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There
are many ways to take the racket back for a forehand drive
but almost every good player uses some kind of variation of
a loop on the backswing.
There
are two reasons for this. A continuous swing requires much
less effort to get racket acceleration. The other reason is
that with a loop backswing the type of stroke to be played
is completely disguised. As the shoulders and the racket turn
in unison, the player can at the end of the shoulder turn
opt to hit a drive, slice, dropshot or smack a winner. Each
stroke has exactly the same beginning.
A player
who scoops is severely handicapped compared to the variety
of choices and types of strokes a looper can make.
To
learn a loop is really quite simple if you follow these guidelines.
Hold a second racket in the left hand as shown in photo number
4.
Now
have the scoop trace a line along the bottom of the extended
racket to demonstrate the path of the racket when the player
scoops. Next have the player feel the movement of a circular
motion by tracing the movement along the top of the racket
and around the head.
Have
a practice partner feed the ball while the player loops over
the "prop" racket and then strokes the ball. After
a few dry runs discard the target racket and just stroke the
ball with a smooth and continuous motion.
Now
after a bit more practice almost any player of any ability
will find it possible and quite easy to get into the rhythm
of a loop. Each player will also now develop individually
the size and depth of their particular loop for each situation.
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