In this lesson, we discuss one of three ways to produce topspin. This method incorporates a contraction of the arm at the elbow that (until a better name can be found) we call the second contraction.

This component is unrelated to the contraction stage of a stroke, which positions the elbow in front of the body plane. The second contraction occurs in the acceleration stage. In the figure below left, the shoulder and hip rotation has been completed, and the acceleration is ready to be executed to bring the racquet up to maximum speed. The arm is fairly straight at this point compared to where it would be for hitting a flat ball. A western grip is being used, but it is possible to use the second contraction with any grip.

On the right is seen the racquet position after the second contraction has been completed. The second contraction is the source of the acceleration that generates the shearing forces needed to produce spin and is created by contracting the arm at the elbow rapidly.

If the elbow is not sufficiently free from the body, the motion will be unstable. Also, it will be difficult to generate the straight-line interval at the end of the acceleration needed in the strike stage. You must experiment to find what will be the best elbow positioning for you.

Below is a rollover image that can be used to study the transition between these two stages (rotation to acceleration) using the second contraction. The racquet is moving from low to high using this technique, an action necessary to produce a shearing force.

Note that the elbow in the illustration is well away from the body to provide maximum stability and flexibility. Also note that the body is bent at the center to provide a clear pathway for the contraction to proceed without having the arm collide with the hip or some other part of the body.

Among topspin techniques, the second contraction is one of the easiest to execute because it uses the biceps to move the racquet.