Episode #35 The laws of motion can either facilitate or impede tennis gameplay

05/13/23 • 5 min

Saul Mendoza, Master Professional, answers the question, “I’ve heard you discuss the biomechanics of tennis and going back to basics. With that in mind, would it be possible in your column to give a brief synopsis of the laws of motion and provide a couple of examples of how they work in our sport?”

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Episode #34 Momentum

Master Professional Saul Mendoza answers the question, “Can you tell my why the laws of momentum aren’t discussed more? All I ever hear about is acceleration, and I’m not convinced it is even a factor. I mean, if my racquet is traveling at 20 mph, it is going to exert a force on the tennis ball, and if the velocity of the racquet head is 40 mph, it will exert more force. Can you help me understand this?”

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Episode. #36 Select the footwork technique that best suits your players' serving prowess

At the recent USPTA World Conference, I heard you speak on the biomechanics of tennis. During the presentation, you showed a video and briefly mentioned the crossover step in serving versus when the front foot comes in first. Could you explain what happens mechanically in these two movements?