Hit a ball into the air, and I guarantee that gravity will pull it down to the court as long as you are not in outer space! But, hit it with topspin, and you add to the downward pull of gravity to add more control. This is a simple fact from the science of aeronautical engineering. How does this work? In very simple terms, a spinning topspin shot creates low pressure under the ball and high pressure above it. The result is that topspin compounds the effect of gravity. I call this “the marriage of spin and control.” So, is topspin essential to improving your tennis game? Absolutely. In the next few entries we will discuss how to efficiently and effectively hit topspin on your shots.

Joe Dinoffer has had an extensive "world class" career in the tennis industry, and has conducted clinics and exhibitions in over 50 countries. Joe also is also the owner of oncourtoffcourt.com and president of Oncourt Offcourt, Ltd., a company exclusively serving the needs of tennis, fitness, and physical education coaches with innovative training aids and educational tools. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Monika, and their daughter, Kalindi.