their weight onto their front foot at this point, which would cause their momentum to continue to the side after striking the ball and result in a more difficult recovery. Federer’s racquet is all the way back at this point and his shoulder turn is full, about 45 degrees to the baseline. His head, though, has barely moved from the previous photo.

4. Federer has just struck the ball and his left knee is almost touching the ground. His upper body remains still and balanced. This shot reminds me of how great downhill skiers allow their legs to go up and down like pistons but their upper bodies remain relatively quiet and straight up. Federer’s legs are doing all of the work of getting low to the ball; he’s not bending at the waist. It takes great core and quad strength to do this, but the payoff is that there’s no stress on the back. The angle between his arm and his racquet shows that he’s using a strong grip that will resist impact well.

5. Federer’s non-playing hand is back and down to counter balance his racquet hand going forward and up. Also, when the left arm goes back like that, it keeps the shoulders from turning and accelerates the right arm, giving you more power. As you can see, Federer’s shoulders are still sideways to the baseline. One common problem that players have with the backhand is that they pull up and open their shoulders so they almost face the net, losing power and control. Here, Federer’s head has hardly moved at all, and he has finished with his body perpendicular to the target.

6. Federer is recoiling after the swing,and it’s only now that he has started to look up and watch his shot. His body is still balanced, and because of that he won’t have to take an extra recovery step. If he were leaning over on such a wide shot, he would have to take one more step. One of the big differences between a good player and a great player is recovery, and you can’t recover well unless you have excellent balance. This is one reason Federer gets to so many balls

Tennis Coach Tips: Learn to return high ball like Ivan Ljubicic

Ivan Ljubicic's High Backhand - Article by Jimmy Arias

Even a tricky high ball is no match for Ivan Ljubicic's backhand.

Perhaps the most difficult shot for players with one-handed backhands is hitting a ball up around the shoulders. There are three options to use in order to return it: You move in and take it early and on the rise, before it gets too high; chip it defensively with slice; or return the favor to your opponent by looping it back. Here we see Ivan Ljubicic going for the last choice, and doing it very well. With early preparation, spot-on timing, and impressive shoulder strength, Ljubicic returns a tough shot with relative ease. 

1. As he prepares for his backhand, Ljubicic pulls his racquet back with his left hand while keeping a loose grip on the handle with his right. It’s smart to bring the racquet back with your off hand because it promotes a good shoulder turn. And by not strangling his racquet, Ljubicic can easily switch to his backhand grip and keep his hitting arm relaxed.
2. Since the ball is coming in high and deep, Ljubicic is retreating with crossover steps to get himself in good position. His racquet comes up slightly, and he doesn’t rotate his body yet, as his primary goal is good footwork. Ljubicic has time to run around his backhand, but because of his confidence in the stroke, he is content to hit it rather than a forehand.
3. With all the time Ljubicic has, he continues on to an exceptionally full shoulder turn. You can practically see his back. His body weight is almost completely gone from his front foot and has shifted to his left leg. Notice his body composition—his legs are bent and low while his back is straight. The only thing you want the upper body to do is rotate.
4. Ljubicic starts to rotate back as his racquet drops well below the ball. This shot is going to have ample topspin. His legs continue to straighten as he starts to jump off the court. Instead of bringing his weight through the shot, his momentum is actually going upward, which will result in a high, looping return.
5. At contact you see Ljubicic way off the ground and the ball still above his shoulders. This causes the racquet to be more at an angle rather than level as he rotates his wrist up to meet the ball. To coordinate a swing of this speed with all this movement takes great timing. It also requires plenty of shoulder strength and wrist action to power a ball from this height.
6. Even though he’s airborne, Ljubicic still manages a nice full finish to his stroke. His left arm stays back, keeping that side from coming around prematurely and allowing him to stay sideways and extend through the shot. Ljubicic doesn’t overswing and bring his left side around; he maintains solid mechanics throughout.

Tennis Coach Tips: The Forehand of Roger Federer

Article By Stan Smith, Photos by Tommy Hindley.


A full shoulder turn, good balance, and tremendous racquet-head speed make this a much-feared weapon.

On the list of all-time great forehands, Roger Federer’s should be near the top. It’s struck powerfully and has remarkable variety and adaptability. Of all the shots in his arsenal, it’s his forehand that he relies on most to win points. Whether he’s defending or attacking—as he’s doing in this sequence—Federer makes it all look effortless.

1. Federer is turning his shoulders as he’s moving to the ball. Notice how his left hand is on the racquet even though he’s well into his preparation. This forces him to turn his shoulders. Federer uses a semi-Western grip and he’s bringing his racquet back with the head cocked above the wrist. This will ensure a loop back-swing and good spin production. He’s moving diagonally forward, rather than straight to the side, so the ball doesn’t get away from him

















2. Federer brings his racquet back and his left hand comes off the throat but stays to his right side. That’s a big change from my day, when players such as Chris Evert had their non-dominant hand out front and pointing to the oncoming ball at this stage. Keeping your off hand on the same side as your racquet produ.ces a fuller shoulder turn, which helps you get more racquet-head speed and a more powerful shot.

3. After taking a big stride to reach this point, Federer is now calculating the distance of his next step so the ball will be at the perfect point for contact. Although he’s preparing to hit a low ball, he’s taken his racquet back quite high. Federer’s left arm remains to the right side, still assisting in his shoulder turn. In this frame and the next one his rotation is so complete that you can see much of his back.

4. Federer is lowering his body with his legs (not bending at the waist) and starting to bring his racquet down. Notice how the racquet face is closed (the strings are facing down). This is due in part to his grip, but also because of the way he leads his backswing with his elbow, pronating his forearm. This type of take-back—another big change from the straight-back, straight-forward forehand of my day—allows you to produce tremendous racquet-head speed.

5. As he starts his forward swing, Federer begins to open his torso and bring his left arm around to the front of his body. The string bed is still facing the ground. The oncoming ball is low—you can tell because he’s looking down—but his head has barely moved throughout the sequence. Federer follows the ball by moving his eyes while keeping his head as still as possible.

6. Federer has opened up completely at this point and his body is facing his target. His racquet has come forward with tremendous speed and he’ll make contact at a point that’s even with his right foot. Notice how he keeps his left hand close to his body. Just as figure skaters pull their arms close to spin faster, Federer tucks in his left arm to help his upper body turn more quickly and to get more racquet-head speed. Here we also get a good look at his semi-Western grip.

7. Though he’s well past striking the ball, Federer’s eyes are still glued to the point of contact. This is one of the reasons Federer makes such consistent contact on his shots. His follow-through, which is to the side rather than extended out front, shows just how important rotation is in his forehand. In my era, ground strokes were more linear—straight back and straight forward.

8. The ball has been directed down the line and Federer is moving back toward the center of the court, probably with the intention of following this shot to the net if it isn’t an outright winner. He’s finished his forehand while maintaining his balance, which will allow him to make a smooth transition forward.

Tennis Coach Tips: The Forehand of Rafael Nadal

Article by Jimmy Arias, Photos By Manuela Davies Exceptional preparation, great extension, and big-time upper-body rotation are key elements of the Spaniard’s much-feared weapon. Nadal has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2010, he became the seventh player in history and youngest of four in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam. He is only the second male player, after Andre Agassi, to complete the Career Golden Slam. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. His success on clay has earned him the nickname "King of Clay 1. Nadal’s preparation for his forehand is outstanding. Here you can see that he’s loaded and ready to go. His racquet is back, his shoulders are fully turned, his back is pretty straight— which I really like—and his legs are low and spaced well, giving him a wide base from which to hit. He’s using a full Western grip, which is great for generating topspin.  2. Nadal’s racquet is in virtually the same place as in the first frame, but he’s still adjusting his feet, leading me to think he may have gotten a bad bounce. Normally, I like to see continuous momentum with the racquet throughout the swing. Here it looks as if he might have checked his swing slightly. Even so, he’s doing a good job of getting his back leg almost behind the ball.  3. His base is set and his left leg is planted. The racquet head is starting to drop and you can see that the face is completely closed. This is common in today’s game. Nadal’s right shoulder is just now starting to come through the contact zone. His legs and back are in perfect position, and he’s low to the ball. I prefer to see a player get down with his legs like Nadal does rather than bend at the waist.  4. Nadal is pulling the right side of his body around first, and his left side is dragging behind. This helps him load up more power until he’s ready to let his swing rip. He’s beginning to come up with his legs, but, contrary to what you might expect, his weight is shifting toward his back foot rather than to his front, the way tennis players are traditionally taught.  5. Here you clearly see one of the more unusual aspects of Nadal’s forehand. Typically, players who use a Western grip make contact close to their bodies and with a pronounced elbow bend. But Nadal strikes the ball with his left arm almost fully extended. Plus, he’s hitting the ball completely off his back foot, but his right side has come through and his upper body is open.  6. In this frame we can see how today’s forehand differs from the typical forehand of the 1970s and ’80s. Nadal and most pros these days have what I call a “windshield wiper” swing. This means that after he makes contact, Nadal swings his racquet across his body and flips it over, using the same motion as a windshield wiper. In the past, players typically extended through the hitting zone before following through to the other side of their bodies.  7. Another difference between today’s forehand and the one used in my era is that we were taught to follow through high and in the direction of our target and catch the racquet with our opposing hand. That’s not the case here; Nadal’s racquet has gone past his right hand and continues to wrap around his midsection. His weight has finally started to move to his right foot.  8. Amazingly, Nadal’s racquet has finished completely around his body. Look at the position of his right shoulder in the first photo and notice his left shoulder in this one. He was looking over his right shoulder at the beginning and ended looking over his left. This rotation is a great checkpoint for everyone, regardless of the forehand you use. If you can go shoulder to shoulder, you’ll ensure a full stroke.