Tennis Ball Spin Fixes
(Tennis article by Randy Lynn Rutledge - a former USPTA tennis teaching professional)
Spin is applied by brushing multiple strings of a tennis racquet string pattern (face) against the outer surface of the tennis ball.
Approximate shape of the sweet spot = blue oval.
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The center of a tennis racquet's string pattern is called the "sweet spot."
The shape of the crossing strings make a square pattern in the sweet spot which allows the tennis ball to more precisely rebound of off the racquet strings.
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Imagine a piece of blue chalk in the center of the strings.
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Imagine a piece of blue chalk in the center of the sweet spot of a tennis racquet which could transfer chalk to the tennis ball.
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"Eyes" of the racquet face
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A square contact or a flat stroke happens when all parts of the tennis racquet are about the same distance from the primary target of height over the net at the string-to-ball contact point. The racquet face "eyes" are looking directly at the exact point where the ball is intended to cross over the net.
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A flat stroke would put a dot on the ball.
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Moving the sweet spot and all parts of the tennis racquet directly towards the primary target of height over the net causes a square contact and draws a blue dot on the tennis ball.
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A brushing stroke (spin) would draw a line on the ball.
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Moving the sweet spot in a direction which does not cause the sweet spot to contact the ball squarely would draw a blue line on the ball.
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Varying the string-to-ball contact point for each brushing motion, the direction of each brushing motion, the racquet path before and after each brushing motion, the racquet bevel before and after each brushing motion, or the speed of the racquet before and after each brushing motion can result in many valuable types of spin.
Topspin
I always introduce topspin before attempting to teach other types of spin to my tennis students.
I always introduce topspin before attempting to teach other types of spin to my tennis students.
I position myself about 6 to 10 feet away from the net to begin a topspin lesson. My tennis student is positioned on the sideline directly across from where my string-to-ball contact will take place. I demonstrate the topspin brushing motion using a slow racquet head speed.
I stand with my feet and shoulders facing the sideline. The tip of my tennis racquet points down in the direction of my back foot (the one farthest from the net).
Racquet face slightly closed
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I start with my tennis racquet face beveled slightly forward (slightly closed) to reduce the chances of landing the ball beyond the baseline.
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A starting location very close to the net makes it obvious to the student that one advantage of a low to high racquet path is an increased chance that the tennis ball will successfully be brushed up and over the net.
I toss my tennis ball to about shoulder height and land it about one step closer to the net than my starting location. The ball should rebound low enough so the net is a factor but high enough to give the student a high success rate. I side-step toward the net and stroke the ball using a low to high racquet path after the ball rebounds from the court surface and up to my ideal height for stroking, which is just below my belly button.
Like spinning a bicycle tire
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I demonstrate a few low to high topspin strokes and point out that the tennis ball is rotating forward. The upper side of the racquet frame is slightly ahead of the lower side of the racquet frame at string-to-ball contact. I use the a low to high motion similar to spinning a bicycle tire with my hand.
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Experiment by changing the direction of the brush, the initial contact spot on the tennis ball, and the length of the string-to-ball contact to discover many spin variations.
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