Forehand follow-through

[aspiringchemlete]

I've watched videos of pros, and it seems like they all follow-through across their body. However, my coach is telling me to follow-through over my shoulder, because that increases the contact time. I have an eastern forehand.

Any comments?

[The Gorilla]

across the body is the way to go, increases contact time, ove the shoulder you'll pull off the ball, across the body you hit straight through.

[bank5]

http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=110778 is a good site to check out video of the pros.

Roddick usually finishes across his body, Nadal often finishes over his head...

[es-0]

I would start hitting with the follow through over your left shoulder (for a righty). This is because I started by trying to mimic Federer's forehand and the like but I never really hit through the ball and my contact point was never very consistent. One shot would be perfect but the next would launch the ball straight up and the one right after into the bottom of the net.

But I was stubborn and ignored my coach (then why did I pay him for advice:confused: ) and kept trying to hit with the WW finish. Just over this weekend and a terrible day for my forehand (and reading a few topics about forehands on TTW) I decided to swallow my pride and go back to basics ie. the classic follow through.

My coach will be overjoyed when I start hitting like he wanted me to :D

There are more knowledgeable tennis folk around these boards and they will give their wiser advice but this is just me personal experience.

Hope it helps.

[tlm]

The over the shoulder never worked well for me.The follow through to the side, or even better the windshield wiper finish.

[FitzRoy]

Your coach is pointing you in a good direction..a traditional one, but a good one....as you develop, he will likely have you incorporating a more open stance at times which will send your followthrough across your body more. it's good if you can end up with both styles in your cabinet, and use each appropriately...the pros play a different game..they cant afford to hit squared stanced much at all, and it's your body alignment that determines your followthrough to a large degree...if you are doing everything right up to the followthrough, the followthrough usually takes care of itself..a square/neutral stance naturally lends itself to an over the shoulder followthrough and an open stanced forehand naturally lends itself to an across the body follow through..one thing you dont wish to do, is to stop your followthrough..let it decelerate on its own

This is very good and practical advice. The key is to have "both styles in your cabinet", as Mojo says here. If a ball is rocketing across the net and you don't have any time, you'll want to be able to hit open stance. On the other hand, when the ball isn't (and it usually isn't at most levels of tennis), being able to set up in the neutral stance is a great advantage, especially in terms of transitioning into the net. The follow-through is very closely related to these hitting stances.