In tennis, the second snap refers to the extra rotation given to the tennis ball upon contact of the strings of the racket. This happens when a tennis ball is struck for top spin against a racket with certain strings, namely co-poly strings or lubricated springs. The result is an extra rotation on the ball before it leaves contact with the racket.
Tennis Ball Spins and Racket Strings
A second snap depends largely on the strings used on a player’s tennis racket. The second snap happens when the ball makes contact with lubricated strings or co-poly strings. When looking for a tennis racket, it’s good to take a look at the strings used and not just the racket’s stiffness.
There are different types of racket strings. These include polyesters and Kevlar, natural gut strings, synthetic gut strings or nylon strings, hybrid strings, multifilament strings and more. But, aside from the racket strings, there are ways to create a good top spin and one that can even ensure a second snap. The motion in which the ball hits the racket also impacts the way the tennis ball spins.
There are many reasons why top spins and second snaps are used in tennis. For one, top spins lowers the margin of error in a game. Another, it simply wins matches. But, there are other situations where a flat hit and not a top spin is more appropriate. Practice and better understanding of the game and how the opponent plays will affect when a player should use a flat hit or a top spin.
Tennis Players with Great Top Spins
Some of the notable players in tennis are great with top spins. These include Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Aside from their professional level and accomplishment, the new generation of strings also greatly affect their ball spins. Nadal can even generate a top spin measuring 3200 rpm on average and as high as 4000 rpm. Aside from his top spin, Nadal also has a powerful sidespin. There is more to tennis than just aiming for the ball and hitting it. Science, training, and even advanced technology to create better equipment has led to performances that were not even made possible by players before.