The follow-through in tennis is a critical part of the swing, although it has little to do with the actual guidance of the ball toward the target. A ball stays on your strings for less than a quarter of a second during impact, so once the ball leaves the strings one's follow-through actually has little effect. Nevertheless, it is important to have a long follow-through on your swing, because you may not contact the oncoming ball at the right point (due to a bad bounce, poor timing, or a lifting of the head). A long follow-through is the best way to guarantee that even if you hit the ball incorrectly you can still be fairly accurate. Another way to look at it is that the follow-through shows you how well you have hit through the shot.

But watch many beginner and intermediate players' follow-through today. Their arm wraps around their shoulder or neck almost the instant their racquet contacts the ball. In effect, they are reducing the time their strings are in contact with the ball. Thus, their shots lack power and many of their balls land in the net. Most of these players think they are imitating their favorite professional player, and many are reinforced in this thinking by the admonition of their local teaching pro to finish with their racquets around their neck or over their shoulder. Tennis Magazine contributes, too, by showing sequence photos of the pros hitting their forehand or backhand: several photos are shown of the pro's preparation and early swing; but once contact with the ball is made, there is only one additional photo, which is of the racquet wrapped around the pro's neck or shoulder.

The major cause of this misunderstanding of the follow-through is that the human eye cannot register the impact of a swinging racquet on an oncoming ball. The event occurs too quickly. The eye fails to see the tournament player's contact with the ball and the relatively long follow-through as the racquet drives through the ball. What the eye does see very clearly, however, is the finish, with the tournament player's racquet arm wrapped around his or her neck. This occurs at the end of the stroke, when the racquet arm is slowing, and is an event that the eye can easily register. Unfortunately, it is the part of the stroke that beginners and intermediates, to their detriment, most like to imitate.

To hit with more power, control, and accuracy, stretch out your follow-through. Keep your palm and your racquet face more-or-less parallel to the net and going out toward your target as far as possible. Once your hitting arm has gone far forward and your shoulders have turned parallel to the net, it is ok to bring the racquet up and wrap it around your neck. By then, the ball has already crossed the net.

A good way to practice a long follow-through is to place 10 balls on the court behind the service line. The balls should be placed next to each other in a straight line perpendicular to the net. Standing sideways to the net, pretend you are going to hit the ball closest to you. Once you strike that ball, continue your swing, pretending to strike in turn each of the remaining nine balls. To do this correctly, your racquet face must be parallel to the net and perpendicular to each of the balls during the entire swing; your elbow should be slightly bent and fairly close to your rib cage as well.

Do this several times. Now do it with your eyes closed, visualizing your racquet hitting through each of the 10 balls. Every few swings, open your eyes at different stages of the swing to check that your racquet is still parallel to the net and perpendicular to the line of balls.

Remember the muscle sensation of hitting through each of the 10 balls, and the next time you go out for a hitting session try to recapture that feeling by taking a long, flowing swing at the ball. You might even "freeze" your follow-through on a couple of your swings to insure that your racquet face is more-or-less parallel to the net, and that you have finished far out in front your body. You should immediately see an improvement in your power and accuracy.

Randy Cummings
Match Point Racquet Sports
www.racquetgear.com