Rafael Nadal possesses a demonic forehand topspin that he has terrorised opponents with for over two decades. He generates about 3600 rpm of spin on average, much higher than any of his peers like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. This has allowed the Spaniard to dominate on clay courts like no one ever has.
The most basic fundamental of his vicious topspin is generating immense power. As Ben Shelton does for his thundering serves, Nadal also bends his knees and uses his body rotation to load up on potential energy. Additionally, he stretches his right arm across his body, also significantly cocking his left wrist before the shot.
As the ball approaches, he first gets his right arm away to start the uncoiling, almost simultaneously rotating his body and getting the spring in his step. This rapid uncoiling transfers massive momentum onto the ball, which translates into power. He does this entire movement with the utmost balance and calibration.
Nadal also creates a bit of extra time for his racket head to get to top speed by further cocking his wrist backwards. This means the racket is further away from the ball than it would have been if the wrist was straight. As he prepares to make an impact, he swings his arm forward from his shoulder and racket from his wrist. This golf-style double pendulum swing allows for maximum swing speed.
The tremendous Rafael Nadal topspin is a result of what is popularly called the ‘buggy whip’ motion. Most players prefer to play their forehand flat across their body or finish the swing no higher than shoulder-level. However, Nadal employs a lot more vertical momentum, taking his swing from low to high. His hand goes so high, that it often goes over and around his head. This combination of horizontal and vertical momentum, courtesy of his rapidly rising forehand arm, generates maximum topspin.
Rafael Nadal combines this buggy whip technique with his immense power to create an unmatched forehand topspin. His physique and strength play an important role. Add to this the fact that he is left-handed, and it makes his forehand topspin the deadliest weapon in tennis.
Although, extremely bending his serving wrist has often caused many wrist injuries to Nadal. Overall, his forehand technique uses his entire body, often taking a toll. The 22-time Grand Slam champion’s latest injury, after a year-long hiatus, saw him miss the 2024 Australian Open. He will reportedly return at the Qatar Open (as per Eurosport).
