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Tennis Medicine pp 17–42Cite as

Biomechanics of Groundstrokes and Volleys

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Abstract

Groundstrokes are the predominant strokes in tennis, outnumbering serves by a factor of almost 2. While the volume of groundstrokes is typically double for men compared with those of women, the similarity in velocity generation for forehands and backhands, irrespective of sex, means that a biomechanical base to groundstroke production is critical in attaining optimal performance and staying injury-free. Mechanical considerations of the forehand and one- and two-handed backhands are integrally linked with the development of racket velocity (the kinetic chain), trajectory and orientation for impact, over a variety of tactical situations. These factors will form the basis of this chapter. The mechanics associated with stroke variability, footwork, stance and influence of grip, as they relate to stroke production, will also be discussed. A Clinician’s Corner is included for each section to relate mechanics back to the theme of the book, that of Tennis Medicine. The volley, although a much less prevalent stroke than the forehand and backhand, represents approximately 3% of the number of groundstrokes hit by professional players. Yet it still plays an important role in tennis tactics and will therefore be treated in a similar manner, albeit in a briefer format.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

    Bruce Elliott

  2. Tennis Australia and International Tennis Federation, London, UK

    Machar Reid

  3. New York Yankees, New York, NY, USA

    David Whiteside

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  1. Bruce Elliott
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  2. Machar Reid
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  3. David Whiteside
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Correspondence to Bruce Elliott .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Concordia Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Di Giacomo

  2. ATP World Tour, Rehab Plus Sports Therapy Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

    Todd S. Ellenbecker

  3. Lexington Clinic Orthopedics, Lexington, KY, USA

    W. Ben Kibler

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Elliott, B., Reid, M., Whiteside, D. (2018). Biomechanics of Groundstrokes and Volleys. In: Di Giacomo, G., Ellenbecker, T., Kibler, W. (eds) Tennis Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71498-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71498-1_2

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