Straight elbow position for girls?

[shiuey]

I wanted to see what opinions there were for teaching a young girl the straight arm forehand. Is this a good or bad idea? Is this something that is physically going to be too difficult to perform? Are there examples of straight arm forehands in the women's pro game?

[uspta146749877]

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

I wanted to see what opinions there were for teaching a young girl the straight arm forehand. Is this a good or bad idea? Is this something that is physically going to be too difficult to perform? Are there examples of straight arm forehands in the women's pro game?

Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Magdalena Rybarikova

Jeff Counts knows more names probably.

[julian]

A reference

See

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=1388&highlight=counts&page=15

post #148 as well

[tcuk]

I never set out to teach straight arm or double dend. I just let nature take its course. I believe this is the only route a coach can/should take.

[jeffreycounts]

Justine Henin is a great example. I think it's a bad idea to purposefully teach this style. You could increase the bend in the elbow, but to go completely straight I think is not a great idea.

This style is almost non-exist in the women's side and rare on the men's side.

[carrerakent]

tcuk...you are exactly right. you don't teach one or the other. a truly good coach should know how to properly teach the player to set up to a ball and how to maximize all of the natural elements of a stroke...the result, they WILL hit with a straight or almost straight arm. i guarantee it.

unfortunately the "famous" ones among us believe that the masses are the genius' of the world and we should all follow the example of bad mechanics, bad distance to the ball, incorrect muscle usage, etc and therefore hit a ball like everyone else. that reasoning does work very well if insanity is the teacher.