C1L9: Pros Do It at the 45º

So now that you know about the 45 degree angle and the optimal contact point, start looking for it in all the pros's and the players you watch. You will see it, you will find that every top player lines the body up first to the 45 and makes contact right there at the 45 degree angle. The racket can't stretch further it just vanishes, the stroke just vanishes. It doesn't matter if its a serve or a drop shot every stroke is lined to the 45. Watch here Serena that emblem on her Nike skirt look at that. Her hips are lined up to the 45, her left arm is lined up to the 45 and as she rotates into the serve watch watch as that left arm comes in and she makes contact right there. Right there at the 45 degree angle you can see the pronation. You will see when your favorite player miss a shot how they are not at the 45 degree angle. Here is Wasniaki top woman look at that with the two hands and the hips. Lines it up, see's her stroke now she is going to stretch deep way out into the 45 until she can't go any further and then once again the stroke just vanishes. There is no real follow through its more of a vanishing act. Here is the two hander, one of my boys, now the hips come through look where that racket is flying right to us. That camera is poised at the 45 degree angle. It will give you a much greater appreciation when you watch the pro's on TV when you really know what they are doing geometrically speaking. Here is another one look how he is running at the 45 see his hips are still lined up. Now he goes into the backswing but when he makes contact he gets right back there to the 45 see that? His foot kicks back to keep him there. Watch again how the back foot helps on a lot of players will do this. Watch how the back foot see how it slides back a little bit that holds your hips right there. You are lined up and your racket can stretch out into the 45 degree angle. Same with the backhand, pow, right there every time, every time you see a good player strike the ball well. Now here is a drop shot, watch how Warren stretches slowly until he can't get any further into the 45 degree angle and then the stroke just fades away and dies. Same with the serves and overheads, line up the hips. line up the left arm and then explode with your energy going up into the 45. There is a slice thats why you can see the racket edge staying true and not pronating. Here is a one hander, Warren likes to hit both one and two handers, where's that racket go, right towards us. Henin shows us a little better see that left hands lined up, her hips are lined up and her racket is stretches out into the 45. These players have an unconscious knowing of the 45 degree angle. It is what they call their wheel house. See that look at the edge stretching out into the 45. One of my favorite players here stroke wise, Andy Murray, look at that line up. See the hips, the hands, the racket, very little movement with this guy. Very little rotation back, rotation forward but then a contact there it is again. Left hand struggling to keep him in the 45, eyes on the ball and then the follow through just disappears. When you can no longer stretch into the 45 your finish just ends, sort of fades away. Djokovic, every great player, there isn't a great player alive that doesn't have this as a fundamental law, staying at the 45. My favorite player, Roger see how that left hand is keeping that racket close to the 45 degree angle. Then when he hits lets take a look, perfect left handing holding him there. Notice the left and the left foot have a lot to do with staying at the 45. You don't want to over rotate in either direction. I bet Rafael lines up his 45, now lets see where his racket goes at contact. It doesn't go towards the ball it goes out to the 45 and it just merges with the ball there. He has no follow through, when he gets out to the 45 the stroke is really done. He just comes right up sometimes over his head. There is a nice backhand volley taken at the perfect angle. So this should give you a great appreciation watching players of all levels and should help your own game immensely. So live at the 45 and we are to the next course.