Roger Federer and the Evolution of the Modern Forehand Part2: Page 2

Does Federer gain an advantage by pairing the conservative grip with extreme rotation compared to the players who are more underneath the handle? A definitive answer will require quantifying the path of the racket and the speed of the swings in pro tennis. Then we can compare classical and extreme swings and measure the differences in the shapes of the swings and in the speed of racket head from player to player and shot to shot. Currently we doing some new analysis of spin rates in the games of several top players, including Federer, which will shed at least some light on these questions. I’ll be writing more about this in the Heavy Ball section of the site.

But from the study of the high speed video, I believe this combination is what allows Federer to hit with great pace but at the same time generate surprising amounts of spin in relation to the other top players. More hand and arm rotation gives him the ability to hit wide spin variations, but he is still able to hit through the ball more directly than the extreme players because of his grip.

Again it’s the best of both world’s. He can…