www.playyourcourt.com/oneminutetennis

I would absolutely add Cerundolo to the list of effortless power and I attribute it to a loose elbow. I think you are spot on with this insight. I’ll focus on this tomorrow

the looseness of the arm and wrist as a by-product of elbow looseness. it is a mind-blowing finding. Many thanks for sharing this.

Great video, with a creative take on the loose arm. Another way of finding and using the loose arm is to "throw the racket" at the ball. Similar to skipping a stone, our body already subconsciously knows how to relax the arm and use the kinetic chain correctly when doing that type of a throwing motion.

Actually it's all about the first point. The elbow on the outside. That's the crucial part and that allows the racquet head to be dropped behind the body (looking from the side perspective, not behind looking at it from the front) which creates kind of delay and therefore a great acceleration. A very good explanation.

As always, you make the complex simple Steve, I shall try this as, for experimentation, I've had my racquet strung tighter than usual. Many thanks, Gordon.

A brilliant insight. Thank you, Steve. I used to focus on straightening my arm before contact, but you've allowed me to see that that was my way of turning the elbow out and that I was missing the crucial relaxation part. So now instead I focus on a loose arm, a soft grip, and guiding the butt cap toward the ball. The result looks similar but feels different, and it's much easier and more consistent. For some reason, this makes my fingers want to spread out on the grip, which seems like a good thing.

I played for years up until I graduated from college. At 30 I picked up tennis again and had this loose relaxed motion and my forehand became a monster shot. Also similar thing happened with the topspin backhand.

Excellent tip again. Gave me much more spin and control on my forehand. Many thanks.

Steve, you've done it again. I tried this the other day and the power that comes from this instantly added 10-20% power on my forehand with less effort than I was putting in before. Yes, I was last accurate and shanked a little more, but with practice, I think this is going to be the new way I hit my forhand. Thank you!

Thanks for the tip...you always find a component that I've never discovered t🎾

Very clever and intuitive way to check for relaxation. With students I will keep 2-3 fingers off grip as they shadow swing and then hit the ball.. Will try this technique as well!

This was so helpful!

Interesting idea. Will give it a try

Great tip … also we can use the non dominant hand (left) for right handed players to hold the racket during take back

Amazing insight wow !!!!!

What a brilliant instruction !! It is inclusive of lagging by guiding butt towards, whipping, topspins by scrubbing upwards, enhancing power by using core, natural use of loose and etc.

I totally agree with this style of hitting. All the tension and grip it and rip it mentality should go into early, bouncing, dynamic footwork in order to take the proper court position. Then the swing can be effortless.

I worked this out after practising tai chi for 20 years. 😅

Decontract-contract is kind of analogy with centre-decentre for vision (eye-sight) isn't it, Steve? Also, for the former, if not properly maneuvred, it might negatively impact the grip by changing it at contact (it sometimes happens to me). Thx for the insight of the elbow's role.

You surprised me! I thought it would be another ground force masterclass, but never on the elbow. Thanks I'll try. 💪🎾

I believe I once goofed around with something very similar to this as a teenager. I was actually concentrating only on *bringing my hand forward in a straight line* to intercept the ball's trajectory while *letting the racket head loop (downward and then up) all on its own.* This, when coupled with a semi-western club grip, unconsciously produced a straight-armed, automatic stroke - quite possibly with the relaxed elbow you describe here - ultimately yielding (or do I mean 'wielding'?) the fabled, oft quested, "effortless power" and extreme topspin of Arthurian legend. Thank you very much for this lesson. Once again, I find your observations truly original and insightful, and ultimately very helpful - THANK YOU!

I think by opening your forearm you closing it at the contact with the ball and it enables to use bigger muscles than just wrist to control the brush of the ball which should give greater stability during the shot.

Awesome, the wizard strikes again.

Great channel, subbed

I believe being loose in the arm is important, not because it generates power, but because it allows the energy from your shoulder to transfer into the racket, like a whip. The swing happens so fast, that any extra effort you put in your arm just hinders it.

Isnt it the contact point much in front that is responsible for the elbow going out and be loose in order to hit the ball ?

Where are these courts? They look nice.

Great analysis and advice, thank you.

Great way to achieve ESR(External shoulder rotation)

Love it, going to give it a try on court this week

Interesting 🤔

I equate a loose grip to a flying racquet. The pros do seem to generate so much power from their swing. When I've watched the videos of Roger & Raf practice, it seems like they hit the ball harder in practice than matches.

I'm confused. In the first of the video you talk about turning your elbow from outside to inside. That feels like you are loading your arm with pronation. Is that correct?

Precious tips Steve !

Being that the elbow is so relaxed, does this necessitate the straight arm forehand (federer, verdasco) as opposed to a bent arm forehand (djokovic, murray)?

Coach Steve also another guarantee - thanks to you - of an inside out elbow-arm which is I'd say one of the 3 or 4 key factors for a sound forehand is an awesome tip you gave some days ago. That was in your vid about trusting/ keeping or adding topspin in pressure situations that is your tip of keeping or forming an extended wrist (avoiding neutral or flexed position) by just visualizing the fist pointing to the back fence instead of thinking of the racquet position, etc. I wanted to give you my feedback on that past vid after at least 7 or 10 hours of practice ( I'm in the 3rd) but now that you're here in the inside-out arm shape of the fh stroke I noticed: 1. It's true what you affirm. It assures that the extended wrist forms with more than enough time before even fast or heavy balls giving you a lot of confidence to brush effectively the ball almost anticipating that it will land in. That's awesome coach!!! 2. Just about the fatal and very well known shortcoming of tucking in the elbow or that it goes involuntarily inside-in at certain or many balls (my issue): Well with this new trait-tip I can notice that this prevents the elbow-forearm from going inside-in BECAUSE having an extended wrist since the very beginning of the takeback kind of holds or lags a fraction of a second (but so paramount) your shoulder from anxiously rotating inwardly. I mean that wrist in extension seems to make your shoulder rotate outwardly, also pulling outside your elbow bone point - practically and naturally blocking any cramming or that it goes to the torso. You also feel you true centrifugal force in the inside-out arm. (Adding a bit of conscious involvement of the big rear shoulder muscles increases this sensational feeling. I mean try to feel them moving, working to impact the ball). 3. The best result for not losing rhythm and elastic energy, thus ball speed when performing your tip is avoiding to "pre form mechanically" the wrist extension but doing it just at the moment you feel you're in the "farthest" part of the takeback. 4. Even though 3 is the ideal, I've noticed that when relaxation is not enough (eg in a match) and you consciously look for the wrist extension - maybe untiming the stroke making it say kind of less fluid than it should or a little stiff - even so you impart strong spin. Maybe not so accelerated but with at least enough height that reassures you (I) this time won't hit the ball out like before because of anxiety or nervousness situations. In a nutshell: Great coch!!

Elbow drop. Thanks Steve

Feel the lostness of the elbow

Good tutorial on how your arm can stay loose. Same principle as Taichi. Stay loose, then your arm will strike like a whip.

I do notice that if you search pros still images at contact, it is hard to use “relax” to describe them. Try Iga or Carlos and look at their facial expressions, their muscles bulged, their hand holding the racket…. If we are receiving Carlos or Rublev’s forehand, can we really use a loose, relaxed wrist to absorb their shots? Would love to get your take on that. Thanks in advance

I second the “skipping a stone” image

wow

Interesting concept however finding that looseness in the elbow is almost impossible. I would concentrate on the whole arm being more loose than the wrist/hand

Pinned it as a FAVORITE Steve!!

Thanks Steve. The easiest way to see if your arm is loose is video your forehand and if you get the snap and lag on the forward swing, you have a loose arm. Or some ppl can sense this themselves. It's really not hard.

If I am not mistaken, Rick Macci teach the opposite, that yoor arm/elbow should never go to the outside during the preparation..

all you have to remember is: all power comes from the body, all controls come from the hand and wrist.

The problem with this video is the trajectory of the racket head. The extreme low to high action undermines replicability and consistency. The low to high/above the shoulder finish doctrine taught for decades defies physics and is responsible for more errors and inconsistent forehands than anything else. If you watch modern players particularly ones with great forehands e.g Rublev, Alcaraz, Berrettini etc the trajectory of the swing is flatter circa 15 to 20 degrees. So the secret of a great forehand is a semi-western grip, loose arm, straight take back, fast windscreen wiper finish (throw the racket head at the ball). This leads to more power (flat hard topspin) and greater consistency (less overhitting).

👍

Whose forehand looks more effort full than alcaraz's? Can't be that many. It seems pretty tightly wound. Djokovic's forehand seems to be a way better example. Murray and Monfils are great examples too