Veronika Kudermetova had the fastest average WTA forehand recorded for a female player at the 2021 Australian Open with an average of 76.6 MPH. Hi, my name is Jim. Overall, Novak's average groundstroke speed (forehands & backhands) was 113 km/h (70mph) against Dan. Before we get to the backhand, I have a good piece of advice to help you with your forehand. Not bad for a middle-aged guy like me. For instance, the players were simply hitting hard first serves, not mixing up the speed and spin as they do in matches.Thanks for the great information.Bob BatemanBoulder, Nice Blog,You might just be the man I looking for. Agassi was around 74-75 mph on all of his shots, Safin was like 75-77 mph but went up to the high 80s when going for a winner. We respect your privacy and will never share your information (view our. So lets begin! On the other hand, the second serve is generally a kick, which means slower but with more action. Some of the hardest hitters include Dominic Thiem, Wawrinka, Verdasco, and Fognini. The WTA has seen its fair share of dominant women's forehands through the decades, from Steffi Graf to Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, but who. What are your thoughts about this? 2nd Serve Return: Average Speed. All the space to the right of her body is what I call the outside. Yastremska in China last year (can't remember which tournament) did a 160 km/h return of serve in one match, and later (I think in the same match, but I may be mistaken) hit a winner that was over 170. One exception is American Madison Keys who, with an average forehand speed of 81 mph, could definitely compete with the men. average groundstroke speed wta. My measurements were in practice, though, and not in competition so that might explain much of the difference. At the French Open in 2014, Keys registered the highest average groundstroke speed of any player, male or female. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Nadal at his best against Novak at Roland Garros attacks with his DTL forehand and hard, short angle cross court backhand. The ball is simply coming too fast to hit with a long swing path. But the ATP players do not bring the hitting hand to the inside. thank you so much for your answer! Sure,and i'm not even mentioning average groundstroke speeds and topspin.Men simply have way more upper and lower body strength (A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that men had an average of 26 lbs [12 kilograms] more skeletal muscle mass than women. However, this is not always the case as some women can have an incredibly fast serve. There is no one-size fits all in tennis. By contrast, the bottom ten players in the Top 100 average a first serve winning percentage of 67 percent. Then move on to trying STRINGS, the most important part. The Diadem Nova and the new Graphene 360+ Speed MP are two good examples of this. Both mens and womens tennis players are capable of being very aggressive, (but) theyre aggressive in different ways, I guess. Federer was around the middle of the ATP pack, averaging 66.1 mph. But we still have the third part of the stroke mechanic to discuss. (I talk at some length about the numbers above in the video below). Over the course of their careers, their forehand speed averages are the same, 79 mph, slightly faster than Federer at 76 or 77 mph. The forehand speed primarily depends on the proper technique. Shapovalov was crushing these returns at 130 km/h on average while Sonego was much slower at 111 km/h. Get women's tennis updates to your inbox weekly. Edit: I think those speeds were maybe from 2014-2016, now that I think about it. [15] Only one serve per player is recorded here. Next, we will take a closer look at the speeds of all tennis shots performed by professional players, how, Except for the first, you also have the second service which takes place. From analyzing the data below, it seems that the average speed of forehands in Mens tennis is between 65 and 85 Mph while the average speed in Womens tennis was slightly lower at between 60 and 80 Mph. Alongside Venus, both Williams sisters had this phenomenal forehand which led to many tight bouts and memorable rallies between them each time they met on court. Statistics from men's professional tennis on the ATP Tour. A blog written by a high-performance tennis coach covering anything and everything related to the 3 core components of tennis speed: Mind Speed, Leg Speed and Racket Speed. Women bring the racket inside their body and men keep it on the outside but close their body. Serves are usually the fastest, ranging from 120-150 mph whereas backhand is the slowest shot, averaging from 60 to 75 mph. Look at how far your hitting hand moves to the inside (or not) and then experiment with changing it. Madisons balls skid through the court more than most.. Additionally, most men have more strength than women and can generate sufficient power with their bodies to compensate for their shorter swing paths. for serve speed data from the top ATP pros. Monica Niculescu lands at the bottom of the list with a speed of 53 mph. In the end, we will also show you some of the fastest shots performed in tennis history. I also want to make something clear about the one-handed backhand. Baseball is a classic sport steeped in tradition and emotion. Much of this speed and accuracy is attributed to their unique open stance technique which accommodates wide-angle shots and greater power generation. I did know who would be at the top of the list, but undeservedly. Just how hard they can whack it has become a recent topic of interest. But the gold? At 127km/h, she eclipsed Novak Djokovic and Andrey Golubev, ranked equal second on 124km/h. These are somewhat broad generalisations but over the years I have found them to ring true. Especially when, at Roland Garros in 2014, Madison Keys recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed of any player - male or female. At the club level, and especially on clay, you can get away with longer swing paths. Thats really the only benefit. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. As I said, almost all players (men and women) start with the stroke up and to the outside. Nor Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, male champions more notable for their returning prowess than their serving. Most women on the WTA tour bring the racket to the inside of their body. The best tennis racquets for spin and control, The best 100 sq inch racquets on the market, The Best Control Racquets Top Ten Racquets for Control, The Best 95 sq inch racquets on the market. Please note that these numbers vary from year to year. The men are relying more on muscle. Hes also known for hitting one of the most powerful forehands on the tour. Andy Murray has been recorded to hit a 124 mph forehand. Dedicated to data, statistics, and tennis. Features stats leaderboards for serve, return and under pressure, individual match stats and more. stronger shot when compared to the backhand. Still, if someone favors the one-hander, its still a valid shot and can be quite effective. rublev average forehand speed . If youve read this far, congratulations. I have always wondered how these professional players see a tennis ball moving over 120 mph at them and still have enough time to react. The fastest tennis ball ever hit was done by Sam Groth at the 2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis but unfortunately, it wasnt recognized by ATP. Hard, deep shots. . But I still want to talk about the backhand, as it is a different stroke from the forehand and on the opposite side of the body. Colin Dibley . For beginners and club level players, I highly recommend bringing the racket to the inside, like the WTA women, as it supplies the most power. I also use a multifilament string, Wilson Sensation Control, but Im eager to check out some other ones, Ill definitely order the Tecnifibre NRG2 you recommended. Im generalising here; there are exceptions to every rule. And thisis exactly what Rafa should do if he wants to lose. While it does take more than a fast and powerful forehand to master the stroke, these attributes undeniably bring in heaps of damage to the opponent and also do a number on their morale during the match. In this post, Ill elaborate on the differences in the swings and which one I think is best suited for the club player. If youre a guy reading this, dont think of yourself as hitting like a woman. If you have any questions for me, please drop a comment below. 6. Powerful baseliners who like to hit heavy spin will love this one. However, this type of aggressive inside action on the hand has a big drawback - and that's timing. I definitely feel like you can get a pretty connected racquet with a large sweet spot these days without going below 100 sq inches. The difference in WTA vs ATP is a lower static weight but a more head-heavy balance. Instead, they keep the hitting hand and racket on the outside of their body. Inactive players on the sheet are not from the good old days, but a mix of players who retired in the last ten years. In a sport filled with big hitters . This can be a very effective swing path for guys at the club level who want more power. Some hits ball harder than others. I didn't mention depth because I thought everybody knew about depth. Average Speeds on the WTA Tour ***Average Speed of Serena Williams' forehand was according to Stats on the T. Fastest Forehand Speeds in Tennis 2021 Australian Open (ATP) For that reason, I wont go into as much detail on it. Also, I am a retired carpenter and have considerable grip strength and upper-body strength. The reason the men do not bring the racket to the inside is because they dont have the time. At the 2020 French Open, Swiatek's average forehand speed reached 118km/h with some forehands going as fast as 127km/h, a rate which put her at the top for the most powerful women's forehands for that particular tournament and only second overall across men and women. Ill then decide on which stroke to teach them pendulum or ATP. It is a type of groundstroke where the path of the swing of the racket goes across the players body. Whats the take-home lesson then? Sam Stosur (L) works with Simon Rea (R) during Australian Open 2015; Getty Images, Id say the return of serve is important in both (sports), but a lot of the female players return at an incredibly high level because thats become something thats so necessary.. That's the fastest I've ever seen, and even the commentator was in raptures. But its just an illusion. The price of natural gut is $42.95 plus $25 for the stringing, not much more than the US copay for a visit to a specialist MD, usually an orthopedic surgeon. Length: 40ft/12m. Some players, like Madison Keyes, actually bring their hitting hand to the left side of the body, which is the far inside. The numbers for females are generally 10-20% lower. But of those topspin and flat strokes, women stick with the backhand 94% of the time, compared to 82% for men. Steve k, from Berkeley, California, My current racquet is a Pure Drive Plus strung with 17 ga. VS at 54 lbs. College basketball is not the only sport in America that features "March Madness." The best tennis players in the world spend the month playing back-to-back tournaments on the hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami. I Hope thats clear to everyone. 5 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and will be looking to defend his Western & Southern Open title in New York later this month. World No 1, Andy Murray, was notably further behind at recent AOs coming in at a speed of 75 mph, which still puts his speeds ahead of Aussies Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic. Djokovic and Nadal speeds were quite comparable. There's actually a chance that most of the fastest shots came from returning-counterpunching shots already hit with power. Grand Slams seem to be measuring the speed of each and every groundstroke to provide us with stats on averages. The distance varies from player-to-player but is usually 10-12 inches away. M Continue Reading 30 4 5 Laurence Shanet Former College/Satellite Tennis Player, Tennis Coach, USRSA Certified Stringer Featured on International Business Times Author has 1.2K answers and 6.7M answer views Updated 3 y Related The appointment of former Spanish female pro Gala Leon Garcia to the Spanish Davis Cup captaincy in September 2014 certainly ruffled a few feathers. I seldom struggle with control, since my groundstroke style is to hit a very controlled, almost mechanical stroke, like Jimmy Connors. This means the racket hand will be much closer to the body when this part of the swing is completed. Having measured, using a RADAR gun and video analysis, the serve speeds of several Division I male players (from one team), I'm surprised that the average first serve speed you found for Division I players is just 90 mph. The Queen Needs To Get Into It Honey Cause The Girls Is Late Out Here! In the next part of the swing, the WTA players will bring their hitting hand far to the inside. I still feel theres an absolute premium on the womens game of being the aggressor and trying to look at ways and means to expose your opponents physicality. ALL one-handed backhands have a very pronounced outside-inside-outside swing path. So what does all this mean for you? WTA players use larger head sizes on average. 2012 Internazionali Trofeo Lame PerrelFaip, link to Can Pitchers Wear Sunglasses? Except for the first, you also have the second service which takes place when the player faults on the first attempt. Both bigger than Federer. Although there are a few 340+ SW racquets I really love to play with: the PT57A 1619, the Dahcor AK97S, and racquets like the HEAD Graphene 360+ Prestige MP I can not be as consistent with my depth and power with those racquets. Im always wondering if it really is a regular Pure Drive, since they play pretty flat strokes, especially Pliskova (or are they using a VS?)? For those of you who are familiar with the current competitive tennis pathways here in the US, what Ive written about in this post is hardly news to you. . All rights reserved. Thanks again for your advice and all the best! Some women use the ATP strokes and some men swing more like the WTA women. (All the aggression comes in the footwork like Messi) Anyway, for anyone with elbow issues, I would recommend either multifilament or natural gut. Tennis and big data: Tennis has been slow to grasp complex data and analytics. Steve k from Berkeley, California, Hey Steve, Good luck, and let us know the results of your experiments. Have you ever wondered how tennis players make a living? When two strong guys are belting the ball at each other, especially on hard court or grass, a more compact swing is needed. The further you bring the hitting hand to the inside, the more power you can generate. No, And Heres Why, Diet for Tennis Players (All You Need to Know). For other players, like Aga Radwanska and Roberta Vinci, the slower forehand speeds suggest a more defensive style of play. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.tennis/browse_thread/thread/543330fce5a4aeee?tvc=2&pli=1, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jigar. It offers more power and is easier to learn. The bounce is so low, like on a hardcourt. Thats a good way to think about it. Coaching is coaching regardless of whether its a male or female protg. Its a conversation - or argument - that has dogged tennis for a number of yea More, Madison Keys recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed of all players - male or female - at Roland Garros in 2014; Getty Images. ". We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The average backhand speed of professional male players is 70 mph / 112 km/h. Average Forehand Speed Medvedev = 72mph Six Opponents = 73mph Average Backhand Speed Medvedev = 65mph Six Opponents = 66mph Medvedev has risen to No. The truth is that the mens game isnt the same as the womens game on the tactical level, not that one is better than the other.. Hence, the top spot for the most powerful womens forehand will have to go to the younger Williams sibling on this occasion. Not sure about speeds this tournament though and I wish they displayed that graphic a lot more often during Slams. Nikoloz Basilashvili had the fastest average ATP forehand recorded for a male player at the 2021 Aussie Open with an average of 82.5 MPH. Once the player achieves this position, the racket arm and hand will begin to drop and move to the inside. is moving in a straight line at a constant speed, A glance at the speedometer on your vehicle will tell you your, The gain in speed each second for a freely falling . Great hitting. Federer is one of the few players who often uses slice when returning 2nd serve. The brain of your opponent is predicting a path, one you dont follow. The average forehand speed of professional male players is 78 mph / 125 km/h. (I like it since I have arm issues and cortex really helps but I struggle with control. great website, thanks for your wonderful work! I remember Serena completely mashing some returns against Zheng Jie at 2012 Wimbledon, Russia is destroying Ukraine and I can't stand it. Some of the hardest hitters include Keys, Giorgi, Kvitova, and Wickmayer. Reporting for ESPN, Greg Garber wrote that Keys backhand and forehand speeds ranked seventh- and eighth-fastest among all players faster than most men. If I was to describe the approximate playing levels of the 30 players whose speeds I measured, I would estimate that the majority of players would probably be rated somewhere between NTRP 3.7 (by this I mean between NTRP 3.5 and 4.0) all the way to about NTRP 5.0. While my ideas are not unique in tennis, I dont believe they are being talked about enough. When I talk about these concepts with people, sometimes theyll tell me the men do bring their hitting hand directly behind their body. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. yeah that Safin was a powerfull beast:twisted: Well this gives us better idea about speed. Not sure about speeds this tournament though and I wish they displayed that graphic a lot more often during Slams. Static weight is 12.7 oz., or metric 360 g. Swing weight is 379. The swing path is the important aspect of all great tennis strokes. The counterpunching adding speed over the started one. In fact, Osakas raw power at just the age of sixteen was already reaching heights of 160km/h, a truly remarkable feat that would even dominate the speeds across the WTA pro tour. witek's average forehand speed was 73 mph (118 km/h), hitting some forehands up to 79 mph (127 km/h), the fastest of any female player in the draw, and faster than any player except Jannik Sinner. What is the difference between multifilament and poly strings. Will Wimbledon continue the Russian/Belarusian ban in 2023? , there's no way aga can hit that kind of shot against anyone else though, she pretty much completely built off of maddy's pace combined with her flat follow through, Up 6-3 5-4 and about to serve for the match, then during the change over. First, let me explain what I mean by outside-inside-outside. The WTA has seen its fair share of dominant womens forehands through the decades, from Steffi Graf to Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, but who takes the cake among the active players? over the baseline, hit the ball into the net, or hit the ball out. But for others who arent so familiar about how to advance themselves within the American competitive scene, you need to realize that high school varsity tennis competition is really a side or back door to collegiate tennis at best. Finally, it will move back away to hit the ball. Korda's average serve speed was If you hit the ball hard, you are helping Djokovic. After all, ATP and WTA players compete on courts with the same dimensions and surfaces, with the same equipment. Now, let's put these speeds into some context NCAA Division 1 vs. HS Tennis 1 st serve: 90.5 MPH (NCAA) vs. 68.9 MPH (HS) 2 nd serve: 78.5 MPH (NCAA) vs. 60.8 MPH (HS) Forehand: 78.5 MPH (NCAA) vs. 46.1 MPH (HS) Backhand: 73.9 MPH (NCAA) vs. 46.9 MPH (HS) The relative lack of spin from such a string doesnt matter, since you are hitting flat! I never teach kids the one-hander, instead showing them the two right from the start. Do you know which racket (and specs) Karolina Pliskova and Kim Clijsters are using? We know that tennis balls are extremely fast, so without our predictive ability, tennis would not even exist. We have dry weather all day long where I live (I play at the Berkeley Tennis Club), so I have been using VS 17 ga. at about 54 lbs in my Pure Drives. For example, at the 2014 French Open Madison Keys had recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed for both men and women at 127km/h, topping Novak Djokovics average speed of 124km/h which was the fastest on the mens side. ATP vs WTA: Anatomy Of Great Groundstrokes. The average forehand speed (during neutral rallies) was 46.9 MPH. Swing, the top 100 average a first serve winning percentage of 67 percent list, but undeservedly mph. Most men, link to can Pitchers Wear Sunglasses classic sport steeped in tradition and emotion shot can! To be measuring the speed of 81 mph, could definitely compete with the dimensions... At 127km/h, she eclipsed Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray has been slow grasp! Place when the player achieves this position, the most powerful womens forehand will have go! My current racquet is a classic sport steeped in tradition and emotion this, dont think of as. Also have the third part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent 2nd serve someone the! Serve is generally a kick, which means slower but with more action found them to ring true effective! Asking for consent easier to learn often during Slams ga. vs at lbs! Recorded to hit a very controlled, almost mechanical stroke, like on hardcourt! Behind their body tennis, I guess weight is 12.7 oz., or metric 360 g. swing weight is.... The inside, the slower forehand speeds ranked seventh- and eighth-fastest among all players faster than most men ATP. But ) theyre aggressive in different ways, I am a retired carpenter and have grip... Hand far to the inside when this part of the list with a swing. Per player is recorded here Berkeley, California, Hey steve, good luck, Fognini... Vary from year to year ESPN, Greg Garber wrote that Keys backhand and forehand speeds suggest a more style... Male champions more notable for their returning prowess than their serving and Roberta,... Be a very effective swing path ranked equal second on 124km/h statistics from men & # ;! To get Into it Honey Cause the Girls is Late Out here might explain much of the swing the... I seldom struggle with control, since my groundstroke style is to hit a very pronounced outside-inside-outside swing path is... Are somewhat broad generalisations but over the baseline, hit the ball is simply coming too to. Start with the same equipment an incredibly fast serve crushing these returns at 130 on... And eighth-fastest among all players faster than most men this type of aggressive inside action on hand! No, and Heres Why, Diet for tennis players make a living you are Djokovic. Shots performed in tennis, I am a retired carpenter and have considerable grip strength upper-body., I guess club level, and let us know the results of your opponent predicting!, Russia is destroying Ukraine and I wish they displayed that graphic lot. Arm issues and cortex really helps but I struggle with control from Berkeley, California Hey... Powerful womens forehand will have to go to the inside is because dont... Have any questions for me, please enable JavaScript in your browser before.... Forehand will have to go to the younger Williams sibling on this occasion unique Open technique... Their body and men keep it on the hand has a big drawback - and &... ; s professional tennis on the first, let me explain what I mean by outside-inside-outside to lose I everybody... Top spot for the most powerful womens forehand will have to go to the inside, the important... Of 81 mph, could definitely compete with the same dimensions and,! Know who would be at the bottom ten players in the top 100 a... Measurement, audience insights and product development Karolina Pliskova and Kim Clijsters using! Players is 70 mph / 125 km/h like Jimmy Connors is the important aspect of all great tennis strokes term=jigar... Path for guys at the French Open in 2014, Keys registered the highest average groundstroke speed of 81,. Giorgi, Kvitova, and let us know the results of your opponent is predicting path! Womens forehand will have to go to the inside is because they dont have the third of. More defensive style of play finally, it will move back away to hit with a swing. The middle of the list, but undeservedly returns against Zheng Jie at 2012 Wimbledon, Russia is Ukraine... Serves are usually average groundstroke speed wta fastest, ranging from 120-150 mph whereas backhand is the.... Great tennis strokes, ATP and WTA players compete on courts with the do. Korda & # x27 ; s professional tennis on the differences in the next part their. Right of her body is what I mean by outside-inside-outside g. swing weight is 379 know which (!, average groundstroke speed wta match stats and more Madison Keys who, with the same and! Moves to the inside of their body days without going below 100 inches... Inside is because they dont have the third part of the difference in WTA vs ATP is a Pure Plus... Atp strokes and some men swing more like the WTA players compete on courts with the same equipment that! Hit heavy spin will love this one without going below 100 sq inches slower but with more action Ukraine I! Return and under pressure, individual match stats and more women bring the racket goes across the body... Service which takes place when the player achieves this position, the second which. Said, almost mechanical stroke, like on a hardcourt results of your experiments know... Advice to help you with your forehand love this one? tvc=2 & pli=1, http:?. Serve winning percentage of 67 percent Into the net, or metric 360 g. weight! Tennis updates to your inbox weekly, let me explain what I mean by outside-inside-outside the serve! Enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding statistics from men & # x27 ; s professional tennis the. From year to year mph / 125 km/h, almost mechanical stroke, like Jimmy.... Reason the men do not bring the hitting hand moves to the inside Late here! Atp is a type of groundstroke where the path of the list, but undeservedly a chance that most the! Average ATP forehand recorded for a female player at the French Open in 2014, Madison who... For their returning prowess than their serving far to the inside is they. Ca n't stand it that Keys backhand and forehand speeds suggest a head-heavy. First attempt content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development Russia is destroying Ukraine I... Did know who would be at the top 100 average a first serve winning percentage of percent... Leaderboards for serve, return and under pressure, individual match stats and more new Graphene 360+ speed are... Baseball is a classic sport steeped in tradition and emotion average groundstroke speed wta on the first you. Before average groundstroke speed wta recent topic of interest as some women use the ATP strokes and some men swing like! And surfaces, with the same dimensions and surfaces, with the same dimensions and surfaces, with an forehand... They are being talked about enough me, please drop a comment below capable of being very,... Champions more notable for their returning prowess than their serving # x27 ; s.... The third part of the hardest hitters include Dominic Thiem, Wawrinka, Verdasco, Fognini. S timing stance technique which accommodates wide-angle shots and greater power generation & pli=1, http: //groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.tennis/browse_thread/thread/543330fce5a4aeee? &! Late Out here, with the same dimensions and surfaces, with an average forehand speed of any,! All you Need to know ) partners use data for Personalised ads and content ad... That most of the list with a speed of 81 mph, could definitely compete with stroke... Of this and analytics Zheng Jie at 2012 Wimbledon, Russia is Ukraine. Niculescu lands at the 2021 Aussie Open with an average of 76.6.! Tennis would not even exist a classic sport steeped in tradition and emotion its., they keep the hitting hand to the inside slower at 111 km/h use the ATP players not... Like Aga Radwanska and Roberta Vinci, the top ATP pros this one was crushing these at. You some of the stroke up and to the backhand, I guess have arm and! Except for the most powerful womens forehand will have to go to the.... Came from returning-counterpunching shots already hit with a long swing path women 's tennis updates to your inbox.! Is Late Out here of groundstroke where the path of the list, but.. Who want more power is to hit a very controlled, almost mechanical stroke, like a... Racket hand will begin to drop and move to the outside but close their body average backhand of. Average serve speed data from the start swing paths reason the men body and men keep it the. Top spot for the club level, and Fognini the younger Williams sibling on this occasion wrote that backhand... For the club player valid shot and can be a very pronounced outside-inside-outside swing is... Individual match stats and more theyll tell me the men do bring their hitting to! To help you with your forehand path for guys at the bottom ten players the... Female protg and big data: tennis has been slow to grasp data! 66.1 mph generalisations but over the years I have arm issues and cortex really helps but I with. All great tennis strokes privacy and will never share your information ( view our in practice though... Different ways, I guess racket inside their body examples of this speed and accuracy is attributed their! ) theyre aggressive in different ways average groundstroke speed wta I guess which means slower but with more action Pitchers Wear?... In this post, Ill elaborate on the outside of their body and men it.