In this discussion, we take a closer look at the timing of the stages of the Roddick forehand.

Our reference point is the Shockwave video below, which shows (in slow motion) the relative timing of the stages of the forehand.

The contraction through rotation stages represent most of the time spent in the execution of the forehand. It is at the acceleration stage that the racquet is brought up to maximum speed, and in the Roddick forehand, this takes place in no more than 1/20 of a second. The distance the tip of the racquet travels in this time is about 43 inches, or approximately 3.6 feet. This represents a velocity of about 72 feet per second. The point on the racquet where the ball is struck moves somewhat slower—around 35 mph, conservatively speaking. This can result in initial ball speeds at impact routinely approaching 65 mph. We have recorded forehand ball speeds of over 100 mph, but 55 mph is a more common figure for the average professional player.

The two key points are: (1) Most of the racquet speed is developed at the acceleration stage, which for Roddick is seven times faster than the contraction or rotation stages. (2) This speed is developed without the use of the wrist.

The reason that most of the racquet speed is developed at the acceleration stage is to insure its controllability. If the racquet speed is developed at the contraction stage, it will be very difficult to direct it to the ball consistently. This is because velocities this high can become unstable with the slightest bobble in your motion. A good exercise is to practice the rhythm of your stroke by starting the racquet slowly and only accelerating the racquet at the latest possible moment.

You will need to allow several weeks before you have this rhythm working well enough that you can use it in a game. Typically, anxiety causes a player to try and reach maximum acceleration in the contraction and rotation stages, which results in an inconsistent stroke.