Trouble with Eastern Forehand

[johnchung907]

Hello,
Fellow tennis players,
Just curious to the other eastern forehanders out there. Can you provide a significant amount of topspin? Okay I'm young and most people hit with a semi-western. But I can't hit with the semi-western because if I do my wrist will start hurting over a period of time. My forehand is a pretty good shot with consistency. I do feel like though that my forehand is mostly flat and needs a tad bit more topspin. Any advice? As I mentioned before I can only use eastern for the sake of my wrist.

[LeeD]

WW the finish, which adds a bit of topspin.
But with E, you can add more slice to your forehand game, something seen quite often at the AussieOpen lately.

[johnchung907]

I do use the windshield wiper finish. However, some of my balls land out when I swing really fast. Regarding the slice forehand... I don't use that with eastern. I do it with good ole fashioned continental.

[OHBH]

Originally Posted by johnchung907

I do use the windshield wiper finish. However, some of my balls land out when I swing really fast. Regarding the slice forehand... I don't use that with eastern. I do it with good ole fashioned continental.

That is not a technique problem, you simply need to play within yourself. You are naturally going to make more errors when you go for bigger shots. But, the more you practice the more you will be able to go for while staying in control.

[Bagumbawalla]

I grew up playing with an Eastern forehand. My normal stroke has plenty of topspin, but, when I want, I can add some super-excessive topspin by hitting through the ball with more low-to-high follow-through.

The grip does not dictate the amount of spin- it is the speed and direction of the racket as you strike through the ball.

Having said that, the grip does tend to dictate what might be called your "normal" path through the ball-- but, I have seen McEnroe (Continental) hit with lots of topspin and Nadal (Western) hit pretty flat shots.

My suggestion is to use whatever grip you like best-- and then learn to be a flexible and well rounded player who can create a wide variety of shots as required by the situation.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

One question, how would you rate the flexibility of your wrist?

I ask that because when I know I need more topspin, I turn/roll my wrist over as I make contact.

I hope that's enough to provide a visual for the wrist action (I know it's not much, but I don't know how else to describe it).

But yeah, the saying that eastern forehand can't generate topspin is a myth.

[johnchung907]

I don't roll it over... I hit it at a slight downwards angle. I'm combining brushing up and hitting through together.

[LeeD]

U turn over your forearm, pronate, just like the serve.

[johnchung907]

Pronate? Sorry I haven't heard that term for a couple months. Could you explain?

[rkelley]

Originally Posted by johnchung907

Hello,
Fellow tennis players,
Just curious to the other eastern forehanders out there. Can you provide a significant amount of topspin? Okay I'm young and most people hit with a semi-western. But I can't hit with the semi-western because if I do my wrist will start hurting over a period of time. My forehand is a pretty good shot with consistency. I do feel like though that my forehand is mostly flat and needs a tad bit more topspin. Any advice? As I mentioned before I can only use eastern for the sake of my wrist.

Assuming you have a basic WW swing path, when you want the bigger topspin it's especially important to bend your knees and keep your take back short. You want to explode up and really pronate your forearm (pronate = turn your right forearm ccw as you're looking at your own hand). The racquet has to go up more to create more topspin.

I use a very stong E. grip, almost SW, and this is something that I focus on. I can hit with tons of topspin when I do it correctly.

[user92626]

IMO, there's no need for any of that pronation, ww craps. Just hit the ball with a slightly closed racket face. The ball may go to the net, so you'll learn very quickly to swing up. None of this requires pronation, turning, ww whaterver!

[LeeD]

The WW pronated finish is part of the stroke.
Like in the golf swing, if you don't follow thru completely, you can still hit the stroke, but it's consistency suffers badly.

[rkelley]

Originally Posted by user92626

IMO, there's no need for any of that pronation, ww craps. Just hit the ball with a slightly closed racket face. The ball may go to the net, so you'll learn very quickly to swing up. None of this requires pronation, turning, ww whaterver!

You can do this, and you can hit a nice flattish stroke, but you can't get the big topspin without some combination of forearm pronation and upper arm rotation. The racquet has to go up, and given human physiology that's the best way to do that.

With the E. grip specifically, it's going to be mostly pronation at the contact point. Upper arm rotation mostly decelerates the racquet. With more W grips it's different.

[aimr75]

I get a good amount of spin with an eastern grip.. I think the WW motion certainly helps me achieve more spin..

just some drop balls, but its the racquet/hand/arm path i try for with an eastern grip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVcWXW4Lcis

[TheCheese]

I use a modified eastern and can generate a ton of topspin using the pronation/pull technique.

[user92626]

Originally Posted by rkelley

You can do this, and you can hit a nice flattish stroke, but you can't get the big topspin without some combination of forearm pronation and upper arm rotation. The racquet has to go up, and given human physiology that's the best way to do that.

With the E. grip specifically, it's going to be mostly pronation at the contact point. Upper arm rotation mostly decelerates the racquet. With more W grips it's different.

Flattish stroke?

Actually, what I described in my post above is exactly how the racket contacts the ball and produces topspin as far as it is concerned. To produce a topspin shot the racket face just needs to contact the ball unevenly, above its equator, and with an upward and forward path. IMO, for simplicity's sake that's all novice and overworried players need to focus on. (Of course, after contact, simply allow the racket, your arm flow their natural courses.)

For me that has been much easier to learn than to pay attention to "forearm pronation" or "upper arm rotation", etc.

[AYone]

Originally Posted by johnchung907

Hello,
I can't hit with the semi-western because if I do my wrist will start hurting over a period of time. My forehand is a pretty good shot with consistency. I do feel like though that my forehand is mostly flat and needs a tad bit more topspin. Any advice? As I mentioned before I can only use eastern for the sake of my wrist.

John, did you try using a wrist support? I've had a ton of wrist issues playing tennis. I also regularly lift weights, so my wrists take a real beating. I started using a McDavid wrist support and I've been largely pain free. I use a semi-western grip and have no trouble pronating and generating the same spin as w/o the wrist support. You could try tape too. Pretty sure Nadal tapes his wrists.

[Hi I'm Ray]

I played Western when I was younger and competed, eastern for about 2 years recently, then switched to SW. With the eastern I could generate a good amount of spin, the trouble was more with high balls, and relying too much on moving forward to generate power. I find it easier to generate spin with a SW or extreme eastern grip. Have you tried an extreme eastern fh?

[johnchung907]

Extremem eastern? You mean the one that fed uses? An in between semi western and eastern? No I have not tried it. Will it provide a somewhat semi-western spin and still allow me to hit through flat?

[johnchung907]

Originally Posted by Hi I'm Ray

I played Western when I was younger and competed, eastern for about 2 years recently, then switched to SW. With the eastern I could generate a good amount of spin, the trouble was more with high balls, and relying too much on moving forward to generate power. I find it easier to generate spin with a SW or extreme eastern grip. Have you tried an extreme eastern fh?

Regarding wrist support. Your basically saying that I should put wrist support on and I'll feel no pain? Actually my wrist pain came when I used a western grip couple years back so I switched to the eastern. Find my balls have about the same consistency but having a hard time making a significant amount of topspin but it has a faster pace