The Leverage Game: Get Behind It

Preface: Please note that the following article is an interpretation of the changes that have occurred in tennis stroking mechanics over the last 30 years. Most of what we have seen has been an increase in power and spin – notably topspin. Although I do not address topspin in this article, I do attempt to define this modern power shift.

In a way, spin is a natural adjunct to power as it is the logical means of controlling this additional power. And although I do not specifically address taking speed off the ball, I do recognize the necessity and the value of this skill. In brief, I would say that taking speed off the ball is an exact reversal of how power is put on the ball, which I addressed in my last article “Playing By a New Set of Rules.” My real endorsement for the new system articulated in the analysis below is based on the control and coordination that it affords the player – both in adding to and reducing power from the ball.

The Leverage Game

The fundamental difference between the game that is being played by professional and college players everywhere and the game that we…