Common ElementsAcross the Grip Styles: Page 2

The completion of the turn move and the start of the backswing.

Start of The Backswing

As the players move from the unit turn to the full turn, they also initiate the backswing. At this point, some players, like Sampras, separate their hands. Others, like Agassi and Hewitt, keep their opposite hand on the throat of the racquet until the hands reach shoulder level.

This variation probably doesn’t matter too much. The key point, is that after the hands separate, the left arm extends across the body. Meanwhile the racquet hand is moving upward in some form of looping motion. The exact position of the racquet hand at the completion of the turn can vary greatly depending on the player and the type of ball he is hitting.

Some players–Agassi and Hewitt, for example–reach the top of the backswing just as they complete the turn, so that the racquet hand is higher. Other players such as Sampras or Kuerten have a slightly lower hand position and have already dropped the racquet somewhat below the highest point of the motion. This position can also vary when players are on the move, when most players compact the swing at least somewhat, but more on…