3D Tennis: The Serve Backswing: Part 2

In the last article, we examined the role of the lower body during the back swing (Click Here). Now let’s move on to the upper body motion in the backswing. This includes the movement of the trunk, the hitting arm segments, and the racquet itself.

The ability to generate racket speed in the back swing is one of the main differentiating factors at all levels of play, including professionals. So let’s take the backswing motion apart and see what we can learn from our quantitative studies.

Then let’s see how we can apply this knowledge in player development, using the example of our young player’s serve from the previous articles, and the data provided on his service motion in the 3D interface below.

4 Goals

To begin, let’s identify the four primary upper body goals of the backswing. The first goal is to have all of the joints in configurations that provide for optimal range of motion in the upward swing. The second goal is to have the muscles surrounding those joints in the best contractile conditions possible.

The third goal is to attain the lowest possible position of the racquet face center at the end of the back swing….