Myth of the Wrist: The Modern Pro Forehand

We’ve heard it a million times during TV matches, “With a flick of the wrist, he rifled another winner up the line!” It’s a favorite phrase of many commentators, including the great John McEnroe. It’s also common in tennis teaching. Recently I heard a teaching pro bellow at a beginning student: “Snap your wrist! 70% of your power is in your wrist!”

It may be widely believed and widely taught, but does that make it true? Is the wrist snap the key to producing power in tennis? The answer is no. In fact, with a few limited exceptions, the wrist plays no role in the bio-mechanics of the strokes. “The flick of the wrist” is a myth, a myth that is at the root of many technical problems for players at all levels.

If the wrist is a myth, doesn’t that also go against what we see with our own eyes when we watch the pros? It seems obvious that many top players release their wrists on most if not every stroke.

How Entrenched is the Myth of the Wrist?

Read what a leading text book for teaching pros has to say:

“When the wrist is used to generate racket…