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| LIFE IN SOLERA | JUNE 2025 | 43 The ability to control a tennis ball's spin has transformed the modern game, making it faster and more spectacular than ever. Watch players such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff to see examples of the masterful art of spin. TOPSPIN: LETHAL WEAPON Topspin is one of the modern tennis player's most powerful weapons. When top exponents such as recently retired star Rafael Nadal deploy it, the ball can spin at more than 50 rotations per second! Why is topspin so lethal? If a player hits the ball at a high speed, it should normally sail over the baseline because there's insufficient time for gravity to drag it down into the court. When hit with topspin, the ball will dip down quickly into the court. This allows players to hit the ball with a lot of horizontal velocity without the ball sailing over the baseline. And because the top-spinning ball spins in the same direction as the ball travels, the ball continues quickly even after bouncing. So, the ball travels quickly both before and after its collision with the court, allowing less time for the opponent to get to it. A final benefit is that the ball also tends to bounce higher than normal, which can make it harder to hit for an opposing player. This is partly because the ball strikes the ground at a steeper angle as it curves downward toward the ground and partly because a ball spinning in the same direction as its travel will skid less as it bounces, saving energy and allowing the ball to bounce higher. BACKSPIN: THE GENTLE WINNER Alternatively, a player might "slice" the ball to put backspin on it by brushing under the ball with their racquet. This creates an upward Magnus force, making the ball f loat and stay in the air longer than expected. The ball can then be kept low over the net and yet still travel far into the opponent's side of the court. When it lands, it stays low and can even skid slightly. Therefore, the ball slows down and stays low, making it hard to hit. In response, opponents often have to hit a slower return shot because the ball doesn't bounce high enough to hit it with a lot of topspin. The most dramatic use of backspin comes in the form of the "drop shot," where players disguise a gentle, heavily under-spun shot that barely clears the net, then "dies" on the bounce. The Spanish star, Carlos Alcaraz, is a master of this type of shot. ~ Shirley Ferguson We meet on Mondays at 6 pm and Thursdays at 10 am in the Clubhouse. This exercise promotes fun, balance, eye-hand coordination, as well as bending and stretching movements. For info, contact Keith Smith at (661) 345-1744 or Carol Stone at (951) 385 3450. All levels of players are welcome. TENNIS TITANS PING PONG Emile Pinaud and Terri Garcia put a lot of spin on the ball

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