I’ve been noticing the free arm movement on forehand loop between the mens and womens game.
In the mens game, there seems more of the current top players with the technique of pushing back their free elbow directly behind or near their non playing hip. Especially Hugo. Can also can be seen in ML, FZD, LJK, Gauzy techniques.
For the women, they are more likely to finish their stroke with a triangle forming with their non playing and playing hand around head height. See CM, LSW, CXT, Hirano, Miwa.
There are a few men with this technique - Dynas and to a more extreme extent Aruna. Primorac had this from the previous generation.
Apolonia seems to be making a change where his non playing hand stops at chest height, closer to Samsonov, WCQ, Pitchford’s.
Anyone able to comment on the pros/cons? Triangle perhaps gives more arc and faster recovery time? Elbow digging back = more power?
On a side note, the more elegant forehand loops (in my opinion) keep their free arm relatively relaxed along the rotation of their body unless they fully go for it - ZJK, Waldner, KTS.
In the mens game, there seems more of the current top players with the technique of pushing back their free elbow directly behind or near their non playing hip. Especially Hugo. Can also can be seen in ML, FZD, LJK, Gauzy techniques.
For the women, they are more likely to finish their stroke with a triangle forming with their non playing and playing hand around head height. See CM, LSW, CXT, Hirano, Miwa.
There are a few men with this technique - Dynas and to a more extreme extent Aruna. Primorac had this from the previous generation.
Apolonia seems to be making a change where his non playing hand stops at chest height, closer to Samsonov, WCQ, Pitchford’s.
Anyone able to comment on the pros/cons? Triangle perhaps gives more arc and faster recovery time? Elbow digging back = more power?
On a side note, the more elegant forehand loops (in my opinion) keep their free arm relatively relaxed along the rotation of their body unless they fully go for it - ZJK, Waldner, KTS.