Photo Lesson: How to Hit the Overhead Smash

Point of Contact

At contact, the elbow and wrist have both fully straightened, so that the arm is fully extended at a slight forward angle, and the long axis of the racquet is vertical. This is the ideal point of contact for an overhead smash: at full extension; slightly to the right, where the right arm naturally travels; and in front enough to be easily seen and to gain extra power from the body's forward momentum.