Short Angle: A Tennis Book, Simon and Schuster 2016, 504 Pages

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Mondo Mild

To hit best short angle, why not spread out taking of wrist layback through both backswing and foreswing?

We, i.e., you and I, should be looking for exceptional smoothness in getting off this exceptionally precise but not particularly fast shot.

When we seriously consider just what mondo or "flip" is in a modern forehand, we conclude that it is a simultaneous taking back of wrist and rolling racket down from the forearm, with the whole act delayed until the forward swing is underway.

I wish to keep the simultaneity while adding more overlap and less abruptness. Roll down of forearm is seen as the driver or preparer or cock for rolling the frame straight up.

In other words, cock and release should be close together, and these two things aka flip and wipe seem almost a set piece, an absolute and mechanical constant in the Federfore or ATP-3 .

TOO mechanical? Perhaps.

In an effort to inject more feel we start warping the hand during the backswing so that we won't have to warp it so much during the foreswing.

In applying this idea we walk the stroke-- short angle-- toward more simultaneity while understanding that we never will do away with sequence altogether.

If we now protract the backward wrist roll, however, we can add still more simultaneity as if simultaneity is a kind of desirable spice.

I'm thinking of extension first from elbow as one presses one's palm down while rear leg descends.

If one then scissors elbow a tiny bit one pushes racket ahead of upper arm and opens strings to square faster than if one had kept the whole arm straight.

Such scissoring means that it (the scissoring or biceps) won't be as available to add to racket head acceleration but on the other hand can be the occasion for finish of the forearm's backward roll thus placing cock and release closer together.

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Mission Creep

Will all the attention I am lavishing on a single shot affect any other of my shots? Of course!

[gzhpcu]

Did you clone yourself?

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Evaluating Myself

Am I good at stroke technique? When I make a statement, usually the opposite is true.

In that sense I'm bad.

On the other hand I keep opening up possibilities, anathema to most tennis players, but in that sense I'm okay.

Example: Mr. John Escher, who happens to be myself, said, and I quote, "If one then scissors elbow a tiny bit one pushes racket ahead of upper arm and opens strings to square faster than if one had kept the whole arm straight."

That's true, but when exactly should one scissor? And when should low point occur? Back by rear foot as in Tom Avery's video on short angle ,or, as in a full topspin forehand hit by Tom Okker, much the same?

That will work but so will a low point that is farther forward. If one takes up Tom Avery on everything through a big rear hip sit down and arm extension and head lowering simultaneous with neutral stance step-out, one can then depart from him by swinging with little birdy drumstick of the thumb in the lead. Tom Avery would be doing some mondo by then. Not me or you, reader, if you decide to go with this.

I argued at some point for wrist layback and forearm roll down at once: Now I contradict that and want to put more sequence back in the equation. I self-fed about a hundred balls before I realized I could do this.

The new idea: Very gradual layback of the wrist all through the back and down and even forward part of the tract with arm still straight. Now arm scissors a small amount as the forearm rolls racket back and down just before the flick.

You want to pre-load the forearm flick? Well, just before the ball is the time to do it.

But some of the subsequent shots seemed a bit uncontrolled and harsh. When that started happening I tried to back up, i.e, re-established some overlap between wrist going back and forearm rolling down.

Somewhere within this adjustment area the shots began to work. And I no longer felt the need for Welby Van Horne's replacement of rear foot to the right by several inches after squishing of the bug.

Because with better pre-load I got a better flick and that seemed to make the difference and simplify what gross body has to do.

Rear foot can just squish the bug and stay put. Recovery challenge in this shot is completely different from shots in which body revolves through the ball.

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Reduce, Edit, Pare Down-- and Flick

A big trouble with American tennis is that people groove strokes not yet ready for primetime.

The progression toward best ever short angle (for oneself) has taken us (me) through arm straightening before arm scissoring. Why? So I can have a backward emphasis short angle? The real energy in this stroke is out front in the flick, n'est-ce pas?

Why not-- two words that can initiate reform-- straighten arm on the backswing in a slanting waterslide as part of one's initial move?

Now arm extension is out of the way.

But stroke continues with neutral step and sit (SIM).

The rhythmic actions (SIM) that accomplish this: hand bends up on wrist, head, flat spine upper body, straight arm and rear leg lower as front leg steps out. These nouns go STRAIGHT DOWN.

Now one eases one's thumbstick forward and scissors while racket slowly twists downward.

This twist downward is not TRYING to be slow but is slow because of carefully engineered conflict within the forearm.

Last: flick and followthrough.

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Addendum After Going to the Court

Once one has stepped, one can lower shoulder more with all the body rotation immediately going on-- the last vestige of firm body-arm connection before the arm takes over.

This shot, which is body to arm, is good contrast with the McEnrueful, which is arm to body.

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Addendum After Sitting in a Chair

My water slide isn't that much different from Tom's small loop. If I just put a slight dome in the slide, I can step out with arm straight the same as I just did at the court.

An important point I'd like to try and put across is that the shoulders don't turn forward very much. They do so some but mostly just tilt. The thing causing this partially around but more "down" drive of hitting shoulder is the hips simultaneously rotating and pressing body weight toward the net while the hand stays back for a long time.

For me there's a kind of surprise in seeing just how little the shoulder can rotate forward if it's primarily going down instead.

The little amount forward however means you don't have to swing from shoulder alone before you scissor. Swinging from the shoulder and the scissoring with forearm twisting the racket down can all be one move.

Rhythm of the shot: one two threeee.

One: Slightly domed descent of the racket.

Two: Step out and pivoting weight onto flat front foot.

Threeee: Cocking and uncocking of the forearm and followthrough.

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Did you clone yourself?

My method appears so different from everybody else's that sometimes I think I ought to draw attention to the fact and maybe look into the future a bit.

No I haven't cloned myself. I'd probably produce a freak since the main subject here is still undergoing change. But when this shot-- my short angle-- gels, I'm sure I'll want others somewhat like it, e.g., soft topspin down the line deep from the exact same preparation and certainly the reverse short angle that klacr indicated when he advised hitting left seam on the ball.

I am fascinated by the attitude that produces ten years' training of some lousy shot that one never tries to change. "My master told me this was a good shot, so I'll never mess with it." All shots are lousy, it seems to me, or could be better. I totally admire athletes like Jack Nicklaus who tweak every day.

When I was a crew coach responsible for hundreds of people, though, I was
reluctant to depart very much from the basics I had taught them. Long before that, though, in my own crew which rowed at a higher level, we did undergo a number of tweaks over the four years of college.

I'm a big critic of Gladwell and Syed: They're too determinist. The Syed I admire is the Syed who came up with a new ping-pong shot to try and return Stich's tennis serve. Now that was really crazy. But then, after Stich's buzzing serves grazed Syed's ears and he couldn't even touch them, to give up on crazy invention altogether seems crazier.

And self-defeating. And certainly not fun.

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Changing the Load on Three Counts

Rhythm of the shot: one two three.

One: Slightly domed descent of the racket.

Two: Step out and pivot of weight onto flat front foot and slight scissoring of arm while cocking (twisting at the shoulder) and sending whole arm forward or around a little.

Three: Flick (twisting at the shoulder) and followthrough. Focus all energy on the flick. You really need to buy time to slow down count two so as better to accelerate count three.

New observations: In the emergency that is tennis, the twisting one way of the shoulder followed by twisting the other way will become seamless. I'm suggesting a little "dead stick" from billiards though just for a while-- physiologically not good but psychologically or in terms of concentration or "Zen" very good. Eventually all should gel, i.e. flow together and you (I) should get the same amount of racket head speed (maximum) every time.

I know nothing in sports as spectacular as the "gel" that happens in an eight-oared crew when and if it happens. But if eight persons can gel together then certainly one person can-- i.e., create a smooth and integrated and repeatable flow.

Note: Recently, I was speaking of using the forearm to flick, not the shoulder. That was from watching video of Tom Avery, who has a good short angle. Because of a plethora of good advice coming at me from all geographical sides, however, I now want wrist completely laid back and twist from the shoulder rotors which will be visible to a close observer in the form of elbow deflection. Is there also pre-load and twist (SIM) from the forearm? I think so but don't want to worry about it. It will happen on a day when I have good feel. And it will be secondary. Whether from shoulder or from forearm or from both, the flick should be upward and surgically precise to impart the most topspin possible to the ball with only a very little body push and certainly not any arm push.

Note 2: The arm scissors but then stops scissoring for the flick. The player goes from straight arm to mild double bend structure while "squishing the bug." In grooving this stroke, freezing in perfect balance at end of followthrough with heel up on toes (the poor bug squished under the toes once more) makes perfect sense. How long can you hold this pose? Should be for as long as you want and nobody should be able to push you over. You've just created sculpture. Use plaster of paris and lost wax process to cast yourself in bronze. This is the Pygmalion myth in reverse.

Note 3: The hand is a fulcrum. Don't let it shift its locus while it twists the strings up the edge of the ball. Generate more racket head speed by trying for less.

Note 4: The experiments would not be complete without an attempt to keep racket square through every microsecond of the cycle until after the ball is gone. Does this produce better or worse spin and control then starting with racket at various degrees of being closed in waiting position?

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Technique to Increase Percentage of Successful Shots?

My percentage of successful backhand drives improved once I resolved to keep the frame square through the whole shot.

So why wouldn't I try the same thing with forehand short angle, which is called "pro shot" since a pro never misses it.

Both of these shots as I have designed and accepted them are more about consistency and accuracy than maximum power.

Intra-related is the question of when in pro shot to bend back one's wrist. There is no rule about this. Right now I am gradually bending wrist back from start of backswing through step out and half of bug squish (a very useful although sadistic baseball term).

Keeping the racket on edge, which is return to a basic teaching precept of the late Davis Cup captain Ed Faulkner, will re-shape the whole shot.*

I want at least to try twisting elbow to inside of hand holding its locus while arm is still straight.

Before the elbow has reached its physical limit to the inside (think of a metal stop on a dial) the arm will scissor into a mild double bend. Since the racket tip will meanwhile be winding two feet down on the forearm (I just measured the distance), the bending of the arm will counter the winding down.

Will racket head speed around still locus of hand thus be enhanced? I don't see why not. And am interested in the concept of elbow first dialing to inside of still hand and then dialing to outside of still hand to produce a precise incision upward. (A "still" but rolling hand is still in the sense of not blowing in the air.)

To explore: Not a muscling through the racket's change of direction but rather balance between conflicting forces to cause a momentary pause.

I walk to the refrigerator. When I return, readytotransform, I see in lieu of my chair a tennis player in ready position bouncing on two rear paws, a ten-foot-tall grizzly bear, the child you wanted to have.

* Self-prescription: At first make new shape close to what you have been doing. Then put the whole thing including the beginning round loop more out front. Then return to closer to what you were doing. Then with loop more out front hit a few reverse angles. Any good? This whole process could be called information interview of oneself with nothing on the line. Disguise off of deep shot preparation? Who needs it. Make an announcement instead. Then do opposite of the announcement.

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The Self-Feed Speaks

# 55 was too conceptual, and therefore stiff. The shot simply wasn't assured enough. And the balls didn't carry enough spin.

The wisest thing in # 55 was the advice to switch back and forth between the new and old shapes. The result was four compromises.

1) Carry left hand on racket throat the way was taught. Use both hands to carry slightly closed racket a small distance sideways at level of wait position before they separate.

2) The idea of keeping racket on edge for nearly all of the stroke was nice impulse, but I am conditioned to open to square by now. The ball therefore went too high. Remedy: Keep racket closed in waiting position but just slightly closed.

3) Use gradual bend of wrist to max or flip it to max as part of initial move-- haven't decided which is better yet.

4) Drop racket to inside of right ankle rather than to outside of right ankle.

Concentrate only on the neutral stance version for now.

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Short Angle: 1004 Pages

At this point I'm almost thinking I could go faster and farther if I ran my series of experiments without writing them up in detail.

But I have to say "almost" since if I didn't write something down-- perhaps in a different form on graph paper-- I wouldn't come as well to the next plateau for the next experiment.

If as hockeyscout has said, anger is a gift, and I am angry that I haven't already found the "pro shot" I seek, I'll try one more configuration.

"And another. And another. And another," Phil Picuri would no doubt say.

Could be true but I hope not. If I knew for sure that I'd be making up two new configurations of short angle every day for the rest of my life, I would immediately give up and just hit hard deep shots to the end of my tennis career unless once in a while I made a happy mistake.

So here is my last try for forehand crosscourt short angle from my high left wait position.

Backswing before neutral stance step-out will consist of a fanning motion to the right. The fanning will come from twisting elbow and twisting forearm and cocking wrist all at once. The shoulders meanwhile will turn back helped by left hand pointing across. The fanning will end when racket length is parallel to the court.

At that point the tennis player (I) will lower rear leg as front leg strides toward net.

What will racket do during the stride? Continue motion from the fan through happening body tilt and arm extension. As front foot lands flat the downward slanting racket will straddle the rear foot with strings slightly behind and handle slightly ahead.

When left foot strides, can bug squish be far behind? During the hips rotation which grinds imaginary bug under right toes to lift right heel, slightly bend the arm to square the strings.

Flick.

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Progress Report

# 57 appears to be working well. My only proposed tweak is to keep cranking the arm through the sit-and-step.

But that idea, like so many others, will lead to another, viz., crank through the mild scissoring of the arm.

Maybe not. Maybe the pre-load or stretch-shorten cycle for those who insist on being affectedly esoteric, will reach an equipoise first that then is merely maintained by a mild squeeze of the biceps.

In either case, the main pattern for the shot is set.

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Catching the Followthrough

But catch the racket. I'm remembering an accident a year ago where a pick-up doubles partner tried to take my shot. I didn't let him. I took it. But I squeezed the stroke pattern together and hit myself over the left eyebrow.

Had to go to the emergency room. Don't want a repeat.

Yet I like the idea of bending just straightened arm to same place to which I slap-shot in my McEnrueful.

That would be with hand equidistant from the two shoulders-- pretty far back, it seems to me.

There is so much hit-through in the McEnrueful that the threat of self-hit does not exist-- one can follow through any way one wants.

On short angle, however, I'll catch the racket out wide just to be safe.

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To Hell

To hell with loop.

To hell with mondo.

To hell with bug squish.

Be flat footed if you must. Try that at least. But bend your knees pleeeease!
($150 please.)

And don't be such a wuss about changing grip. Change to whatever grip does the job.

Try these ideas in self-feed then apply to service returns in doubles from the deuce court.

Make sure to follow each of these short angles into the net and then-- if ball comes to you-- knock off the volley to the exact same point where you made the ball bounce with your short angle.

I learned this two-shot combination to same spot from the Michigander Luke Jensen when he gave a group lesson here on the bank of Lake St. Clair.