Forehand Take Back (Help Needed)
 

So I filmed myself hitting and noticed that my forehand take back was hideous. It is a HUGE loopy take back. And I think that's why my forehand side is not consistent and that it probably adds to me being late on shots.

Any advice or tricks to make the forehand take back shorter?

I try to be conscious of it but its still a huge loop. Any advice is much appreciated.

Consistent forehands, bent elbow.
Powerful forehands, straight elbow.
Bend you elbow.

so bent on the take back? I'll try to upload a video when I get a chance.

We ARE talking takeback, I thought.
And the same for the foreward swing.

Short follow through = short pull bacm

yes we are. But I've just never seen any pro take back with straigth elbow. Only when it's coming to meet the ball do they straighten the elbow.

In this case, FORGET what the pros do, until you cure YOUR problem.
YOU need consistency, right? YOU takeback too long and looped, right?
So shorten your takeback by bending your elbow. Hit with a bent elbow.
You can change your elbow bend AFTER you get consistent.

I've never had a straight elbow on my takeback. I've never seen others use a straight elbow either, maybe you're talking about when you make contact with the ball?

Read post ONE again.
Bending elbow reduces takeback loop.

This post pretty much sums it up.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...40&postcount=3

OP: It's not necessary to also bend elbow during the forward swing, if that feels awkward. Just concentrate on bending the elbow on the takeback

When do you let go of the racquet with your off hand?

Thats correct.

shoulder turn with elbow elevated pointed to the back fence for short backswings, in other words do a unit turn(torso turn), racquet is pretty much straight up and down---loading up for the stroke, stance,knees bent, eyes on incoming t-ball,adjusting steps,weight transfer,sliding the elbow thru or pulling on the racquet like its a rope,various finishes,, ect. :)

http://webtennis24.com/Tips/elbow_up_tip.html

:)

More on forehand loops:

http://tennis.about.com/od/forehandb...ehandloops.htm

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Nice post. Very good visuals.

My takeaways for someone who wants to hit a modern ATP style forehand is to 1) not let the racket hand get above shoulder height (there are exceptions to this, but I think it is best to avoid using those guys as models) 2) when the racket hand gets behind the body (not behind the line of the shoulders!) to extend the arm slightly (if you hit with a straight arm, extend it fully) and 3) (Very important!) "pat-the-dog" with the racket - meaning to close the racket face toward the ground rather than letting it flop back behind the shoulder like many of the WTA players.

I advise shadow swinging this a lot if you have access to a mirror. Do it in slow motion first, and then at full speed until it starts becoming natural. On the court, try to set up a camera to see if you're reverting back to your old habits.

I've been reworking my fh from something that looked WTA to something that looks more ATP recently. It felt weird at first, but now that I'm getting the feel for it, I really like it.

I let go of the racket as my two arms is about to cross my right shoulder during take back. Maybe letting go of the racket with the left hand a little early too.

I'll try to record some video of me hitting some forehands tonight guys since youtube won't let me post my last short video. Some file error.

Anyway its hideous. and I didn't even realize it until I started filming myself. It looks ok from the front side, but when i reverse the camera and film it from behind me, even a novice could tell its not right.

Anyway I'll see if I can post it in the next couple days. Until then its hard to see exactly what I'm seeing.

Thanks for the input so far guys. and LeeD.

post a vid.
most likely letting go too early, having a stiff arm (since loose arm should just drop after you let go w/ left, and also you're probably hitting the ball using all arm instead of hitting w/ the body. you take it back far because you're not hitting w/ the body so that's the only way you get power by giving the racquet a long path to travel. booo!!!

very helpful thanks. this also confirms my suspicion that my lack of consistency is due to having too much of an elaborate take back. Thanks mate.

Keeping the left hand on the racquet longer and bending and leading with the elbow may help...or it may not. As your hands separate and you step into teh backswing be careful not to allow your elbow to supinate, which which will rotate your forearm ever so slightly skyward. RAther, pronate (rotate your thumb downward) your elbow throughout backswing.

It's usually a sign that you're using your hitting hand to "initiate" the unit turn. Instead, use your oft-hand. Visualize measuring the ball with your oft-hand.