Interestingly, Juan Martin del Potro, one of the more successful players on the ATP, uses the pendulum motion to great effect on his forehand. That. Although there are a few 340+ SW racquets I really love to play with: the PT57A 1619, the Dahcor AK97S, and racquets like the HEAD Graphene 360+ Prestige MP I can not be as consistent with my depth and power with those racquets. Similarly, world No.8 Iga Swiatek is another speedy forehand hitter who has reached top speeds rivalling the fastest mens forehands in the ATP. There was no need to mention depth, because everybody knows you are supposed to keep the ball deep. But your analysis is incomplete if you don't explicitly consider depth. Aircraft Engineering Services > Uncategorised > average groundstroke speed wta > Uncategorised > average groundstroke speed wta I let the racquet do the work. When she sets up, her body will be facing to the right. Every great player you watch, whether it be Serena Williams, Roger Federer or Pete Sampras, takes the racket up and to the right on almost every forehand. Its a conversation - or argument - that has dogged tennis for a number of yea More, Madison Keys recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed of all players - male or female - at Roland Garros in 2014; Getty Images. So lets begin! great website, thanks for your wonderful work! It must be working because it won him the 2009 U.S. Open and as of October 2018 hes top 5 in the world. Yet Federer FH arguably better than both. The wrist lag should give you all the power you need. (All the aggression comes in the footwork like Messi) Anyway, for anyone with elbow issues, I would recommend either multifilament or natural gut. Will Wimbledon continue the Russian/Belarusian ban in 2023? The average forehand speed (during neutral rallies) was 46.9 MPH. I'm a hardcore sports enthusiast and also the founder of ProfessionalsHQ, where my team and I will share our knowledge and provide you with the best and up-to-date information about professional sport. At the 2016 Australian Open, she averaged 81 mph on her forehand, according to data compiled by Game Insight Group (GIG), faster than all men, save Tomas Berdych. Dan was lowering the rally on purpose. Its not as pronounced as the forehand, but it does offer additional power. People often point to the fact the men play a heavier game than the women. A short, compact stroke is all thats necessary on fast shots. Sure,and i'm not even mentioning average groundstroke speeds and topspin.Men simply have way more upper and lower body strength (A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that men had an average of 26 lbs [12 kilograms] more skeletal muscle mass than women. As you can see from the numbers above, Evans' average backhand speed was far lower than against Sinner. Over the course of their careers, their forehand speed averages are the same, 79 mph, slightly faster than Federer at 77 mph. See our Youtube channel for many more tips and drills to help improve your tennis game and conditioning. Football is such a physically demanding sport at the NFL and even at the college level that players need at least one week of rest between games. Dan was hitting slower on purpose. The physicality of both sports is really impressive, theyre really impressive athletes across the board. The other components, just to refresh your memory, are body rotation and racket head speed. They also did one for Fed-Safin at AO 2004. Thats really the only benefit. After the four majors, these two events are widely considered the most prestigious in the sport. Since modern day ATP players keep their hitting hand outside their body (but not by much), they have a less pronounced movement of the hand. I know pros can hit 100 mph winner. Aside from the common injuries encountered Hi, I'm Boris, founder of ProfessionalsHQ. This finding was backed up by Game Insight Group (GIG) data focusing on the Australian Open between 2012 and 2016. The difference in WTA vs ATP is a lower static weight but a more head-heavy balance. ProfessionalsHQ is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program. A big change in swing path may cause your timing to be way off. Reporting for ESPN, Greg Garber wrote that Keys backhand and forehand speeds ranked seventh- and eighth-fastest among all players faster than most men. The lob is a very important shot in tennis. By now, Im pretty sure that shouldnt be surprising to you that direct measurements of stroke speed confirm the perception that there should be a pretty big difference in the stroke speeds between college and high school tennis players. The appointment of Leon Garcia was perhaps the first step towards truly acknowledging that. Where They Do That At Honey? The ATP two-handed backhand is tough because the timing and wrist drop need to be synchronized perfectly to generate substantial power. Nadal doesn't even need that much speed when his spin does all the work. I love when we chat about this and we realize what seperates the men and women isnt power, its speed and endurance. The forehand speed primarily depends on the proper technique. The fastest tennis ball ever hit was done by Sam Groth at the 2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis but unfortunately, it wasnt recognized by ATP. Keep in mind that these numbers vary from year to year. If you have any questions for me, please drop a comment below. Tennis player and fanatic. We see that in every other match nowadays*. In particular, Kvitova is able to attack her opponents serves and really go for those breakpoints with this risky but very rewarding forehand. Good luck, and let us know the results of your experiments. One exception is American Madison Keys who, with an average forehand speed of 81 mph, could definitely compete with the men. One of many tennis phenoms born in Australia, Colin Dibley once held the record for the fastest serve in the men's game clocked at 148 mph. Djokovic at 77 mph. The nuances of swing paths of the ATP and WTA players are quite noticeable to most tennis coaches. In racket sports a groundstroke, or ground stroke, refers to a forehand or backhand shot that is executed after the ball has bounced on the court. This weeks Australian Open Leaderboard series returns to groundstroke speeds. The first thing I try to do in any coaching relationship is try to earn the respect of the player Im working with. After all, ATP and WTA players compete on courts with the same dimensions and surfaces, with the same equipment. So what does all this mean for you? It took me years of studying stroke anatomy and watching the men and women on tour hit in slow motion to formulate my ideas. I hope you found this information interesting and helpful for your game. The combination of these three aspects together into one fluid stroke, make for powerful forehands and backhands. If it were a podium finish then Serena Williams (average groundstroke speed 69mph) would take the bronze, with Maria Sharapova (70mph) sneaking the silver. It basically means the player starts their swing (whether it be forehand or backhand) with the racket away from their body. Reviews to come. Learn about. Rea noted a general difference in stroke production, explaining that the shape of mens shots and the revolutions they impart on the ball typically contrast with the flat power of the women, who can really give it a whack. This site is owned and operated by Oriental Decor Com. WTA players use larger head sizes on average. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); You have entered an incorrect email address! Stay tuned for part two of our analysis, where we hear more from the players themselves about their experiences of playing with, training alongside and competing against the opposite gender. But I still want to talk about the backhand, as it is a different stroke from the forehand and on the opposite side of the body. But of those topspin and flat strokes, women stick with the backhand 94% of the time, compared to 82% for men. Players can work with coaches of either gender. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Every game component has its charm, from the crack of the bat to the fragrance of freshly cut grass. My measurements found first serves to be on average more than 10 mph higher than that. Do you know which racket (and specs) Karolina Pliskova and Kim Clijsters are using? My current setup is definitely more towards a WTA style player than an ATP, but my swing weight is still lower than the average pro on both tours. We know that tennis balls are extremely fast, so without our predictive ability, tennis would not even exist. You may be wondering why the men do this? Most male players reach average speeds of 71 to 83 mph on the forehand (Figure 1). "Memo to American college and junior tennis players: Find another 30 MPH ASAP! It is preferable that (the captain) is someone with a background in the world of mens tennis, said a disgruntled Toni Nadal on Onda Cero radio. However, this type of aggressive inside action on the hand has a big drawback and thats timing. It is a type of groundstroke where the path of the swing of the racket goes across the players body. JavaScript is disabled. The two-handed backhand swing path is similar to the forehand in that it begins on the outside, moves to the inside and then returns to the outside to make contact with the ball. For example, at the 2014 French Open Madison Keys had recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed for both men and women at 127km/h, topping Novak Djokovic's average speed of 124km/h which . Eric,Thanks for the kind words about the blog.The speeds quoted in your comment(and from an earlier blog post) are peak ball speeds of male tour pros measured and reported by IBM PointTracker at the 2006 US Open.PointTracker is a great public source for ball speed data.You are correct about the changes in ball speeds during its flight, pre- and post-bounce.And another interesting fact about ball speed relative to its flight--and bounce--path is that it is well documented that shots struck with heavy spin decelerate *less* than shots hit with less spin (i.e. As its not so easy to find, we created this graphic to show the difference. All of them bring the racket far inside their body. I myself chose to hit a flatter game style. As was observed for backhand speeds in an earlier post, the difference between typical mens and womens speeds on groundstrokes isnt large. Powerful baseliners who like to hit heavy spin will love this one. If you use a pendulum swing this tip definitely applies to you. Please read our disclosure for more info. The second fastest? Our testers discovered this one to be very user-friendly, offering above average feel and playability for a poly-based string. Here is the short version of the answer: On average, a professional tennis player hit the ball between 65-85 mph, depending on the type of shot. Do Tennis Players Need to be Tall? Many sources have claimed that other players have hit the ball just as fast as the 125-mph mark. But in generalising here, the second serve in womens tennis presents a significant opportunity to be aggressive from a returning perspective, to get on top of the point. From the table, we can see that Serena Williams has the fastest serve. It also did not impair oxygen consumptionwhich came as a surprise. Actually, in my opinion, its more important on the backhand side and a little more difficult to do. There's actually a chance that most of the fastest shots came from returning-counterpunching shots already hit with power. This is all done in one smooth, continuous motion and allows for maximum power. The average speed of Evans' slice backhand is 55mph which gives the opponent less pace to work with compared to the average groundstroke speed of 66 mph. Perhaps this is the reason Keyes has underachieved in her career so far (as of October 2018). Its amazing how close she approximates what men do, the ball flight and how close to net it is. Some players, like Madison Keyes, actually bring their hitting hand to the left side of the body, which is the far inside. The backhand can be either one-handed or two-handed, depending on the individual preference. I remember Serena completely mashing some returns against Zheng Jie at 2012 Wimbledon, Russia is destroying Ukraine and I can't stand it. The average serving speed for top WTA players is 120/mph. Note that they can be hit with extremely varying degrees of slice or spin to surprise the opponent. There is no one-size fits all in tennis. The price of natural gut is $42.95 plus $25 for the stringing, not much more than the US copay for a visit to a specialist MD, usually an orthopedic surgeon. For example, at the 2014 French Open Madison Keys had recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed for both men and women at 127km/h, topping Novak Djokovics average speed of 124km/h which was the fastest on the mens side. Despite her absolute gift of a forehand, the former world No.1 gets most of her success out of her consistency rather than brute force, as she is able to triumph in long rallies where the stakes are high. The average 2nd serve speed was 60.8 MPH. This is the basic concept of outside-inside-outside, but Ill go into much greater detail about it right now so you really understand it. Some hits ball harder than others. 2023 Serve and Volley Tennis -- This site is owned and operated by Oriental Decor Com. The numbers for females are generally 10-20% lower. Yes, but There's a Catch (2023 Rules), link to The Main Reasons Why NFL Season Is Short (2023 Edition). Then move on to trying STRINGS, the most important part. A graphic was shown in one of the matches. Most people are aware of those and Ive written about them before. The WTA is full of unique players that produce unbelievable forehand speeds in their own ways, but these five players are the ones that immediately come to mind as far as active players go. If youre a coach or want to teach tennis to your child, you now have a great understanding of what provides power on groundstrokes. No, And Heres Why, Diet for Tennis Players (All You Need to Know). Djokovic and Nadal speeds were quite comparable. Inactive players on the sheet are not from the good old days, but a mix of players who retired in the last ten years. Next, we will take a closer look at the speeds of all tennis shots performed by professional players, how, Except for the first, you also have the second service which takes place. On average, a professional tennis player hit the ball between 65-85 mph, depending on the type of shot. First, let me explain what I mean by outside-inside-outside. ATP vs WTA: Anatomy Of Great Groundstrokes. A forum community dedicated to Tennis players and enthusiasts. But let us dive deeper into the specs of the different tours, ATP vs WTA racquets. Everyone looks at the Keys numbers and in some respects is taken aback, said GIG director Dr Machar Reid. I tried to calculate it but I was coming up with numbers way to high. Whats the take-home lesson then? The truth is that the mens game isnt the same as the womens game on the tactical level, not that one is better than the other.. Again, on the WTA tour, this move back to the outside will be much more pronounced than the guys on the ATP. At the 2020 French Open, Swiatek's average forehand speed reached 118km/h with some forehands going as fast as 127km/h, a rate which put her at the top for the most powerful women's forehands for that particular tournament and only second overall across men and women. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Safin was hitting everything at least 75 mph and Federer was in the 70 mph range. First can I assume they are average "peak" (radar gun)speeds that you are quoting. I believe theres a certain swing path we must take to maximize power. When the women move from inside-to-outside, they are completing a circular movement that relies on momentum, which is why its called a pendulum swing. Have you ever wondered how tennis players make a living? ://twitter.com/Lewis_Carroll32/status/928304634804015105. Madisons balls skid through the court more than most.. For other players, like Aga Radwanska and Roberta Vinci, the slower forehand speeds suggest a more defensive style of play. Recently, I had the opportunity to continue my survey of serve and groundstroke speed in US tennis by measuring the stroke speeds of high school varsity (HS) players that participated in a regional qualification tournament for my home states 5A Division (overall) State Championships. Most women on the WTA tour bring the racket to the inside of their body. Federer was around the middle of the ATP pack, averaging 66.1 mph. I used a sheet of collected ATP and WTA player racquets on this page. Static weight is also moving downwards, 3. Alongside Venus, both Williams sisters had this phenomenal forehand which led to many tight bouts and memorable rallies between them each time they met on court. The Pure Drive isnt that stable when I mishit, which is bad, but its good for my elbow If he'd done that he'd have lost more times. All players, from beginner to advanced, can benefit from this information. If youre lacking power in your groundstrokes, this article could be the solution. 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