All you guys who say Federer mostly hits off the front foot.

[tlm]

Originally Posted by TennisCoachFLA

Exactly. Fed hit strokes in that video unlike what he would have done in a real match, several times with his weight going backwards and arming the ball.

Because his arm caused his body to go sideways and eventually his foot landed, posters are confusing that with "spinning around". Its not the same thing as when he rotates into a normal forehand.

I think that so many have this belief that you must transfer your weight forward and players always hit from back foot to their front foot. Which is so far from what really happens in match play.

Thats why i used rafa as an example, he hits off his back foot a lot, but so do the other players. There are times like you pointed on that a player must only hit with the arm. That is why they pull up and back, they need to make enough space to be able to swing, plus they can get some power from pulling up and backwards. Thats right despite popular belief you can get power from moving your weight up and back.

When players do this you will see their front leg come off the ground, then it will go around and land to the side or behind them. The only way this can happen is if their weight is coming back, there is no forward weight transfer. When they have time to set up they will transfer their weight forward, but many times they don't have the time or court position to enable it.

[Austinthecity]

Originally Posted by [ GTR ]

haha i found this clip of federer practicing with Monfils.
This seems to be the exact rally in the first video, at the end of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4NK11-eWtA

I had to watch that shot at 40 seconds at least 5 times.

SICK.

[GuyClinch]

He hits with his arm only, then his other foot lands well after the ball is gone. He is off balance....he can not fly, so his foot does land. Weight transfer was not involved in the actually hitting of that ball, unlike most of his forehands.

At the start of the stroke is right foot is loaded - by the end of the stroke his right foot is no longer loaded and has changed position.

You don't have to be a physics major to understand that weight was transfered here. If he hit the ball and his right foot stayed loaded - only then could you say there was no weight transfer.