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Backswing Basics

Doug King

In my previous article I discussed the role of the follow-through in the stroke. In it I stated that the follow-through is often given too much weight in it’s overall impact on the result of the stroke. Although it has significant contributions in terms of controlling stroke tempo and proper acceleration, it can sometimes be a source of distraction for players who focus on the follow-through more than the actual contact of the ball.

In this article I will discuss how our perception of the backswing has evolved and how, in my opinion, it needs to continue to change.

Contrary to the follow-through, I think that the backswing is commonly short shifted in terms of it’s significance to the stroke. The backswing sets the table for the stroke. It is the more deliberate and managed aspect of the stroke that sets in motion the more automatic response of contact and follow-through.

In the past the most attention the backswing was granted was to simply to get it over with as quickly as possible. Although we still will hear the throwback comments of “get your racquet back quickly,” today we are instead persuaded on the merits of the “Unit Turn” or even the “delayed backswing.” Clearly we are gaining an understanding that the backswing is more than just something that needs to happen fast. It requires rhythm and precision and it’s relevance to the success of the contact cannot be undervalued. Upon close examination we will see that the backswing is actually very complex and multi-faceted. But before we get there we will start with an overall understanding of the role of the backswing.

The Backswing - Turn And Load

The role of the backswing is two fold; one is to orient the body and the swing path to the ball and target, and two is to develop force for the powering of the ball.

The role of the backswing is two fold; one is to orient the body and the swing path to the ball and target, and two is to develop force for the powering of the ball. The first part of the backswing, orientation, involves a quick sideways adjustment of the body to one side or the other and the proper grip change. In a game like baseball or golf you have an orientation to the plate or to the ball but you would not refer to that as “backswing.”

When a golfer steps up to a ball and adjusts his feet and his grip we do not call that “backswing.” The backswing does not start until the club is actually drawn back on its backwards path. In tennis, however, we tend to blend these two motions together. “Turn and racquet back” are often done in one simultaneous motion - both lumped into the term “backswing.” For clarity it is better to break these actions down into separate moves. The initial orientation of the body and the grip out of the Ready Position should be done quickly but that move should have a separate identity from the “racquet back” stage of the backswing. This initial orientation is commonly called the Unit Turn.

Sometimes the Turn and the Backswing are done in a continuous flow and other times, when time allows, there is a distinct division between these moves.

The second role of the backswing is to create power to drive the ball. When we begin to talk about powering the ball it is important to understand that there are all types of ways to generate power that will move the ball and each sport has its unique powering system. These different powering systems produce different kinds of swings and different characteristics of contact. Baseball, golf, hockey, racquetball, all have unique contacts that can vary from slaps, whips, hits, rolls, and so forth. Although all of the sports have similarities to the swings, each type of contact has a slightly different power system. This is critical to appreciate since the way you prepare the racquet will determine what kind of powering system you will use.

In tennis we use more of a spring based powering system that produces a more controlled contact of the ball. Think of how a pinball flipper works and that will give you a general idea of how what I am talking about . What this means is that when we “take the racquet back” with the intent of creating a source of power what we really should be thinking of doing is loading up the spring. The backswing is actually a windup and not a swing at all. It is loading in much the way that you would pull back the arm of a mousetrap to load up tension in the main spring. The windup of the racquet is done rhythmically and precisely, much like how a baseball pitcher would windup to throw a pitch.

The Body Load

The loading process is done primarily in the body. In a general sense the main spring that we are loading up is the spine of the body. When we load or windup for our stroke we are building tension into the body by coiling and bending. We coil around the vertical axis of the body and we compress by bending at the ankles, knees, and waist. The body should be bent but never to the point of losing balance. Increased leg and core strength will allow the body to coil and bend more and thus generate more stored energy without losing balance. We store this energy until we are ready to release it at the right moment to meet the oncoming ball.

For the average player most mistakes occur because of an inability to properly load the body in the preparation phase of the stroke. Sometimes this is due to a lack of fitness or strength and sometimes it is because of improper technique or “rushing the backswing.” Rushing the backswing is when the racquet is prematurely swung back causing a loss of balance, stiffness in the body, and the initiation of an improper powering system which will result in slapping or over swinging.

Instead the arm should be kept passive and should not start it’s windup until after the body has already progressed with a proper loading action. The racquet should always move in a smooth, controlled action through the backswing. Our well intentioned encouragement to get the racquet back quickly will often prevent proper loading of the body and lead to a faulty arm swing.

The arm is actually pulled into the ball by the force of the body being rotated and straightened. The arm is not actually swung out at the ball but rather it is sucked into the “slot” (the and then driven against the ball as part of the body. The arm should always act passively to the body in the backswing or loading phase of the stroke. It should be kept relaxed and should never initiate movement but should always lag behind the movement of the body. As the arm is drawn into the slot it will build up tension through flex and coil. As the arm drops and is drawn forward there is still loading going on so in this respect the “backswing” is still going on since loading is still occurring.

The Arm Load

The secondary spring that is loaded is the arm itself. Not only does the body coil and bend but so does the arm. The winding of the body will create an initial take-back of the racquet but there is a secondary take-back that is performed in the arm itself. This for many is the most pronounced feel of taking the racquet back as the racquet is actually “felt” in the hand so at that time when you feel the wrist flex back is the time when you actually feel the racquet go back the most. This is done in coordination with but not at exactly the same time as the loading of the body. The arm goes much faster than the body so to properly time the release of energy so that the arm and the body are together at contact, the arm loading must be delayed behind the loading of the body. If timed properly, the loading of the arm is actually completed during the initial releasing phase the body. This produces increased acceleration in the arm through contact.

After the initial turn of the body the arm is extended back but it is not loaded. The arm is usually held up with the hand around shoulder height and it is kept relatively relaxed in this position. As the arm is dropped and falls down and forward, the arm is then compressed and folded closer into the body which not only speeds up the arm but also loads the arm with stored energy. It also brings the arm into a position of stability to the body and alignment to the ball. Most people make the mistake of taking the arm back and then swinging the racquet out away from the body to hit the ball rather than letting the arm compress into the body and the wrist lay back into contact.

The Continuous Fluid Backswing

It is nearly impossible to clearly separate the strokes into stages of backswing, forward swing, and follow-through. Is the racquet “back” at the highest point of the backswing, or the lowest, or when the wrist is most flexed back, or when the body finishes the turn? There is no exact position that marks when the racquet is back. Because of the dynamic nature of the stroke, it almost defies this kind of analysis. In fact to think of the stroke as a back and forth action is, in my opinion, not very helpful at all. It is better to think of the stroke as a rotation back and under and then a releasing action.

Agassi first loads the body. While the body releases it pulls the arm forward into the slot while the arm continues to load.

Imagine a starting point for the stroke just slightly behind the contact point of the ball and then a windup phase that eventually brings the racquet back very close to the same point but now cocked back and down and loaded up with stored energy that is then released into the ball. This release is more of a thrusting lift of the ball rather than a forward swing and hit of the ball. In this respect I would define the end of the “backswing” or the loading, as the point where the racquet is the most cocked back and down in the hand. In a typical low-to-high topspin drive this usually occurs very close to the contact of the ball.

Look at the videos of Agassi and notice how he marks a starting point of the stroke and then returns to that same point just before the contact of the ball but in a loaded up position. He “spots” his contact before starting his “backswing” and then makes a continuous rotation back to the same point, compacting into the body and accelerating as he does so and at the same time reorienting his body, arm, and racquet into alignment for contact in the process.

Notice how the racquet is positioned in front and above his hand as he makes the initial “spot” of the contact. Then he makes a fluid rotation until the racquet is behind and below his hand just before contact. You can see that the racquet is actually rotating around the arm as though the arm is a “stem” protruding at the side of the body. Sometimes this “stem”, or imaginary horizontal axis which the racquet rotates around, is delineated by the extension of the non-hitting arm just after it leaves the racquet, as demonstrated by Agassi in the video. This stem shifts from the side to the front as it is repositioned by the rotation of the body. This body rotation repositions the palm of the hand from where it faces the side fence just prior to contact to facing the target right at the moment of contact.

In watching the Agassi stroke try to visualize the end of the backswing not at the point where the racquet starts to come forward but instead at the point where the racquet starts to lift up into contact. Notice that even though the arm starts moving forward there is still folding back occurring in the wrist and coiling back in the forearm. This backward loading in the forearm does not stop until the racquet hits the bottom of the swing path. You will see that this point is very close to contact and from that point he makes a powerful and controlled “thrusting lift” on the ball which is his acceleration or “trigger point.” The result is a fluid, dynamic stroke that has power and flexibility and is not hampered by stops and starts, extended and stiff positions and back and forth swinging. It is very compact to the body which makes the entire stroke more balanced, quicker, and more stable.

This stroke motion should not be characterized as a “back and forth” action as much as a “rotation into the ball” - a rotation of both the body and the arm. The body rotates on the vertical axis of the spine while the racquet rotates around the horizontal axis of the arm (the two springs), thus creating torque. Hence “windup” is a better description of the motion than “backswing.” The result of this kind of motion is that power is loaded and released in an acceleration that is directed to a more precise point in space and time rather than released in a steady stream and longer path of a back and forth swinging action. This produces more consistency of timing and control of the contact of the ball.

Backswing Variations: Full Loads and Semi Loads

In many cases we do not have time, the occasion, nor the reason for a fully loaded backswing. This is especially true at the net on volleys or on the return of powerful first serves, for a drop shot, and other underspin shots. In these instances we use an abbreviated backswing. This abbreviated backswing may start exactly like the normal backswing but it is halted midway through the loading phase. The racquet is then brought into contact from a different position and with less stored energy to release on the contact. Instead of the forearm being fully flexed and rotated resulting in a racquet head position below the hand, the racquet head approaches contact from a position that is less flexed back and above the hand. This will impart underspin on the ball and will lessen the amount of power released through contact.

Players who take a natural loop in their backswing will be able to disguise the change of spin quite adroitly as the preparation of the racquet is the same for all strokes. Note that the change in the contact from a fully loaded position to a semi loaded position will also change the contact point and necessitate a grip adjustment.

Although the start is very similar, in one instance Federer makes a complete rotation of the forearm (racquet down and back) for topspin while he makes a half load (racquet up and more forward) for the slice.

Summation

First and foremost understand that the “backswing” as we so popularly call it, is not a “swing back” of the racquet at all. It is a careful rotation and flex of both the body and the arm that loads up energy to be delivered upon contact at a precise moment and point. The movement is a crucial phase of the stroke and should not be done quickly but with care, deliberation, and precision.

Try to remember these points for a better backswing:

1. First turn and then load. The Unit Turn (shift the feet and get a grip) is getting you oriented. Once this is completed go into the load.

2. Load the body first and the arm second. The arm will go faster so it should lag behind the body and catch up through contact.

3. For the topspin drive the loading up (backswing) is not completed until the racquet drops to the lowest point in the swing path and the wrist is most flexed back. This means that the loading up is still going on even though the racquet is moving forward.

4. Remember the backswing is as much about positioning the racquet to the ball as it is about moving the racquet at the ball.

The backswing is the most designed and controlled part of your swing. It sets into motion the subsequent phases of contact and follow-through that should flow naturally out of a proper windup. Try to develop a sense of rhythm and body and racquet awareness in your backswing rather than simply trying to get it over with quickly. Like with many things faster isn’t necessarily better. Learn to coordinate your backswing and you will slow down the game and move your play forward.

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Doug King's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

Doug King studied with legendary tennis coach Tom Stow and was a former California State Men's Singles Champion and the former number one men's player of Northern California.

Doug is one of the country's foremost tennis teaching innovators. Founder of Acceleration Tennis, a revolutionary teaching system, King is leading the way in reinterpreting the traditional tennis model.

Doug King is currently Director of Tennis at Meadowood Napa Valley ( www.meadowood.com ), a Relaix Chateau Resort in St. Helena , CA .

For more information on Acceleration Tennis please email Doug King at dking@meadowood.com.