Today we’re going to do a Roger Federer tripple play! I just got done posting a bunch of new pro video to the Essential Tennis YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/essentialtennis) and wanted to share a few strokes from Roger along with my thoughts. Make sure to check out all three!
Federer Video #1: Forehand and Backhand Rally
This is Roger getting a hit in before his match against Del Potro in the evening. He looks loose and relaxed enough while he’s actually competing but during practice it’s just ridiculous. Please keep in mind that he isn’t working on anything during these rallies, they’re simply meant to groove his timing a bit and help him break a light sweat. You should be trying to copy this during your first 5-10 minutes of hitting either before a competitive match or a practice session. Raise your intensity level a bit at a time until you reach full speed while still maintaining a smooth and relaxed swing!
Federer Video #2: Backhands in Slow Motion
Roger’s backhand is commonly looked at as a weakness of his but it’s still a beautiful stroke. You’ll see him hit both topspin and slice backhands in this video and one main thing strikes me about both techniques right away: length of swing. On each and every topspin shot you’ll see the butt cap of his racket (the bottom of the handle) at least pointing down towards the court, often times it even points out towards his hitting partner on the other side of the court. This is from loosely “releasing” the racket head and allow it to rotate, something a LOT of rec players don’t do on their one handed backhands.
On the slice you’ll see him draw the racket all the way across his body until the tip of the racket points towards his hitting partner with a straight and extended arm. Most rec players have a motion that falls well short of that and so they have to try and jerkily accelerate the racket through their short swing to get any racket head speed at all.
Try your best to avoid these two common technique pitfalls on your backhand next time you hit!
Federer Video #3: Serve Warm Up in Slow Motion
Ok, first off, do NOT practice your serves with 5 tennis balls in your opposite hand. Definitely not something that I recommend, haha.
Once again you can see that relaxed and fluid technique is the name of the game! What I’d like you to really take note of, however, is Roger’s rhythm as he swings. This is something that slow motion video helps us see. Watch how the take back of the racket all the way up to the trophy pose is one smooth, slow speed, and then once the racket starts to drop everything begins to accelerate up towards contact. Slow then quick, slow then quick, without any stopping or hesitating. Many rec players have what’s known as a “hitch” in their service motion, a jerky stopping and then starting of their racket. Or, they have a quick-slow-quick rhythm which is terrible for timing and consistency. Roger makes everything as smooth as possible, something that you should try your best to copy at home!
So which is your favorite stroke? Does anything specific jump out at you right away about any of these three videos? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching!
