“Strokes are the weapons with which you fight your tennis battles. The better the weapon, the greater the chance of victory.” − Bill Tilden, 1920s superstar and astute analyst
The 1970s proved momentous for the evolution of tennis strokes and strategy. Legendary champions Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Chris Evert popularized the two-handed backhand. Borg also ignited a resurgence in the Western forehand that American stars Maurice McLoughlin and Bill Johnston had pounded so devastatingly during the first quarter of the 20th century.
Legendary champions Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg, helped usher in the modern era.
Borg, a silent assassin on court, deserves the credit for inspiring yet another lasting legacy: topspin. He didn’t invent topspin, of course, but he and Guillermo Vilas showed how effective and necessary it is, especially on clay, where Borg won a record six French Open titles. Indeed, his close friend and frequent victim, Vitas Gerulaitis, an exciting serve-volleyer with flat groundstrokes, became frustrated with and decried what he sensed was the wave of the future. “In five years, tennis is going to be very boring, and we’ll have a draw with 128 Borgs,” he said in the 1983 book, Short Circuit.
Twenty-five years later, the late Gerulaitis’ prediction is mostly right. The adventurous, athletic serve-and-volley game that he exemplified is almost extinct. Groundstrokes rule. Heavy Borgian topspin has not become de rigueur, but varying amounts of topspin are certainly much more prevalent than when unerring baseliner Borg routed Gerulaitis in the 1980 French Open final.
When 15-year-old Borg burst on the pro scene in 1973 with a stunning Davis Cup victory over New Zealand’s Onny Parun, he wielded an oldfangled wood racquet, and three of the four Grand Slam tournaments were contested on grass. Today’s weapons of choice − made with lightweight, high-tech, space-age materials − are 1.5 times larger than the tiny 65-square-inch woodies. These larger racquets generate more power and up to five times as much spin mainly because the racquet heads are 10.5- to 12-inch wide (instead of 9-inch wide with old wood frames) and also because the lighter frames (10 to 12 ounces unstrung compared to
12.5 to 15 ounces with wood) allow players to swing them much faster.
Hard courts have replaced God’s own sod at the U.S. and Australian Opens. The powers that be even decided to slow down Wimbledon’s hallowed grass courts.
The sum and substance of all these major changes is that topspin pays greater
dividends than ever on all surfaces. Coaching philosophies have adjusted to the changing conditions. Pro competitors have redesigned their games to impart topspin, and so should all serious players, especially on clay. Here are 10 reasons why.
Click photo: With great physical strength and heavy topspin, Rafael Nadal has never lost a match on the red clay at Roland Garros.
High-percentage tennis is imperative on clay, the slowest surface, where long, grueling rallies are common and winners infrequent. Therefore, every point is precious, and unforced (and even forced) errors must be reduced as much as possible. “When a computer is used to calculate ball trajectories, it is very clear that topspin shots have a much better probability of clearing the net and landing in the court than do flat shots or shots with underspin,” writes Dr. Howard Brody, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania, in the acclaimed 2002 textbook, The Physics and Technology of Tennis. That said, “because of the inherent errors associated with the production of topspin shots … because you must swing the racquet so much harder,” Dr. Brody cautions: “For the beginner and the occasional player, a flat shot or underspin probably will lead to better depth control, less errors, and fewer points lost.”
Since topspin makes the ball rotate forward, gravity brings it down to the court faster and more vertically than flat and underspin shots. That means you can hit the ball hard and still keep it within the baseline and sidelines,
thus reducing unforced errors during rallies and even forced errors when
pressured. Roger Federer’s semi-Western topspin forehand seldom misses
and produces plenty of winners, while Rafael Nadal’s Western forehand
creates vicious, high-bouncing topspin and is extremely consistent.
Click photo: Roger Federer’s semi-Western topspin forehand seldom misses
and produces plenty of winners.
The three physical characteristics of successful passing shots are (some
combination of) power, placement and lowness. Topspin is the only way
you can hit the ball powerfully and low at the same time to thwart net-rushers. Borg was renowned for belting topspin passing shots off both sides that dropped sharply after clearing the net and made volleying difficult at
best and almost impossible at worst. His blazing speed allowed him to reach
almost every shot on clay, so that forays to the net against him were
especially risky.
The most devastating crosscourt shot is sharply angled so that it lands near the intersection of the singles sideline and the service line. While a flat or
slice shot can land there, only topspin can be hit hard and make the ball
bound fast to pull opponents into the alley, or even better, off the court.
From that poor position, it is extremely difficult for the retriever to recover,
viz., either return to the baseline or go to the net. Typically, the attacker
then pounces on resulting weak returns with either another sharply angled
crosscourt to the other side or a strong down-the-line shot into the open
court. Nadal uses sharply angled crosscourts to great effect on clay, not only
to win points but to exhaust and demoralize opponents. Martina Hingis,
another clever, topspin strategist, was also adept at moving foes around with
sharply angled crosscourts as if they were puppets on a string.
High-bouncing topspin can force shorter players like Justine Henin to take the ball on the rise, something that isn't always possible.
In The Physics and Technology of Tennis, Dr. Brody explains: “The critical factors that determine whether the ball slides or bites are A) the angle of incidence B) the coefficient of sliding friction and C) the amount of spin on the incident ball.” Therefore, the greater friction between the ball and the court on clay makes the ball rebound more slowly than on faster courts and also at a higher angle. And when topspin is imparted on groundstrokes, that fast-dropping ball creates a larger angle of incidence which further increases the height of the bounce. High-bouncing topspin, therefore, proves very effective against short players like 5’5” Olivier Rochus and 5’ 5 ¾”, seven-time Grand slam titlist Justine Henin − unless they and other short players hit the ball on the rise before it bounces high. That, however, is not always possible.
Heavy topspin is also highly effective against players with defective strokes. Why? Because if players cannot cleanly return flat or sliced shots that travel
on a relatively horizontal trajectory and arrive at a comfortable hip height,
then higher-bouncing and wildly spinning topspin shots out of their “strike
zone” will bedevil them. Even highly coordinated and physically strong one-handed backhand players like Federer struggle to time and connect
solidly with Nadal’s wicked topspin forehand. When mighty Fed mis-times
the ball and/or misses the “sweet spot” near the middle of his strings, he
often produces a weak return that Nadal punishes.
Even world-class players hit the ball short occasionally. These shots are often attacked by aggressive opponents who smack winners or near-winners
or stroke strong approach shots or drop shots. But topspin shots that land
near the service line − all other things being equal − are much less
vulnerable because they bound much deeper than flat and slice shots hit at
the same miles per hour.
Playing with the wind at your back is a big advantage because your shots fly
10, 15, 20 or even 25 miles per hour faster, and your opponent’s shots,
conversely, that much slower. But controlling all that extra power can be a
problem. Some careless players overhit and make way too many errors with
shots that land beyond the baseline and in the alleys. Topspin is hugely
beneficial when you play with the wind because it helps keep the ball in the
court.
Click photo: Sharply struck topspin passing shots that dip below the net make for difficult volleys like this one that Max Mirnyi pushes long.
Even though you will likely face very little serving and volleying − except in
doubles − on clay, the topspin or offensive lob can stymie net-rushers and
is a far more effective shot than the flat lob or underspin lob. The topspin
lob bounds viciously away from retreating net-rushers, and even if they can
reach it, the topspin lob drops so fast that it’s often difficult to smash. You
can also slyly draw opponents into the forecourt, as Federer does, with nasty
short angled slices, or, as Andy Murray and Fabrice Santoro do, with drop
shots. The drop shot-lob combination won’t win matches, even on clay.
But, if it’s executed skillfully, it can win a few key points as well as confuse,
frustrate and tire opponents. And, it’s great fun!
What makes topspin such a valuable asset is its variability and thus
versatility. For example, you can use more topspin to control your power
with the wind and use less topspin to increase your power against the wind. When hitting passing shots, you can gauge the amount of power and spin
you use based on the netrusher’s position, reflexes, reach, and agility.
When retrieving, you can adjust the height of your topspin moonball or
semi-moonball, depending on the odds your foe will move forward to
counter it with a high volley or overhead. When stroking approach shots,
you can decrease the topspin and net clearance and fine tune the power to
get the depth and aggressiveness you want. When rallying, you can subtly
vary the amount of power and spin to throw off your opponent’s rhythm and
timing. Finally, when the clay court season ends, you can again adjust the
amount of topspin to other surfaces and existing conditions, such as the
balls, altitude and climate.
Years after Australian legend Rod Laver became the only player to capture
two Grand Slams (in 1962 and 1969), he recalled advice his boyhood coach,
Charlie Hollis, gave him. “He always told me that if I wanted to be a
great player, I would have to hit over the ball.”
That wise advice has incontrovertibly stood the test of time. Tournament
players who ignore it and fail to hit topspin groundstrokes on both sides,
particularly on clay, will be left in the dust.
What Role Do Racket Strings Play in Creating Topspin?
Conventional wisdom, which assorted “experts” often repeat, is that today’s extraordinary synthetic strings, most notably Luxilon, enable players, especially pro players, to impart phenomenal amounts of topspin with great control − something that could not be done before the arrival of this terrific string.
In the acclaimed 2002 textbook, The Physics and Technology of Tennis, Rod Cross, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, Australia, and an authority on the physical properties of tennis strings and tennis racquets, wrote:
“From a physics point of view, there are only three simple rules regarding spin:
The faster you hit the ball, the faster it will spin.
The strings don’t make much difference.
Maximum spin occurs at an angle of incidence near 40 degrees.
Newer polyester strings like the Luxilon can in fact add more topspin but the overall increase is only about 3%.
Prof. Cross explains the apparent contradiction between Spin Rule 2 and the conventional wisdom, as follows:
“It all depends on how you define the word ‘phenomenal.’ In the old days [1977], the ‘double-strung’ or ‘spaghetti’ racquet was banned because the strings imparted ‘phenomenal amounts of topspin.’ That sounds like maybe a factor of ten increase in spin. In fact, it was probably about a factor of two. Luxilon strings give a much smaller increase, probably around 3%. The International Tennis Federation has measured a wide range of strings, finding only relatively small differences in the spin off different strings. Hitting the ball 3% harder also gives a 3% increase. Tilting the racquet further forward by 1 degree will also give a 3% increase. Swinging the racquet upward at 27 degrees instead of 25 degrees will give a 3% increase. Using a 11-inch wide racquet rather than one 10.5-inch wide will allow players to get more topspin since they can then tilt the racquet further forward or swing the racquet upward at a steeper angle without the ball clipping the frame.“
Most stories coming from players have elements of truth hidden inside a phenomenal amount of exaggeration. The problem here is that players never actually measure the effects they are talking about, and any relatively small effect automatically becomes a huge effect in their minds, e.g., clay courts are ‘incredibly’ slow, meaning that a ball served at 100 mph slows down by an extra 5 mph when it hits clay, compared with a hard court.
“Luxilon has a tiny inbuilt spaghetti string effect, since Luxilon is made from polyester and is therefore a slippery string that tends to snap back into position after the ball is struck. As a result, players don’t need to keep straightening their strings. It is the snapping back effect that generates a tiny amount of extra spin, but players can generate extra spin themselves if they want to by other means. Polyester strings are relatively stiff and tend to give better control of the ball since the ball bounces off the strings before the racquet rotates too far. As a result, players can hit the ball harder, which increases the amount of topspin even further.
“So, the 3% increase in spin can be either tiny or negligible or huge depending on what you want it to be. But it is still only 3%.”
Paul Fein, a USPTA teaching pro and former top 10-ranked New England men’s open player, has won more than 20 writing awards. His 2002 book, Tennis Confidential: Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies, published by Brassey’s, Inc., was listed No. 1 among tennis books by Amazon.com and BN.com. Information about the book and how to order it can be found at www.tennisconfidential.com. His second book, You Can Quote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers, was published by Potomac Books, Inc. (formerly Brassey’s, Inc.) in 2005 and was listed No. 1 among tennis books by Amazon.com and BN.com. For more information, visit www.tennisquotes.com. His third book, Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies, was published April 28, 2008 and was featured on the home page of Amazon.com.
