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TennisOne Lessons 
Finish Checkpoints A Good Ending Helps Mold Swing Technique! Joe Dinoffer When you take a road trip and get to your destination with a smile on your face, odds are that you took the right path to get there. Tennis strokes are no different. You can tell a lot about a player’s stroke just by looking at the finish. Another good comparison is school. A student gets straight A’s, earns a college diploma, and applies for a job. The clear assumption is that before the degree came the dedication and hard work. In tennis, before the finish checkpoint is the swing path that got the racquet to the ending.
If the finish is short and tight, you can bet that the swing itself was short and tight, resulting in a relatively slow ball with little spin. This is one of the reasons why the best players finish their forehand groundstrokes with a slight forward flex or bend in their wrist. A forward flexed wrist, much more often than not, reflects and indicates a loose grip and arm. This is simply how human beings are anatomically designed. In basketball, players also finish with their shooting hand in that same forwards flex. When your wrist is flexed forwards it is loose and helps ensure a relaxed stroke in tennis or a relaxed arm motion when shooting a basketball. The same goes for many other throwing and hitting sports. It should also be interesting to note that scientific studies conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Plymouth University in England validate what common sense indicates. Namely, that even though the ball has already left the racquet during the follow through phase of a swing, the ending position of the follow through does impact the stroke, either positively or negatively. A Look at the Pros: It is interesting that among the best professional players there are many variations in how they set up for each shot (the serve and forehand groundstroke are good examples), but the finish position for these shots is more consistently determined by the position of the point of contact and swing path (this determines spin and arc). Pro Forehands: On the pro-level forehand, the finish is around the body with the right-hander’s right shoulder rotating to point at the net, reflecting that the forwards swing of the racquet has combined with the body rotating through the shots. And, in the situation where the player contacts the forehand a little late or behind their normal contact point, player often finish above and behind their head. However, note that this is not ideal. It just helps them cope with a late contact point. The only well known exception to this is Rafael Nadal, who regularly finishes in this “buggy whip” position, but in his case it is often just an extension of a regular follow through, unique to him because he swings his racquet faster than almost every other professional player on the tour.
Pro Serves: On the serve, the racquet may start down, up, or in the middle, but it also consistently finishes around the body with the right-hander’s right shoulder again rotating towards the net. Likewise, they may serve with their feet in a platform stance (feet are apart and remain apart), or with a pinpoint serve stance (feet start apart and then come together), but this variation also does not affect the finish.
Shot Examples: There are practically unlimited variations of each shot in tennis, each determined by the degree and range of five elements: direction, spin, arc, depth, and speed of the ball hit. The following examples are fairly basic but should give you a clear understanding of what you can look for in your own strokes. Note that these are basic checkpoints and there will often (but not always) be situations where a modification of the checkpoint listed will be appropriate. Serve Checkpoint: On the serve, the racquet may start down, up, or in the middle, but it should consistently finish around the body with the right-hander’s right shoulder rotating towards the net. A consistent finish checkpoint on the serve is essential, but the serve is also a unique stroke in tennis since it is the only shot that you initiate yourself. Therefore, there is also a starting checkpoint that can help you. You may see different starting positions among players with good serves, but one thing is consistent. Be sure to start with a loose grip on the racquet and a loose serving arm as well. That will help you to remain loose throughout the serve. If you start relaxed and finish relaxed, chances are you will stay relaxed for the entire swing.
Volley Checkpoint: The correct finish positions for the volley are common sense and easy to remember. If you contact the volley above the top height of the net, you need to finish with your racquet head above the net as well. And, if you contact the volley below the net band, make sure your racquet head does not hit the court surface at the end of the shot. Mastering these finish checkpoints will help you avoid hitting hundreds of volleys into the net during the life of your tennis career, whether as a professional, a weekend warrior, or a member of a social league. Forehand Groundstroke Checkpoint: Next to the serve, the forehand is the most frequently hit single stroke in tennis. So, although it has been analyzed in the context of finish checkpoints earlier in this article, let’s give a little more detail. As we described in the serve checkpoint section, it is important to start and finish relaxed in order to master a consistently relaxed and fluid stroke. How can you start relaxed on the forehand groundstroke? Simple. Use your non-dominant hand to support your racquet in your ready position, and keep your grip fingers loose, barely holding the racquet. Plus, use your non-racquet hand to initiate the turn of your body and the takeback of your racquet. This use of the non-racquet hand, combined with the “bent wrist” finish checkpoint described earlier in this article, will help ensure a more fluid and successful stroke. Slice Backhand Checkpoint: These days there is so much emphasis on hitting topspin groundstrokes that backspin or slice backhands are rarely executed well at recreational levels. This is unfortunate since the slice backhand keeps the ball low and can effectively be used to mix up the rhythm of the toughest of opponents. A prime example on the professional tour is Andy Murray. He can slice and dice with the best of players who have ever graced the courts.
Like the volley, there is one common mistake made on this elegant option to the topspin backhand. Many players swing too much from high to low, chopping down on their slice backhands to create underspin or backspin. Instead, your finish checkpoint should be to end the stroke with the racquet head only inches below your point of contact but never with your racquet head pointing down towards the court and certainly never hitting the court surface itself. Overhead Checkpoint: The overhead has similarities to the serve, but also some differences as well. It has an abbreviated motion, with a modified and much shorter backswing. And, the finish checkpoint is abbreviated as well. Remember the basketball analogy offered at the beginning of this article? The overhead is the shot in tennis that has a finish checkpoint similar to the motion of shooting a basketball. The wrist folds over in a forward flexed position and the right-hander does not have to finish down and around his/her left leg as is appropriate for serving. This forwards folded wrist position checkpoint is a result of and reflects the upwards wrist “snap” that extends the racquet head up the contact the ball. Drop Shot Checkpoint: The drop shot is one of the more interesting shots in tennis. It is delicate, requires finesse over power, and is one of the best ways to frustrate and irritate power players in a hurry. Of course, we all know that it should be hit from inside the baseline and we also know that an effective drop shot is hit with backspin and, if allowed, would bounce twice before it reaches the opposing service line. But, what many recreational players do not realize is that a good finish checkpoint for the drop shot (and the drop volley) is essential to successfully execute this delicate shot. Where should you finish? The drop shot is hit with a very loose grip, so that the racquet head literally recoils to absorb the speed of the incoming ball. And, because the grip is loose, the racquet head will finish slightly open (remember that it is hit with backspin), and with the racquet head below the wrist! Defensive Lob Checkpoint: The finish for the defensive lob consists of another sensible and easy to remember checkpoint that falls totally in line with the studies at the major universities mentioned earlier; namely, that the finish signals the racquet head path that leads up to that finishing checkpoint. For the defensive lob, try finishing with your racquet hand, as well as your racquet, above your head to ensure a high arcing shot that lands deep in your opponent’s court. Summary and Quick Tip Remember the childhood game called “Connect the Dots”? For many tennis strokes, you can apply that concept by visualizing a dot on your racquet hand and a dot on the spot where you would finish your stroke. For example, on the serve, the finish dot is located on your opposite hip. For a basic topspin forehand, your finish dot is on your opposite shoulder. And, for your high forehand volley, your finish dot or checkpoint is like you have someone standing in front of you and you give them a “high five.” Now that’s a good finishing checkpoint with which to end this article!
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