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TennisOne Lessons 
The Secret to Controlled Power, part 2 Doug King This is the second part in a series explaining the “Wave Model.” In my first article I stated that tennis has seen two basic models that have directed the teaching philosophy of the sport. The first was what I call the “Pendulum Model” (or the “racquet back-step in-follow through” method) which was based upon a back and forth pendulum swing of the racquet around the body. The body was essentially an anchor that the arm swung around – somewhat like the popular children’s game of Tetherball. The “racquet back-step in-follow through” method was the staple learning in the 1950’s and 60’s and is still common today. The Kinetic Chain This “Pendulum Model” turned out to be very ineffective for more advanced play. It was too slow and rigid and very robotic. It was improved upon in the late '60’s with the application of “Sports Science” and the development of the “Kinetic Chain” model. The Kinetic Chain broke the body down into more moving parts which afforded more independent motion. In this system energy is initiated out of the large muscle groups (legs and torso) and then transferred into the smaller muscles groups (arms and hands) increasing in speed as this transfer occurred. This proved to be more flexible and could provide more power. The Kinetic Chain has remained the dominant model which guides our interpretation of the tennis stroking and its teaching. My contention is that the Kinetic Chain does not totally describe the correct stroking image. With the Kinetic Chain, one can acquire speed for power and flexibility for adjustability but where the Kinetic Chain falls short is in control. The Kinetic Chain is too commonly interpreted as whip action. Tennis is not a “snapping” or "whipping" game but a “stroking” game. The ball must be guided to a certain extent, or “rolled” towards a target. This is why “follow through” is so important in tennis – and the Kinetic Chain (or a whip model) does not properly convey this aspect of stroking. Instead of the Kinetic Chain we should be using a “Kinetic Wave Model.” A wave has all the ingredients of a whip (big parts breaking down into smaller, faster parts) but it is much more integrated. In a wave energy continues to cycle within itself to maintain shape and rhythm. It is not nearly as unstructured and random as a whip and it is more fluid. Also, things are “caught” in waves and carried much like a proper stroking feeling – rather than a snapping action that is more characteristic of a whip. In this piece we will break down the Wave Model into the specific actions of the big parts of the wave – namely the legs and trunk for the body. We typically refer to this action as “weight shift” and it is the action implied in the phrase “getting the body into the shot.” From the Ground Up Energy for our stroke starts from the ground. The ground provides the resistance that the body pushes against in order to generate force. Rhythmic, active, light feet are the single most important thing in being able to properly generate power in a stroke. The feet “tap” the ground for power much like the wave builds itself from the ocean floor. In fact this is a good way to visualize your contact with the ground – as though there is a layer of water or an “ocean surface” that keeps you buoyant and bobbing up and down as though you are being rhythmically shifted by a steady current. This is the reason clay court players tend to move more rhythmically than hard court players. They shift more fluidly on the ground – rarely getting anchored or stuck. Hard court players tend to “plant” more solidly on the surface. They start too abruptly rather than initiate their turns and moves to the ball smoothly. You have to be more patient when you react to a ball on a clay court as you don’t have the traction underfoot to make a violent start. A gentler, smoother, more organized start will avoid either getting too planted or overreacting in your footwork. You must keep rhythm and continuity to the footwork and avoid any excessively powerful, abrupt starts or stops. Think of how a skier initiates a turn. The skier must stay on the balls of the feet but must keep the skis relatively flat on the snow in order to let them slide in when initiating a proper turn. If a skier forces a turn with the upper body he will “catch an edge” and go toppling. In the same way many tennis players start too forcefully and actually get their feet stuck and end up losing balance on their initial turn to the ball. These initial turns are made more fluidly when they are the result of an up and down “weighting and unweighting” of the body. Again, exactly like how a skier rhythmically goes up and down to produce turns, so too should a tennis player keep a constant up and down action going in order to properly initiate an efficient, well balanced turn of the body. This up and down action is synchronized with the movement and contact of the ball through the spilt-step. We call this footwork “timing.” Stroke Construction – Keep it in Shape Once energy is developed out of our rhythmic contact with the ground, that energy is then shifted through a series of large bends and rotations of the body. During this phase of the stroke the arms should remain very steady (other than a grip change). The arms should be held together (both hands on the racquet) as the body winds (the “unit turn”). By keeping both hands on the racquet you form a “hoop” with your arms and racquet that keeps the energy from escaping the body and maintains “shape” or form to your stroke. This is how a stroke is properly constructed. Just as a point is constructed so too a stroke must be constructed and the first part of proper stroke construction is to let the body wind without the energy escaping the body or the stroke “breaking apart”. Again, this is exactly how a wave is constructed: the big swell develops first and is held together before it starts to “break apart” (actually breaking in on itself rather than apart). Many people make the mistake of trying to get their racquets back very quickly and this lets energy escape from the body and essentially causes the stroke to break apart prematurely. The result is a loss of the body in the shot. We also call this “losing balance” and the result is either stiffness or if very severe, toppling or stumbling. The Hula Hoop Model of Weight Shift In a proper stroke the body shifts to produce the swing of the arms. We have usually used the “Kinetic Chain” to describe how this works but really it is much more like a wave action. A good example of this body/wave action is the child’s toy; the Hula Hoop. Think of how the body shifts to get the Hula Hoop to rotate around. The arms in your swing work much like the Hula Hoop. They not only shift around the body but they also lift and fall up and down as they rotate around. This is why the movement and position of the free arm in your stroke is critical to the overall stroking technique. The arms must hold energy into the body throughout the stroke and not simply allow energy to fly into the racquet to smack against the ball. This is true even on the serve. Once again we see the parallel to the wave analogy. The body is constantly shifting and the energy is totally integrated. Energy doesn’t start somewhere and then leave to go into another area. The body and the arms and energy are totally integrated in a fluid action – all of it held together through shape and rhythm. Bringing Energy to the Body If we use the analogy of the Hula Hoop as our model of how the body should shift, then the faster we can get the body to rotate (within rhythm) the faster the Hula Hoop (or the arms in the case of the stroke) will swing. In modern tennis we see the arms being used to help the body swing faster, which in turn will help to get the arms to go faster. In the Kinetic Chain the body shifts to get a passive arm to then swing – the arm does nothing to get the body to swing. How do the arms help the body rotate faster? Think of how an ice skater pulls his arms in tighter to the body to get the body to spin faster. This is exactly how modern strokes work. The arm falls into the body to help the body spin faster, then the body slows down momentarily to let the arm shoot out from the body to meet the ball. The arm is then brought back and the cycle repeats itself. Everything flows continuously and is totally integrated – again the wave repeats itself. Stances and the Role of the Feet
When we talk about weight shift and the big body parts we naturally must look at the feet and stances. As was mentioned earlier, energy starts from the feet and the feet provide the foundation for the entire stroke. But much confusion exists over the proper role and position of the feet in stroking. In the past, with the Pendulum Model, a more closed stance was recommended and stepping into the shot was emphasized. In practice this type of weight shift was actually quite slow and often got the body in a position where it became more of an obstacle. A powerful body shift is a rotation on an axis (the hips and shoulders around the spine) like the Hula Hoop or the spin of a figure skater, rather than a step forward. The traditional shift forward weight transfer is more linear and is actually relatively weak (again think of how fast an ice skater can spin versus simply going straight). It is used more for volleys and control oriented shots where power is more absorbed rather than added. This traditional type of weight transfer is more of a “slide” against the ball rather than a turn against the ball. The forward sliding shift is much more “target oriented” as the ball is directed out towards the target. The rotational shift (or turn into the ball) is more dynamic and is much more oriented to the point of contact (see my article entitled “Rounding Out For More Fluid Play” to learn more about rotating on points). The more powerful rotation against the ball can be done moving forward backwards, on either foot and moving in any direction. (see my articles “The One Handed Topspin Backhand and How We Lost Our Way” and “Getting Your Body Into Your Shot” for more on proper weight shift). In more recent years we have seen “open stance” forehands and even two-handed backhands, as this allows more rotational (spinning action) from the body and helps eliminate the cramping feels often resulting with the “closed stance and stepping in” approach. Although the open stance does help to reduce the cramping of “leaning into the ball," tennis remains a basically “sideways oriented” game. Like baseball or golf or most other “ball hitting” games, the fundamental orientation is to turn the body sideways to the net, and a neutral stance is the best alignment in this respect. In reality, the “open stance” is an overreaction to the closed stance. Much more emphasis should be put on establishing a leveraged position to the contact point (see “The Leverage Game: Get Behind It”) rather than simply either stepping in or hitting out of an open stance. With that said it is then important to understand the basic nature of the feet and their role in both generating force and providing a stable base. In order for the feet to help generate force they must initially make solid contact with the ground in the sink and lift phase of energy generation, but afterwards they must minimize contact with the ground in order to let the body rotate.
Think again about the ice skater; not only does he pull his arms in close to the body to spin faster, he also goes on “points” or on the tips of the skates to minimize friction and thus spin faster. In the same way the tennis player must minimize contact with the ground in order to let the body rotate more easily. This is why we see players jump so often when they hit; they are letting go of the ground and letting the body turn more easily. In some extreme cases we see players leap off of the ground to lift up to a higher ball, and then rotate against the ball without even using the ground at all in the traditional sense. The more traditional approach is to emphasize the stabilizing aspect of the feet and stance. We have always been taught to keep the body down and to keep a very solid stance and good contact with the ground. This is a very “control oriented” approach, holding the body in a more static mode, which really is designed to help a player “watch” the ball better (by keeping the head more still); but it will undermine the ability of the body to move better. When attempting to add power to a ball, keeping the body anchored to the ground will actually cause you to lose focus on the ball. Because the body is so solidly planted it is unable to move freely in both a powering or adjusting capacity and when the time comes to generate the stroke the body works against itself. The result is the movement gets blocked and often the head ends up moving even more, causing a further loss of focus. The other thing to remember is that the goal of a tennis stroke is not to “watch the ball better” but to make better contact with the ball, i.e. to hit it to where you want it go. This involves not only watching the ball but also moving the body. In the course of actual stroking, when the body is allowed to move freely and fluidly, the head will actually do a better job of keeping steady and result in better focus. Movement and focus are conflicting aspects of stroking but they should be given equal importance in the stroking equation. The key is to do both of them with fluidity and rhythm; i.e.. proper construction. This is what we call "coordination." The “Fluid Stance” Rather than positions, a better way to think of footwork and stances is to think of “fluid feet.” Remember that tennis is basically sideways to the net and you want to wind and unwind for power. Remember also that there is timing to the feet – the movement to the ball, the sink and push off the court, and the turn on the balls of the feet; but other than that, try not to worry about “stances.” “Stances” always makes me think of “standing.” That is not something you want to do in tennis. We typically get more planted to the ground to either “watch the ball harder” (I will talk about that more in another article) or to swing the arm harder at the ball. Both of these are counter productive. Instead, the arms should move lightly and fluidly and the feet should be rhythmic and flowing. It is much like how a skier uses his feet and hands – hands light and smoothly planting the poles while the feet are constantly shifting and directing movement of the body around the poles.
Good footwork and fluid stances are a critical aspect of proper aligning and timing in stroking. Traditionally we have been led to believe that our timing will be better if we can “set up” for a shot or get a very solid platform to hit from. This tends to lead to a base that may be solid but doesn’t allow the player much of a chance to adjust to the ball. A good player will adjust the feet to the ball at all times, even while they are making contact with the ball – this is a critical ability in order to maintain consistent contact. You are never going to be able to set up your feet and step into every shot – nobody can read the ball perfectly every time. You must be able to adjust – and good players can adjust even while they are hitting the ball. They will “seek leverage” in their body alignment with the contact point even while stroking the ball. They can do that because they are not planted to the ground of forcing their feet to get into a “position” or execute a specific action. If they are a little early or if the ball is dropping in front of them, they will step forward to the ball. If they are a little late or the ball is at an uncomfortable position, they may move back. The same applies if they have to move right or left. Basically, you want to address the ball in a sideways orientation but let your feet be free to adjust the body to the contact. Worry more about developing proper timing in your feet, keeping them light, and using them to let your body move naturally rather than trying to hold the body steady. You should get a feeling that the power and the timing of the contact should come from the feet. Ball Machine Hazard Getting too regimented with your footwork and thinking that you can “set up “ for every shot is one of the dangers of hitting on a ball machine. You can set the machine so that you get the same ball over and over and so you can reproduce the same footwork pattern every time. By doing this you can develop your timing and footwork patterns and produce a consistent result. This is not a problem – but a problem can arise if you think your stroke is good because you got into a certain position or because you stepped a certain way. The truth is that the particular footwork pattern you used was fine for that controlled exercise but if you try to apply an overly regimented approach to your footwork during play you are simply going to meet with disaster. You will simply be continuously pushed off balance by your opponent because of your inability to adjust your feet to the situation Summary In this article we have looked at the use of the large body parts; the legs, hips, and trunk, and explained how these areas are used within the Kinetic Wave model. Looking at the way we have shifted our paradigms from the Pendulum model to the Kinetic Chain, we can see specifically a shift from closed stance, predominantly forward striding weight shift of the old model to an open, rotational stance in the new model. It is my opinion that the popularity and zealous endorsement of the open stance is an overreaction to the problems inherent in the old system. The old style of linear forward striding through the shot was slow and restrictive but the open stance extremists risk poor body alignment and inadequate coil. There is a happy medium that is much more rotational for power and yet is more flexible to allow a variety of stances and footwork patterns which is necessary to adopt to the constantly changing conditions and timing demands in real action play. This happy medium is articulated in the Kinetic Wave Model and is easily exhibited in technique with the Hula Hoop exercise. The arms are not whips but instead they create a form that holds energy in place, much like the sides of a cup create a form or shape that holds liquid (fluid energy) in a defined space. It is the body that must be kept fluid and shifting (like the liquid in the glass) and the arms are kept in form rather than the other way around. In the next segment we will look at the role of the small body segments, specifically the hands, and how they function to create proper racquet alignment and connection with the ball and we will then put the two parts together for the complete picture. Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Doug King's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.
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. |
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.