In another lesson, we discuss the Type One elbow error. In this lesson, we discuss the second type of error. Below left is an animation of the correct elbow movement, and below right is the Type Two error. The Type Two error occurs when the joint at the elbow is contracted upward just before the strike. The animation at the right shows how this leads to hitting the frame when the alignment of the racquet is just off from the sweet spot. This error can also lead to shearing and hooking the ball.

In the Shockwave movies above, the motion is divided into the rotation stage and the acceleration stage. There is a pause between these two stages to better illustrate their transition. The hips are not significantly involved in these stages of this highly efficient stroke since they would become engaged after the acceleration stage is complete.

Only a slight contraction can lead to a really lousy-feeling strike. If the ball hits the frame under these circumstances, numerous very unpleasant things can happen in addition to losing the point. In particular, the nails can be pulled away from your fingers as the racquet is rotated in your hand.

The cause of this type of error is that the human brain does not readily identify what is going wrong, and it can be months before you figure this out, if ever. The elbow contraction is an unconscious movement for which there is almost no sensory feedback other than things just don't feel right. You have to toy with this movement on your own to start developing a "feeling" that will help you identify it when it recurs.

It is very common when sitting at a computer terminal all day to have this error appear. Usually you are really ready to get out and hit some balls, but once you are suited up and on the court, it seems that you just can't get yourself to hit a clean shot. The Type Two error is a common source of this experience.