tips to get rid of too loopy forehand

[matchmaker]

Today I had a terrible FH day. It was a real shankfest full of twisting racquet head upon impact on the FH side. A little personal history: I am righthanded but due to TE problems I am playing lefthanded for the past year or so. I have been making progress on the lefty side but today my FH drove me nuts. Yesterday I played and I was finally getting some satisfaction on my FH side. The balls seemed to be deeper and with more directional accuracy; moreover I was able to counterattack a little and to put away some balls for winners.

Today then again was a completely different story, instead of leaving off where I had left yesterday, there was a complete regression on my FH. My balls were heavy with topspin but too short, too powerless, if my opponent had been any better I would have received a severe correction. I felt like Nadal in his bad days: underpowered, hitting short balls that sit up for the opponent and all the power converts in spin instead of pace.

Pondering a little on the reasons for this phenomenon, I can think of various aspects:
- Stiff legs. Although I was far from exhausted an ran around court the whole time, my legs were a little sore from yesterday and I felt that therefore my sprints were slightly slower and by being just a fraction of a second late on the ball, the whole timing of the stroke goes wrong.
- Too much vertical, too little horizontal movement. My strokes should develop more on the horizontal plane than on the vertical plane. As it is all power is converted to spin.
- I am taking the ball to far from me, that is why when hitting the racquet twisted several times in my hand. The ball still went in, but that is not how it is supposed to be.

Some things I have thought of applying is:
- taking the ball closer to the body
- performing the takeback with the elbow pointing backwards rather than sideways
- executing the stroke much more from back to forth instead of from low to high
- trying to hit the ball with the center/lower half of the racquet, instead of sometimes in the upper hoop.

Actually I am also thinking of training a little with my mids (I use a MP as main racquet now) as they will oblige me to do all the aforementioned things. The ones I have (Wilson Reflex mids) are very solid and never twist in the hand, probably because of a high swingweight and because being mids, you cannot execute an extreme brush up action but you rather tend to impart only the topspin you need to get the ball in court, instead of creating superfluous and unnecessary topspin. Their high static weight and swingweight typically forces you to use shoulder rotation and bring back the racquet alongside your body in opposition to perpendicular on your body. Finally they force you to drive through the ball instead of brushing up to it, using too much windshield wiper motion.

Once I have this under control during training, I can apply it to my MPs, as the mids I am talking about are probably still to demanding for me to use in match play with the left arm because of their relative sluggishness.

[hellonewbie]

I think bottom line is you are not making good contact with the ball. If I were in your situation I would first figure out where my "strike zone" is, perhaps by dropping and hitting balls around where you think the optimal contact point would be. Once you figure out your strike zone, you can then anticipate balls going through that strike zone when you swing.

[spiritdragon]

well, 1 possibility is that your forehand is too wristy. that used to be the case with me and the reason i shanked so many balls. if this is the case then try using more of your whole arm and turn ur forearm and wrist as a unit like u're checking the time as will hamilton says. another reason may be that u're not getting yourself properly set up for your shot. but seriously go to http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/. this guy is great at instructing.

[matchmaker]

I think bottom line is you are not making good contact with the ball. If I were in your situation I would first figure out where my "strike zone" is, perhaps by dropping and hitting balls around where you think the optimal contact point would be. Once you figure out your strike zone, you can then anticipate balls going through that strike zone when you swing.

The thing is there are several ways to hit a forehand, some people prefer to take the ball in front, some take it rather to the side. The way I am hitting now, I do not make a lot of UEs but I am not satisfied with the punch I get out of the ball.

Remember, I am a natural righty, I do know how to hit a decent forehand but I have to transpose that to my left hand, which sometimes seems to work out ok, but today it did not.

Things I have already trier is making a pronounced 8-movement with a long takeback, a la Gonzalez, but that does not work out well for me, because I find it hard to keep the ball in.

When trying to go for a longer swing but with a more fixed shoulder, taking the ball in front often from an open stance, a la Kuerten, I end up hitting a Nadal FH, which I am not so pleased with because I like to be more agressive on the FH.

Maybe a motion a la Gulbis, albeit in minor, would be more realistic: the contact point is closer, so more controlable, there is shoulder rotation, but the underarm is rather still.

[hellonewbie]

I would have to say you are thinking too much about form and not the swing, which is what hits balls, not some static imitation of any player. Don't worry about how others hit, figure out your "strike zone", everyone is different, so that's something you need to figure out for yourself. Whenever I'm making adjustment to my swing, I swing ultra-slowly in my room, observe any tightness and inefficiency in the my slowed motion and note any balance issue in my weight transfer. Maybe try that slowed swing yourself, it could help you in understanding your own swing. If quick tips and your own intuition fail, hiring a coach may be a good idea.

[5263]

The thing is there are several ways to hit a forehand, some people prefer to take the ball in front, some take it rather to the side. The way I am hitting now, I do not make a lot of UEs but I am not satisfied with the punch I get out of the ball.

Remember, I am a natural righty, I do know how to hit a decent forehand but I have to transpose that to my left hand, which sometimes seems to work out ok, but today it did not.

Things I have already trier is making a pronounced 8-movement with a long takeback, a la Gonzalez, but that does not work out well for me, because I find it hard to keep the ball in.

When trying to go for a longer swing but with a more fixed shoulder, taking the ball in front often from an open stance, a la Kuerten, I end up hitting a Nadal FH, which I am not so pleased with because I like to be more agressive on the FH.

Maybe a motion a la Gulbis, albeit in minor, would be more realistic: the contact point is closer, so more controlable, there is shoulder rotation, but the underarm is rather still.

Using pro players to model and relate to in terms of form is a great tool. You clearly have the experience to do this with success. Yes, tinker with your form and get comfortable, but whenever I don't hit cleanly I only focus on 2 things that are really one.

That is keeping the head still and focus on putting the ball in the sweet spot of my stringbed. If I fall into the shanks, it is due to lifting my head and thinking of swinging "at the ball" instead of focusing on the actual sweetspot of the stringbed.

hope this helps

[smoothtennis]

Sounds exactly how I play in tournaments if I get real TIGHT. The legs quit moving, knees quit bending, and shank-you-very-much, I start fanning shots with too much spin, little pace.

Maybe you just got tight?

[matchmaker]

I would have to say you are thinking too much about form and not the swing, which is what hits balls, not some static imitation of any player. Don't worry about how others hit, figure out your "strike zone", everyone is different, so that's something you need to figure out for yourself. Whenever I'm making adjustment to my swing, I swing ultra-slowly in my room, observe any tightness and inefficiency in the my slowed motion and note any balance issue in my weight transfer. Maybe try that slowed swing yourself, it could help you in understanding your own swing. If quick tips and your own intuition fail, hiring a coach may be a good idea.

When I mention some pro players as example it is not to imitate them but to give some illustration to what I am saying.

I also do your shadow tennis exercices at home. I guess we tennis freaks are very prone to that.:)

Off course, you can have a good swing but still have a bad timing when you hit the ball, so whereas your swing path is okay, you just hit the ball on the wrong part of the swingpath.

[matchmaker]

Using pro players to model and relate to in terms of form is a great tool. You clearly have the experience to do this with success. Yes, tinker with your form and get comfortable, but whenever I don't hit cleanly I only focus on 2 things that are really one.

That is keeping the head still and focus on putting the ball in the sweet spot of my stringbed. If I fall into the shanks, it is due to lifting my head and thinking of swinging "at the ball" instead of focusing on the actual sweetspot of the stringbed.

hope this helps

Thanks for the tips. I think they will be usefull. It seems indeed I am thinking to much ahead, when I hit the ball, I typically think where I want it to land (I like to take the initiative). Maybe I should look a fraction longer at the ball and see to it it really hits the sweetspot.

[matchmaker]

Sounds exactly how I play in tournaments if I get real TIGHT. The legs quit moving, knees quit bending, and shank-you-very-much, I start fanning shots with too much spin, little pace.

Maybe you just got tight?

Could be. I was playing a rather tight match, not necessarily making too many unforced errors but, just like you describe: too much fanning, too much windshield wiper motion, too much spin, too little pace.

My legs were moving alright, though they were a little stiff from playing the day before, but I kept on moving even in between points.

I think it might also be due to overconcentration. You know, when your timing goes off it is often because you do not find your natural, intuitive preparation and swing. Everything becomes too artificial, it is like you are dancing while thinking of your steps. Somehow you just have to feel the natural rhythm of the play.

[MR-S]

Shorter takeback, don't ever let the face of the racquet face the back fence. It can face the side fence and then the ground at the end of your takeback and start of forward swing.

[matchmaker]

Shorter takeback, don't ever let the face of the racquet face the back fence. It can face the side fence and then the ground at the end of your takeback and start of forward swing.

Hmm, I don't agree with this one. A shorter takeback can only result in a short ball or an equally loopy shot, because you will probably lengthen your swing through and follow through. Often you see people with a long takeback have a short outswing whereas those with a short takeback have a long outswing.

It is not the takeback that matters but the contact point. If the contact point is too much in front, you will only be brushing up to the ball, and not hitting through it, in my experience.

[MR-S]

I (mis)understood his problem as a long loopy takeback not a loopy finish

[bhupaes]

To the OP - I wish I could play like Nadal in his bad days!

I have a very wristy forehand (and 2hbh), and sometimes I get into a state where there's tons of spin without enough penetration. In my case, the problem is that I unconsciously shorten my backswing and take the racquet head way below the ball before the forward swing. To get out of this funk, I take a larger backswing and flatten out the stroke somewhat... that is, the stroke will still be down to up, but start from six inches below the ball rather than two feet below. Don't know if this will help you, but it sure does put the power and depth back in the stroke for me.

[mikeler]

As a natural righty, I used to play my high school team mates left handed so they could practice and I would not get bored. One thing I would check is your grip. For whatever reason, I found myself migrating to a Western grip quite often and hitting a lot of shanks and short balls. Once I moved my grip back to a semi-western, then I usually started hitting the lefty forehand pretty well again.

[Element54]

Try not to accentuate the loop, rather, have your take back less then a foot below the ball to create a flater shot on impact.

[matchmaker]

Thanks for the tips Bhupaes, Mikeler and Element54.

Some updates: today I went for a practice session with a friend standing each on the opposite side of the court hitting diagonally towards each other, that is either crosscourt either inside-out FHs mainly and also some backhands.

On the grip issue, I play semi-western, maybe I have been going more to an extreme semi-western but today at least I tried to grip plain semi-western to have an as clean contact as possible.

My problems aren't over yet, but I am determined to get a good FH out of my left hand. I have been working hard on the serve and that is slowly but steadily developping. Even the volleys start to improve.

I have begun to hit onehanded backhands a month ago and surprisingly they are already almost stronger than my forehand side. Actually a OHBH is a quite simple motion, as it is best played with an extended arm so the only thing that moves is the shoulder and maybe marginally the wrist.

Really the forehand is a motion where a lot more can go wrong. But it is probably the essential stroke in modern tennis so I have sworn to develop a FH that is a weapon, or at least consistent (which it already is more or less) and not giving away points by hitting shots that sit up.

Today I was really concentrating on the stroke mechanics and the major thing I found was that my preparation was late.

The key was taking back the racquet more or less simultaneously with the bounce and that, plus the footwork bringing me right behind the ball. This gave me the ability to be right on time and to give that little guiding movement with the arm on ball impact and also using the legs to move upwards a little to make sure the length accuracy is good.

[matchmaker]

My findings until now is that the shank/twist&torquefest happens because one takes the ball too much in front. The wrist then has to compensate for the wrong footwork/timing which leads to an unnatural swing path, possibly putting strain on the joints, tendons and muscles. So this is why I want to correct this problem ASAP. It does not always happens but even the few times it happens are too many. The goal of any tennis player worthy of that name should be to hit as cleanly and with the best technique as possible.

Off course, taking some time to correct the flaws in one's technique means a very temporary stagnation, sometimes even a throwback but on the long run it will be much the better. For comparison, Tiger Woods took quite some time off to perfection his swing, and look what he became.

[matchmaker]

Preparing early and being in a good position, that is about right behind the ball trajectory, are the key points to allow your arm to follow a natural swing path: using your shoulder to have fluid takeback, holding your elbow at the correct angle and your wrist in the "pat the dog on the back" position and then releasing it casually just before ball impact. This way the racquet face will be open and not pointed upwards and the kinetic chain of the whole swing path will function in an ideal way. Each element doing its job without unhealthy exaggerations.

[Element54]

Great to hear your making progress! How bad is your TE? (I know bad due to switching racket hands) I have TE, but leaded up my racket to 11.8oz+, 27inch, 95", and that nearly cured me. I just have to warm up before and after the match (before the very least). I had TE due to bad technique and a crap/light racket.

But to be honest, it would be very difficult to change racket hands, and it sounds your making marked improvements. Your self-reflective in what you need to achieve and have been achieving, so you will make steady progress...

[Element54]

The key was taking back the racquet more or less simultaneously with the bounce and that, plus the footwork bringing me right behind the ball.

I would imagine doing that would be difficult against faster shots against you. I have my take up my ready-position when the person hits the ball, so whilst it's in flight I take back my read in my ready-position, watch it bounce, then let the ball rise and hit it (not explicitly on the rise, just in that order).

[matchmaker]

^^
Element 54,

About my TE. I don't suffer from it now, as I have been playing lefty for almost a year now.

I don't think that I am the worst case in the world but it is a fact that it keeps coming back whenever I play a more than once a week.

I have a very decent level as a righty, I am not NTPR rated as I don't live in the states but I am an accomplished all court player with no real weaknesses in my game and rather textbook technique.

The reason why I decided to switch hands was that I felt I could not make any further progress due to my recurrent injury. Exactly a year ago I entered a tournament and played a great 3 set match against a good opponent in the first round. The second round was easier but I already felt twinges of pain in my elbow, although I was sweeping the floor with my opponent. The third round I had to give up at only 3-2 in the first set.

Now, that is frustrating and it really turned me off because it will happen over and over again.

I play with heavy and flexible arm-friendly racquets, did all the necessary adjustments to my technique but I just have to face the fact that it is a weak spot in my body. I could have it operated but we all have two arms so I switched to the lefthand side.

To be honest, there is nothing fun about it at first. Patty cake serves, short powerless balls, no net game, etc.

But it is also a challenge and I have sworn to myself that I will reach the same level as a lefty than as a righty.

[matchmaker]

I would imagine doing that would be difficult against faster shots against you. I have my take up my ready-position when the person hits the ball, so whilst it's in flight I take back my read in my ready-position, watch it bounce, then let the ball rise and hit it (not explicitly on the rise, just in that order).

I was playing on clay, so I had the time. On HC preparation has to be earlier off course. That is why I put more or less at ball bounce. It will also depend on how big your takeback is. I try to keep things simple now, so I implement a not too exaggerated takeback, although I do tend to take rather big cuts at the ball, as I don't like half stroke mechanisms.

Something else I was also suffering (literally) with was my finish. I repeatedly hit myself with the racquet on my right shoulder. Slowing down the racquet after the ball leaves the strings is quite essential, while still respecting a correct follow through, off course.

[Element54]

I was playing on clay, so I had the time. On HC preparation has to be earlier off course. That is why I put more or less at ball bounce. It will also depend on how big your takeback is. I try to keep things simple now, so I implement a not too exaggerated takeback, although I do tend to take rather big cuts at the ball, as I don't like half stroke mechanisms.




Ahh fair point, I do have a long swing actually!

[matchmaker]

I would imagine doing that would be difficult against faster shots against you. I have my take up my ready-position when the person hits the ball, so whilst it's in flight I take back my read in my ready-position, watch it bounce, then let the ball rise and hit it (not explicitly on the rise, just in that order).

Today I played and I was actually using an even earlier takeback, more or less a sort of Delpo one. It really helped, although aesthetically I would prefer to do the takeback just before hitting. But if you do it immediately you are never late, I noticed the Williams sisters also have a very anticipated takeback. I don't like the sight of it but for the moment it works.