watch RM video (34 KB)
Key points:
Assume a right-handed hitter.
- Grip: The sky hook overhead is usually hit flat, and for a flat shot, the Eastern forehand grip (used here) offers the simplest alignment between the racquet face and the ball. You might find a Continental grip suitable, too, if you're using it for everything else at the net.
- Footwork: The most common reason for hitting a sky hook overhead is that the ball has gotten behind you, so you'll often hit the sky hook after scooting backward. As with a standard overhead, your first step from ready position will be your right foot stepping backward. This turns you sideways, which puts you in position to swing and also to use sidesteps to scoot back if needed.
- Backswing: The main distinction of the sky hook overhead is that you pull the racquet back with your arm almost completely straight. There's no elbow bend at any point in the swing. Pull your arm and racquet back so that they are both roughly horizontal and the racquet tip is pointing at the back fence.
- Swing path: Keep your arm straight as you swing up and forward with a long, smooth, sweeping motion. The sky hook should look very much like its basketball namesake -- but you don't want to send the ball on a similar trajectory! Your final control of your racquet angle to keep it from launching the ball upward comes from your wrist position, which you can set at whatever forward angle you need to make the racquet vertical.
- Point of contact: While the sky hook overhead can let you get away with meeting the ball behind yourself, you should still try to meet it as far forward as you can, up to roughly a foot in front of your head. As on any overhead, meeting the ball at your full extension is ideal. On a sky hook, your straight arm will make it easy to meet the ball high.
- Follow through: Your follow through will be similar to that on a standard overhead, but smaller (ending more in front) because of the lesser force in the swing.
