Thanks. Desperately seeking a good coach/program, not easy to find. Dad’s cannot quite substitute even though they can be great motivators, sparring partners and such :)
Need to work on that racket drop! Backhand is especially obvious, but the forehand could use some help too. Focus on starting with the top of the racket facing up, then drop, then over and through. He's fairly advanced for a 9yo, would be a shame if he carried these flaws into his teens... Time to correct is now!
Thanks David, good points. About the racquet head top facing up it is generally personal preference I suppose, long as the tip is somewhere between 9 and 12 O’clock with somewhere between the racquet head and neck perched on the left hand and drawn away from the chest at a comfortable distance. He used to have it facing at 12, much like most WTA players until he tried 9 O’clock after becoming a Thiem fan :) He does throw/jerk on the drop so it isn’t distinct yet but I am waiting a bit so as not to disrupt his continuous arc/swing lest he get overly conscious about it, do tell him to be a little smoother though. Also, you might have noticed him a bit too neutral (not quite blocking) on the stance so we are working on making it a little more open, except on the slower loopier balls where he would need that for a more pronounced kinetic chain. He is just making a comeback after a 2 year growth spurt related hiatus that triggered his Patella Tendonitis symptoms in both knees particularly when playing tennis, get compounded by his flat feet.
He will be an excellent player. Make him work on that backhand though....
Thanks. Desperately seeking a good coach/program, not easy to find. Dad’s cannot quite substitute even though they can be great motivators, sparring partners and such :)
Need to work on that racket drop! Backhand is especially obvious, but the forehand could use some help too. Focus on starting with the top of the racket facing up, then drop, then over and through. He's fairly advanced for a 9yo, would be a shame if he carried these flaws into his teens... Time to correct is now!
Thanks David, good points. About the racquet head top facing up it is generally personal preference I suppose, long as the tip is somewhere between 9 and 12 O’clock with somewhere between the racquet head and neck perched on the left hand and drawn away from the chest at a comfortable distance. He used to have it facing at 12, much like most WTA players until he tried 9 O’clock after becoming a Thiem fan :) He does throw/jerk on the drop so it isn’t distinct yet but I am waiting a bit so as not to disrupt his continuous arc/swing lest he get overly conscious about it, do tell him to be a little smoother though. Also, you might have noticed him a bit too neutral (not quite blocking) on the stance so we are working on making it a little more open, except on the slower loopier balls where he would need that for a more pronounced kinetic chain.
He is just making a comeback after a 2 year growth spurt related hiatus that triggered his Patella Tendonitis symptoms in both knees particularly when playing tennis, get compounded by his flat feet.
Gbu beta