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Agassi moves to the start of the release with the wrist still laid back.
The Start of the Release
"Elbow in, wrist laid back." It’s a magic key to the modern forehand. There is no "snap" during the contact. The arm should be relaxed and the grip pressure as light as possible, but beyond that, the wrist is essentially along for the ride. Any forward movement, if and when it does occur, is a natural consequence of the swing. Focusing on using or worse snapping the wrist is counterproductive in generating power or spin.
The high speed video shows that the top players set up in the hitting arm position at the completion of the backswing, and keep this position essentially in tact as they move the racket forward to the hit. Sometimes the amount of layback, and therefore the angle between the racket and the forearm, decreases as the racket comes forward to the ball. But most times it doesn’t, for most players. When this movement does happen, it seems obvious that it is a natural consequence of the swing–and the fact that the players are staying as relaxed as possible.
If there were a conscious “snap” or muscle…
