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F - Fascia

How does force travel?

The Principle

Fascia is the transmission lines. Muscles contract; fascia transmits.

Two primary lines for tennis:

Line Stroke Path
Spiral Line Forehand Push Foot β†’ hip β†’ oblique β†’ shoulder β†’ arm
Back Line (Superficial) Backhand Saber Heel β†’ hamstring β†’ sacrum β†’ lat β†’ arm

The Feeling

Line Load Cue Release Cue
Spiral "Stretch the X across the belly" "Chest fires, arm whips"
Back "Stretch from heel to lat" "Lat pulls elbow down"

The Rules

Rule Why
Continuous tension Slack = energy leak
No local knots Tight forearm = blocked line
Load before fire Stretch before shortening (SSC)
Brake to release Front leg stops β†’ line snaps

Common Breaks

Break Symptom Fix
Forearm tight Spiral line blocked at wrist 3/10 grip, loose wrist
Shoulder hike Back line blocked at trap Lat pulls down, chest open
Torso collapse Lines buckle at waist Root + Tensegrity
Early arm Lines not loaded Wait for hip lead

The Drill

"Line Trace"

  1. Slow shadow forehand
  2. Trace Spiral Line with opposite hand: foot β†’ hip β†’ ribs β†’ shoulder β†’ hand
  3. Feel continuous tension, no slack
  4. Shadow backhand, trace Back Line: heel β†’ hamstring β†’ lat β†’ hand
  5. 10 reps each, then hit balls

Goal: Feel the line, not the muscle.

The Cue

"Two lines. One continuous. No knots."