Throwing and Pushing the Tennis Racket for Power and Control

Bryon Martinsen serves as branch manager of Centaurus Financial in Kings Park, New York. Outside of work, Bryon Martinsen keeps active by playing tennis. He placed third last year at the USTA National Championships.

Many tennis players struggle to get the power and control they want from their swings. One of the best pieces of advice players can get is to throw the racket into the ball. When people imagine throwing something, they relax their muscles and focus on acceleration. Muscles that get the time to relax can stretch and build up a lot of energy. Often, players try to push the racket into the ball and tense their muscles, which diminishes power.

Relaxing muscles means the ball is hit with an accelerating racket head, which generates a lot of speed. Once contact is made, players should transition from throw to push, which provides the necessary control. The final push tames the raw energy being directed into the ball. The push is very short and meant to direct energy once contact has been made.