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Spin – Could This Be the New “Name Of The Game?”

Jim McLennan

Many believe that professionals are the trail blazers, as it were, discovering new ways to hit the ball, move their feet, and play the game, and then slowly, oft times many years later our teachers catch on to these methods, and ultimately enable the rest of us to explore these new things. 

In point of fact, a seminar proposal to the USTA National Tennis teachers conference in the 1970’s was declined because the topic concerned the open stance forehand. The applicant had accurately observed the evolution of this stroke within the professional game, but it had not yet made it into the teaching paradigms. 

The open stance is common and thoroughly understood, but at that point not within the frame of reference of the seminar selection committee (which probably included a raft of outspoken old school players – but that is another story).

Often spectacular players of a particular era inspire many of those who follow. Sampras studied Rod Laver. Legions of semi-western two-handed backhand baseliners copied Bjorn Borg. A few (although perhaps not enough) worked on the graceful one-handed backhand net rushing style of Stefan Edberg. 

Now as Rafael Nadal has ascended the throne and appears to have a stranglehold on professional tennis, I believe we will see more and more players and teachers experimenting not with topspin, but rather with extreme topspin. However, there is also under spin, and whether Rafa floats a one-handed under spin backhand, or knifes an under spin forehand volley, he shows us an equal facility when reversing the spin (so to speak). 

The racquets have brought more power to the game, but now I suspect the strings are enabling the boys and girls to make this darn ball spin so much more than ever before, and in either direction. Bring it on Rafa – we will try to follow suit.

From a recreational (you and I) point of view, I see most players more or less in between the types of spin. Most players with semi-western grips can roll the ball with topspin, but seem to have far less feel for the under spin volley. Others play the ball essentially flat, with less feel for either the semi-western (topspin) or continental (under spin) grips, and use little if any topspin from the baseline or under spin at the net.

But in light of the amazing improvement within the Nadal game, where he has grown his volleying skills much more and much faster than any of his peers, I believe he encourages you and I to consider just such a path. That is, experiment with the semi-western grip in order to make the groundstrokes spin faster, and experiment with the continental grip to learn how to make the volleys spin in the opposite direction. Yes this is about grips, but equally about intent. And further, this is also about consciously varying your practice time, so the bulk of your hitting is not always at the baseline, or not always at the net. There are many ways to hit the ball, many distinct situations on court, and specific grips and spins that go with each and every scenario. Want to get better – spin is the name of the game. 

Align the Racquet Face

No matter how one intends to spin the ball, first and foremost one must align the racquet at impact to face the intended target. If a stroke can be reduced to three elements – preparation – contact – and finish (note I mentioned preparation rather than backswing), truly the rubber meets the road, as it were, when the racquet touches the ball. Somehow we are often distracted at that precise moment of contact, with an over emphasis on getting the racquet back, or perhaps on a long and forced follow through.

I often hear players self critiquing their errors due to a loss of balance, or the weight on the back foot, rather than referencing the alignment of the racquet face. And often those same players rarely note other instances where a similar lack of balance does not lead to an error because in that instance the racquet was aligned correctly. Squaring the racquet face to the ball must occur to successfully drive the ball flat, with topspin, or with underpin. The nuance for spin, as it were, occurs with interaction of racquet face and swing path, and finally melding in the tempo or swing speed. Going forward we will look at and experiment with extreme low to high, and then purposeful if less steep high to low swings, with attendant grip, racquet face, and tempo adjustments.

The Nadal Backhand

I had the opportunity to participate in a press interview with Roger Federer at the Pacific Life Open. Most questions were desultory, and then Fed faced the recurring question about Nadal’s ferocious forehand and how that ball jumps up so high onto his backhand side, especially at Roland Garros. Fed paused, reflected, then said, “Actually, Nadal’s backhand is really under rated, and may be every bit as good as his forehand.” 

In the following example Nadal gets the racquet face way under the ball, aligns the face to the target, and accelerates quickly if not powerfully up and through contact. Note how long the racquet face remains aligned parallel to the net, and how the racquet face has not broken over the ball. Truly all the players can hit topspin, but Nadal may now be leading the way to a version of something more closely approximating massive topspin. 

The general recreational interpretation of this type of stroke, is that the racquet face has turned “over the ball,” and in fact the term top spin or over spin may actually reinforce just such a view. Others describe how a follow through up and over the shoulder may be the key to this extreme spin. But to my mind it is all about, and always will be about, where the racquet is just before contact, and where it moves just after contact, and how quickly the racquet moves in that moment. Here we see extreme “up” speed. Maybe this spin might be called “up spin” (probably a crazy idea, sorry.)

The Reverse Forehand – Even More Spin

In this example, Nadal shows us the “reverse” forehand where the racquet finishes up and behind his head. Some time ago at a tennis conference at Stanford I enjoyed Robert Lansdorp muse about the game and his coaching style. He noted that first Pete Sampras and then Maria Sharapova would occasionally finish in this “reverse” position. And Robert being Robert, he did not initially favor such a finish, and as the story goes, when on Robert’s court one does it Robert’s way. But with time, he has changed his opinion of this shot, as it becomes more and more common. 

It appears, as Maria is to have suggested to Lansdorp, that she resorts to this stroke when the ball arrives deep and she is every so slightly late. But, if topspin is the name of the game and Nadal is at the top of the heap, we might all be well served to try and emulate this particular stroke.

Be warned if trying this at home, the racquet moves darn close to your forehead, and in some instances players have hit themselves trying to find the feel for this shot. The racquet acceleration is UP, the hit is slightly later, and the elbow stays slightly back. There is no intention of moving the racquet through the ball and over the opposite shoulder. Much like the migration of the open stance forehand from the professional to the recreational game, I believe the same is now occurring with this reverse forehand.  

Acquire the Feel For Under Spin – Follow the Magician’s Lead

But, topspin is not the only story; one must also play at the net with different grips, and different intent. In fact, Rafa has made incredible (again, incredible) progress at Wimbledon, becoming truly a competent volleyer. Rarely have we seen this with the Spanish Semi-Western Armada (much less our dear old Andy), for somehow the endless day in and day out topspin ground strokes seem to dilute the feel for back spin volleying skills.

To get the feel of the under spin volley, and the following is true for recreational, tournament, or even professional players, one must experiment with the under spin forehand groundstroke. 

The following example shows extreme back spin, where Fabrice Santoro cocks the racquet quite high at the top of the back swing, and then swings down forcefully, creating tremendous back spin (actually looks a little like Fed’s wicked under spin backhand).

Generally, we see few players at any level with much feel for this back spin groundstroke on the forehand side, though obviously any acquired feel would improve the forehand volley. 

To experiment with this stroke on court, find a practice partner or better yet a ball machine. But try something slightly less extreme than the Santoro version. Create the down force from a long and wide arc of the arm (not wrist) and then experiment until you can feel both how to “bite” the ball with slight under spin, and then how to chip or float the ball with more under spin. The nuance will be in adjusting the racquet face either more or less open, and adjusting the swing path to either more or less down. But as ever, the trick is in your willingness to experiment. And in the knowing, that if any of these things were easy to learn then we would all be champions. Anything worthwhile takes time, and the same is true with the under spin forehand drive. 

And in our final example, note how Rafa clearly moves to a continental grip, his hand positioned more on top rather than beneath the handle, and he comes down and inside on this under spin forehand volley. This obviously appears less extreme than the Santoro example, but both are high to low, both have an open face, and both are intentional and effective uses of spin. And if this kid can make such progress at the net, then you and I can do just as well.

Spin, the name of the game (perhaps). Make a commitment at your end of the street. Play with the grips, play with aligning the racquet face, and then drag or pop the racquet. Ole!

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