Every time I watch clips of Roger Federer, the smoothness of his swing jumps out at me. It just seems that he is so effortless from start to finish. Part of the reason he can hit the ball like this has to do with his incredible footwork. He gets himself very close to the same position each time he is about to swing. His steps are quick and controlled with a great ability to judge right where he needs to be. In addition, he is amazing at repeating the same type of movements with his feet over and over again, just like he does with his swing.
Another component of the smooth forward swing is how early his preparation happens. As soon as he recognizes that the ball is coming to his backhand or forehand, his shoulders turn, his feet start to the ball, and his vision is completely on the path that the ball is taking. Having this much time combined with the ability to position yourself in a consistent position, allows your body to swing the racquet very close to the same way each time you hit a tennis ball.
We are not going to be able to hit all of our shots like Roger. However, practicing the early preparation and working on efficient footwork when moving to the ball can give you a much better chance of executing a long, consistent, and smooth swing even when your opponent hits a good shot and gets you on the run. Smooth and relaxed are qualities we should all be trying to strive for on the tennis court.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com, throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Jeevaj Bondalapati, and Gill Gross run the TOP (Tennis Optimization Players-Top Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323