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TennisOne Lessons 
The Big Dipper David W. Smith, Senior Editor TennisOne There are a few shots in tennis that when learned can improve or create other shots. Some of these are obvious: the serve can improve a player’s overhead; a slice approach shot can help players learn to hit a slice drop shot, etc. However, there is a shot in tennis that I believe can define a player as “having made it.” While this subjective conjecture might be a little over-simplified, I do believe that owning this particular shot can help players feel like they have moved out of mediocre levels and into true "shot-making" levels of play. The Dipping Topspin The shot I’m talking about is the big dipping topspin forehand or backhand. Yes, this is the fast-dipping, high ball rotation topspin that can make opponents look foolish and make you like an accomplished shot-maker! Dipping topspin has many applications: it can be hit as a crosscourt or down the line passing shot, forcing an opponent to hit up on their volley-- that is if they catch up with the ball at all. I'm sure you've marveled (as I have) at the way Rafa hits this shot under pressure, instantly turning defense into offence in the blink of an eye. The same shot can also be used to open up your opponent’s court by pulling them well wide of the service line, a tactic Agassi was a master at. The mechanics of the shot are essentially the same as in hitting an offensive topspin lob. In addition, learning to add this spin can help a player hit harder, more consistent shots. Learning the Dipper Regardless of the grip you use for your forehand (or whether you use one or two hands on your backhand) the main ingredient in executing a fast-dipping topspin is to have the racquet head hitting up on the outside of the ball with significant racquet-head speed. This concept is often difficult to learn because of the way players perceive their racquet moving to the ball. Most beginners and many long-time intermediate players learned to hit through the ball with a swing that is very linear, meaning, the racquet moves through the stroke in essentially a straight line. While this technique is great if you want to simply “push” balls in play, (often resulting in players becoming the notorious “dinker”!), it usually prohibits players from developing more advanced strokes. In order to hit the big dipper, a player must get the racquet head well out in front of their hitting forearm, leading with the top edge of the racquet, and whipping this part of the racquet up and out away from the body. This stroke is a precursor to the buggy whip, (as it was called when I was much younger!) or what we now call the reverse forehand, (a forehand where the racquet finishes up the same side of the player’s head as their hitting arm is on instead of over the opposite shoulder like conventional forehands do). While there is not necessarily much wrist used in this shot, the wrist must be relaxed and allow the racquet to accelerate up and past the forearm without rigid constraints. Another key point of learning the big dipper is to stay more sideways with the upper body than with other forehands. If a player opens up the shoulders and upper body too early, (as in facing the net too soon within the stroke), the hitting hand comes forward too early and the player will not be able to get the racquet head ahead of the hitting arm’s forearm. (When players do open up, they tend to flick the wrist to try and catch the racquet head up. This is not only a poor way to gain consistency in the shot, but a good way to hurt your wrist!) Changing the Direction In order to use the same effect on different shots, a player must understand angles relative to their body and the court. There are several ways to change a shot’s direction:
The easiest change in direction is usually done by simply changing the body's orientation to the court and ball. Turning more to the right for a right-handed player’s forehand will generally cause the ball to go more to the right. Changing the contact zone by hitting the ball earlier or later is a more advanced change, one that usually evolves naturally as players develop better timing and control. Changing the grip is the most difficult because players have a hard enough time mastering one grip for a particular stroke, let alone another. However, again, more advanced players tend to migrate a grip for a desired stroke in many instances. Thus, each of these directional changes are applicable in various levels of play and situational shots. I teach players to first learn to control the direction of the dipper by simply turning more in one direction or the other. So, if you want to hit the dipper down the line, simply close the stance more fully so you can still hit up the outside of the ball to make it curve the same way as a sharp angled crosscourt, but have it curve down the line.
Learning to hit a forehand or backhand so that the ball curves down the line is a very advanced pattern. Being able to hook a ball down the line so that it curves from outside the sideline back into the court is not only fun to watch or hit, but it is very difficult to defend for an opponent at the net. This is because the initial reaction for most players who see this ball hit is that it is going wide…only to turn and watch the ball curve back into the court! Using the Dipper as a Lob Unlike changing a ball’s direction left or right by changing the player’s position, grip or timing, hitting the shot as a lob simply takes two key elements: aiming higher than normal and feeling the right speed of the shot so you don’t hit it too hard or too soft. Lifting the lob as you start lower and brush up usually is the concept that players need to apply to first learn to hit a consistent topspin lob. Again, like the dipping passing shot, the topspin lob is another “defining” shot that most advanced players can—and do—hit in matches. Opponents who get lobbed with this shot often don’t even try to run the shot down simply because the ball bounces so far away from them after the bounce that they know they can’t catch up with it. Backhand Dippers Two-handed backhand players have a slight edge on hitting this shot on the backhand side simply because the two-hander is basically a non-dominant hand’s forehand. Therefore, a player need only to apply the same key concepts discussed in hitting the forehand and get the non-dominant hand to execute these movements. (Obviously easier said than done!) In many of my clinics and lessons, I have students hit forehands with their non-dominate hand to improve their coordination of this hand in executing two-handed backhands. One-handed backhanders usually have a difficult time first learning this shot. There are many reasons for this difficulty, but the most common reasonis the difficulty in hitting the one-handed backhand without using the wrist to get the racquet outside the ball. Basically, a solid one-handed backhand is hit with a more closed body stance and a contact point that is further out in front.
Drills One of the best drills to learn any dipping shot is to face in one direction while hitting severely in the opposite direction. For example: a right handed player hitting a forehand will aim his bellybutton to the far right fence while aiming the shot at the far left net post. This position teaches a player to get the racquet head out in front of their body as well as preventing the premature rotation that is usually the main fault in players trying to learn this shot. Another drill I like to use is one I call my Rounding-out Sharp Angle Topspin drill. (See my Rounding Out Drills II in the lesson Library for more details in this and other drills.) This is where a pro or coach can drop-feed balls to a player standing near the net post on one side of the net while aiming across the net at a target near the other net post or in the doubles alley. This is a great drill to learn sharp angle topspins as well as learning to “hook” a ball crosscourt. Conclusion The Dipping forehand or backhand shot must be hit with a reliable, repeatable swing path. Players who employ wrist to “flick” the racquet up the outside of the ball will not develop this shot as well or as quickly. Players will want to remember to “Keep the plane the same” in executing any shot, especially this sharp angle or fast-dipping shot. This will help the player to improve aim and consistency in the execution of this effective and potentially diverse shot. Give it a try for a good month. If you work the drills and the stroke execution recommended here, you will be well on your way to hitting the big dipper with great success! Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Smith's article by emailing us here at TennisOne .
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