Exploring the technique behind an effective tennis overhead smash is key for players looking to dominate at the net. While mastery may come with practice, some may find this particular shot challenging to execute effectively.
Imagine this: as you approach the net and hit an impressive approach shot or first volley, your opponent throws up an ungainly high lob that you aim to smash.
Positioning
The overhead smash is one of the most terrifying shots for amateur players. A well executed overhead smash can be an instantaneous point-ender; when executed poorly it can prove fatal for your match. Execution requires exceptional athletic ability, racket skill, and timing in order to be executed successfully.
One common misstep players make when performing an overhead shot is waiting until after the ball has bounced before starting their positioning for it, causing too much downward force on their racket and poor contact between it and the ball.
Instead, a player should quickly begin positioning themselves by bringing their feet together and bending their knees to ensure that they are stable on the ground. In doing this, they can begin feeling the upward force of the swing as well as developing good rhythm with their ball.
One common error made when trying to hit an overhead shot is looking down too early — before the ball has even bounced – at the court, which can lead to mishitting of the ball or shank it off their racket, potentially ruining their point and losing them all together.
At least the current study and other related ones have demonstrated that players’ ability to control an overhead smash can be increased through years of deliberate practice and training in optimizing its mechanics [29,30,31,33,34,35,36,37,40,51]. Unfortunately, however, bridging the gap between biomechanics studies of complex sports skills and practical implementation of their findings into coaching practices remains challenging.
Researchers found that experienced players employ a coordinated sequence of rotations when performing an overhead smash, consisting of trunk internal rotation, shoulder internal rotation, elbow extension and wrist flexion. Conversely, novice players typically over-position themselves by performing more unbalanced series of movements which cannot produce similar levels of control.
Stroke
Forehand and backhand smashes are powerful shots that can be difficult to master. A tennis overhead smash requires an internal rotation of the shoulder which may prove challenging for beginners; thus causing many players to forgo this shot until their ground and volley game has developed further. But with coaching and practice, these powerful shots can eventually be mastered.
Work conducted by our group has revealed the centrality of internal rotation of shoulder musculature to both service and forehand strokes (table 1). Both actions require highly consistent wrist and elbow positions at impact; this consistency is obtained through coordinated activity among various segments of the body; when power is desired (drive/groundstrokes), many segments must work in synergy to produce high racquet speeds; however when precision is desired (volley at net), only certain segments need be coordinated to ensure accuracy movement with good timing (such as when precise timing at impact).
Smash type can also have an effect on its effectiveness. A flat smash, for instance, is an offensive stroke without bounce that crosses over the head and on to the dominant side; it has the potential to win points, yet can also result in errors if hit at too low of an altitude point or not at its intended destination wall.
As part of a plan to increase the effectiveness of flat smashes, experts advise executing them closer to the net. This could give attackers more favorable positioning while decreasing errors when reaching for balls as well as shortening reaction times from opposing players in response to them. Furthermore, it has been proposed that contact points can vary depending on where a smash is struck – for instance, crosscourt flat smashes should be hit slightly more in front.
Arm Movement
The tennis overhead smash is one of the most powerful shots, yet challenging shots to master. To execute it well requires an intricate combination of footwork, racket preparation, and arm movement – you need to visualize where the ball will enter their court before hitting an accurate shot that gets there – doing this properly will enable you to gain control over a point while forcing your opponent into defensive mode; they either must return it with either punching back or lobbing.
An effective arm movement for a tennis overhead smash should be short, compact, and powerful. Both arms should move simultaneously in an efficient, fluid motion that syncs up with your entire body’s movement. Shoulder and upper back muscles should be activated to produce maximum power from their movement; working concentrically to shorten and decelerate trunk rotation will store and release energy during stroke.
An interruption between the stretch and shorten phases can waste valuable energy stored up in the swing, thus diminishing its effectiveness. Successful players strive to keep these phases flowing seamlessly so they can maximize the efficacy of each shot they take.
As with all tennis strokes, footwork is of utmost importance when performing an overhead. Preparation requires taking several steps prior to striking the shot – such as taking a shuffle step, backpedaling or crossover step to give yourself enough time and balance for a shot that requires precision.
One of the key mistakes tennis players make when attempting an overhead is not concentrating on getting themselves into an ideal position beforehand. This could result in trying to rush your shot and getting ahead of yourself or trying an overhead when your opponent is positioned in a way that makes it difficult for you to reach it without giving away your intentions. It is recommended to only attempt an overhead when your opponent allows open volleys that allow you to put it into their court easily.
Footwork
The volley and overhead are powerful weapons in a tennis player’s arsenal, giving them the power to put pressure on their opponents and seize control of points. Although not easy to master, these shots do require coordination among many different parts of your body – especially your footwork – which must work together seamlessly. Luckily there are some simple steps you can take to improve your footwork when performing an overhead smash.
Footwork when playing an overhead shot should mirror that used for a lob. Both shots aim to get under the ball as quickly as possible; with one key difference: for a lob, using short running steps instead of shuffle steps can help lower eye level and make tracking the ball easier.
For an overhead, it’s best to employ both running and shuffle steps; it is key that both are used constantly so you can reach your ideal position within an acceptable timeframe. Top players always adapt their footwork depending on the circumstances at hand.
If your opponent lobs the ball high and you’re unable to hit it directly overhead, let it bounce if possible; doing so may allow up to 40% more speed to be lost as its flight ends and its descent begins compared with striking it while it’s airborne.
Footwork when hitting an overhead is also key. Stepping towards the ball can often be the only effective way of hitting an outstanding shot; many misses occur because they assume they can simply step away and then strike but this often forces your arms into coming in erroneously, weakening your shot considerably.