Kinetic Whip, Part 1, Movement Map Lesson

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[@jb3558]

This is BRILLIANT. I have done similar stuff before with indepth physics based explanations and now these videos are first class for adding to my knowledge and understanding. The analogies are SO helpful - and as an ex water-skier, that makes so much sense too. Please keep these coming. I have always thought that the best explanations are logic and physics based, and it is very important for others to realise that you don't have to have been a top tennis player to be a good coach. In my experience over the last 30 years, it is mostly the keenest recreational players that make the best coaches because they are seeking the information from a completely different point of view. Because they weren't lucky enough to be taught from a young age. Thank you so much for these inspiring videos

[@goat-tennis412]

Thanks very much for the generous comments. I agree with everything you said, especially about good coaching. We rarely see a great player become a great coach: think Laver, Connors, McEnroe, Borg, Sampras, Agassi...great players of course, but hardly or didn't attempt coaching...the same is true in other sports, baseball for example: Ruth, Mantle, Bonds, Aaron, Mays...all-time great players but not coaches. There are a few exceptions, perhaps one can cite Ted Williams, great hitter and good coach, but not very many. Basketball? More exceptions here (Russell, Kidd), but more consistent with the rule, great player, none coach (all Dream Team players, including Jordan, Barkeley, etc. never made it to coaching. And as you say, the journeyman players had to build their game step by step and look for technique advantages...very much Deliberate Practice methodology of course. Thanks again, much more to come.

[@spinpulse]

Thank you so much for this fantastic explanation of the forehand whip kinetics. I'm in my late forties and only started playing 3 years ago. I've watched hundreds of tutorials and practiced thousands of hours with a partner and a tennis ball machine. My improvement has been very slow but my takeaways all coincide with what your explanation and analogies (whip, motorboat, golf swing) - The most counterintuitive thing is that to get maximum power your arm and wrist need to be relaxed almost like a noodle. The moment you tense and become rigid the whip effect diminishes. Another I've learned is that a perfect swing is utterly useless unless the contact timing is perfect. That requires the ability to read the ball trajectory as soon as possible and execute precise footwork to position yourself for a smooth swing. Timing the ball is sooo hard... even a micro-adjusment in the middle of your swing can completely kill the your swing kinematics. I'd love to see your recommendations to improve ball-reading and footwork as well. Thank you!

[@goat-tennis412]

Thank you for your generous comments, and I think you'll be pleased with the next major Movement Map lessons. They take up this issue of contact timing in a substantive way. The heads-up message is the whip swing is also the way to stop worrying (so much) about timing and contact. With a whip swing, you have physics working on your side--versus against you, which is the case if you have a pushing/levering swing action. This is what I was starting to point out with Coco's forehand technical weakness. Players with a levering/pushing action can take all sorts of compensating remedy actions, but it is always a band-aid one way or another....so much, much more to come. Best, Kim

[@spinpulse]

@@goat-tennis412 Thanks for your reply. Looking forward to seeing your upcoming content.

[@bonejakon]

Great stuff. I will watch all your videos. Thanks.

[@goat-tennis412]

Thanks very much. Big one coming tomorrow.

[@brokenhandler]

What a good lesson to improve the level of forehand technique . thanks a lot!

[@goat-tennis412]

Glad you liked it!

[@spinebarry]

I love your comparison of the tennis stroke to the action of a whip. I totally get this. But I am not as clear on to how to apply this to the one handed backhand shot. Can you please explain that in more detail. Thank you for the great work you are doing!

[@goat-tennis412]

The whip-principle for the topspin forehand apply to the backhand an serve (as well as underspin shots). There is a coil/wind-up of the body and arm in the backhand, and a whip-like release in a rotational swing path, the same as in the topspin forehand. I will be covering the backhand and serve, but this first series is focused on the topspin forehand...but you can directly apply it to the backhand. Thanks for the generous words.

[@spinebarry]

@@goat-tennis412 Thank you for getting back. I will stay tuned to learn the fine points of how the whip effect can be maximized on the backhand.

[@user-ep7qe4ko5u]

wow. i am so happy to see your new lesson. since your last lesson of 4~5 years ago' i have been waiting for your new video.

[@goat-tennis412]

More to come!

[@markjones9091]

Thanks so much. It's great expertise. I'll be trying out your advice at my next practice. I feel we need to see you, or someone, put your advice into action? For instance, hit the ball without the kinetic whip and then with it (view from behind and maybe from the opponents view.)

[@goat-tennis412]

Hi Mark, Thanks for the nice comments. You do need some feedback in the Deliberate Practice process....but wait until all six of my deliberate practice lessons come out before making any decisions....I have some advice about feedback and filming. We'll go from there. Best, Kim

[@lawdepotpresident9900]

Are later videos going to go over something measurable racket in hand? As of right now, I'm far more advanced than needing to do use non-racket drills and I understand principles of angular momentum.

[@goat-tennis412]

Yes, very much so--including today--and at the end of the day, the lessons are intended to reach up to GOAT-like skills (map, principles, feels), so I believe they will be challenging for all. But the method of Deliberate Practice shows we need to build a solid foundation of skills to reach that level. So I hope you will hang in there, while still considering practicing these foundational skills is worthwhile.

[@asungcow]

Are you familiar with the powerflail KZbin channel?

[@goat-tennis412]

Yes, I am...and the flail is another whip like device, so we're on similar ground there; however, the flail movement, as I recall it being described, isn't, in my view, nearly comprehensive enough as a movement map. It leaves out the transition piece of the swing movement, and doesn't talk much about the kinetic chain that powers the whip action. That was my take on it at the time, but I haven't revisited it for a while.

[@kevinmanterfield-ivory4795]

I am struggling to stay down over the ball and pull up too quickly, have you any suggestions please?

[@goat-tennis412]

It's difficult to point to a direct solution without seeing your stroke. But generally, a Deliberate Practice methodology is best. Starting with shadow swings where there is no pressure of an incoming ball. Refine and repeat this form, with 20-30 highly focused repetitions per day, building your form without pressure. Then add some slow-motion drop-hit repetitions, then 1/2 speed, then full speed. Check your set-up orientation, with shoulder closed and chest pointing more to net post than target. Check your non-hitting arm--that you are pulling it back like the two-arm throws I recommended, with both arms acting in synchronous manner. Overall, prepare and load early--exaggerate this as most players waste 1/2 of their preparation time, waiting for ball to bounce on their side of the court before preparing.

[@babyblu5590]

Love that GOAT on the wall. LoL

[@goat-tennis412]

thanks...he's my spirit animal...I guess

[@reneabe]

Kim, good evening. Your latest videos don’t allow comments anymore. Is this intentional?

[@goat-tennis412]

Ah, I wondered about that...accidentally turned off..back on now, thanks.

[@SternRonn]

When you swing the whip... we see your hand stopping or pulling back and the whip whips around... what are you actually doing and what is the acute turn of body? ... 20:27 right about in here where I'm going to deliver the racket into the contact Zone and then I'm going to have even probably 20:33 a more acute turn of the body and this is going to shoot the racket through in 20:39 a blazing speed in a whip-like manner

[@goat-tennis412]

In the topspin swing is similar to the whip-action...in the cracking of a whip, the hand on the handle does make a quick jerk backwards. In the tennis swing, the hand on the racquet handle doesn't go in reverse 180 degrees like a whip cracking, but the handle is swiveling rearwards and up through the contact zone, accelerating the head of the racquet around the swing circle (like the water skier behind boat that suddenly turns left). The body's pivot and turn powers this turn into contact, while letting the arm extend and the energy of the rotation of the body flow out to the racquet and eventually the head....so if you were just loosely swinging your arms around your body as it rotated, the arms would fly outwards...same idea. More on this in the next Movement lesson.

[@michellalivedepinay1866]

Comprehensive analysis. At 24:40 I would like to see that elbow not tucked in to your body 🙂

[@goat-tennis412]

I will take a look at that.

[@reneabe]

Interesting you mentioned Clay Ballard. I follow him back when he had a channel about tennis - “Top Speed Tennis”. He made great videos using the concepts of the kinectic chain years ago. Then he moved to golf, and we became orphans of their videos since he pulled them out…

[@goat-tennis412]

That's very interesting that you were following Clay on Top Speed Tennis...so was I ....and he did have some good stuff....but he made a big leap to golf instruction, and now his Top Speed Golf is one of the biggest sports instruction channels....and he upped his game on instruction on this as well. That's why I cited his "Don't make my mistake" video....I've continued to learn from him, and I will be passing on more things from Clay as time goes on. Best, Kim

[@reneabe]

Thanks! Your videos are awesome! I had a hard time to put my stroke in the right way, but seeing the tracing of the actual circular motion of the racquet and the hand, gave me a “click” and suddenly everything I’ve learned in the last years “fitted” in place. I could identify the ones behind each one of “positional teaching” examples 😂 - while I partially agree with you those “positions” alone create a fragmented idea of the stroke, some of those concepts put together with your approach is enlightening. For the first time I could feel “the slot” and “the lag” in my stroke. Thanks for this!

[@reneabe]

Oh - also - I was too new to the game to apply Clay’s lessons to my actual game. But all his videos are precious gems of learning. I’ll rewatch them with this new view I have from the strokes thanks to you.

[@goat-tennis412]

Thanks, much more to come.

[@goat-tennis412]

This is great to hear, as of course, these are the type of results I'm hoping for, but usually they come in a more long-term way. Positions are useful as a diagnosis tool especially, and I'll have some kinder words about that in the future. In other words, it's useful to compare your slot position with Djokovic's slot position...and then begin to analyze why they are different...that's useful. What is not useful is trying to mechanically force your arm/hand/wrist/racquet into a Djokovic slot position--and think that you've solve your issues. Anyway, grand that you're feeling the slot and lag so soon! Best, Kim

[@jeffreybartlett4899]

Great topic, but I started losing interest quickly as it seemed like a subpar description of the whip ... but the advanced magic started around 23:00 with what happens when we're nervous. This video covers important insight not seen in other great kinetic whip explanations. Bravo.

[@goat-tennis412]

Hi Jeffrey, Thanks for the like and comment...this was only Part 1 of the Kinetic Whip, and a lot more will be covered on this in subsequent parts. But as I've told others, you have my email at the end of the videos, and I'd like to hear your thoughts in more detail. Regards, Kim

[@SternRonn]

Instead of thinking of the racket arm combo as a whip how about… a nunchuck the Japanese weapon? Stiff sections connected by a joint? I think I once saw Bruce lee playing ping pong with a nunchuck.

[@goat-tennis412]

Yes, it's another good analogy to the nunchuck...Dan Martin, a very good golf instructor invented a similar device (stiff handle and whip connection) to encourage his students to learn this pulling motion where you can't leverage or push the club/racquet. Thanks for the interesting comment.

[@pencilcheck]

Sounds a lot like the fundamentals of Wawrinka but his movement is a lot more stable on his racquet face meaning the back or breast is very strong

[@goat-tennis412]

Wawrinka is certainly one of my GOAT tophand backhand candidates, and you can see the whip effect in his swing, especially from filming done behind him, pointing to the target. Thanks commenting.

[@pencilcheck]

I think the downside of whip thought mapping is that whip is hard to control the timing isn’t that good when moving side by side

[@goat-tennis412]

I will cover this issue in Part 2 of the Kinetic Whip....the whip effect and dynamic actually assists you with timing and racquet path--if done right. Thanks for commenting.

[@gavlatennis2824]

You need to get a better mic - your voice audio is only in mono, not stereo. Either that or something has gone wrong during the video editing process!

[@goat-tennis412]

Hmm, haven't heard this from others, and I've played the videos on different devices. You have my email at the end of the videos...give me an account of what you experienced and on what device. Thanks for informing me.

[@pencilcheck]

I have a better explanation explaining Federer forehand and backhand mechanics

[@goat-tennis412]

Okay, you have my email at the end of the video clips...send me your explanation...if there is something better out there, I want to learn it.