After Federer retires, will there be another forehand like his?
- Thread starter Jaferd
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AnOctorokForDinner
Talk Tennis Guru
Giggled hard at this, well done sir.
I don't think that's true. He has the same biomechanic as anyone else but his technique is unique although very similar to Nadal's fh. Most pros started tennis at a young age so double bend was the way they learned to play so very difficult to change techniques as one gets older.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
Straight arm ATP-swing FH is very popular with top juniors. I guess what makes it unique for Federer is the eastern grip while most of the juniors have a semi western grip. Of course, what really makes it unique is Federer’s otherworldly talent which is not easily matched.
I know the "what grip Federer use" horse have been beaten to death. But do you think in today's ATP game, even high level rec/college game where spin is so prevalent, that an eastern forehand grip is easier (or more advantageous) to use than say a semi western. If I had to pick a side, I'll say a semi-western is easier/more advantageous and at the same time, what real advantage are there to be gained from an eastern grip?
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Will there be another FH as the greatest FH in the history of the game?
Hard to say.
Hard to say.
BackhandDTL
Hall of Fame
Maybe but not prime Neds forehand
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
Verdasco has a similar stroke, and it's also one of the best ever.
I always think of Fed's forehand as a good blend of the past and present. Grip somewhere between Eastern/Semi. Good forward drive of the older styles, but still enough rotation and pronation/whip to really add spin. Able to hit it well from open and closed/neutral stances. Ability to really flatten and really generate spin. Plus as other have mentioned the straight arm. Prep position has racquet above hand vs. many who now tilt the racquet forward (Thiem/Kyrgios), but yet he whips it through like the younger guys.
Like others, I don't think the current training leads to his FH nor does the overall game create situations where it is necessary. Most of the guys can get away with bigh topsin vs each other and don't need the versatility Fed and Nadal have.
My question is will the current styles and game demands lead to a superior forehand than Fed and Nadals? Will the game search out higher and heavier spin or will their be a return to flatter strokes? Will strokes become shorter and shorte but more explosive?
Like others, I don't think the current training leads to his FH nor does the overall game create situations where it is necessary. Most of the guys can get away with bigh topsin vs each other and don't need the versatility Fed and Nadal have.
My question is will the current styles and game demands lead to a superior forehand than Fed and Nadals? Will the game search out higher and heavier spin or will their be a return to flatter strokes? Will strokes become shorter and shorte but more explosive?
I think there will be a push to less top spin and flatter shots. If the player can get a fast pace ball in play, there's not significant advantage to heavy top spin. I think that's why Sinner's been so good. Fed's fh allows for pace plus spin so it's a nice weapon to possess. It's not just a matter of eastern straight arm forehand though. He does something a little different to get that unique wrist looking followthorugh.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Agree. Power+Placement was just ridiculous from him. Hitting corners so easy.
Breakpointerer
Legend
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sredna42
Hall of Fame
you can hit through balls that are low, put away dip drives easier (IMO), take the ball on the rise a bit easier, and just know where the racquet face is because it is aligned with the palm of your hand, I also like it because it makes my ROS so simple. Continental right hand, Eastern FH left hand. Can slice or chip or BH drive, and move from continental to eastern FH with the right hand is a very small move to make. All just IMO.
Rafa4LifeEver
G.O.A.T.
Youngsters aren't even Willing to hit using straight arm forehands, leave aside developing a roger alike forehand. So I am very much skeptical about witnessing another Federer/Nadal level forehand on tour, sir. I have my doubts even About whether we'll even see another djokovic alike forehand or not; because even today, a 33 year old djokovic is most likely to come out on top in a sequence of numerous forehand to forehand exchanges with almost any younger player.
Rafa4LifeEver
G.O.A.T.
100% agreed.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
We can't know for sure.
But if you put this in the perspective of Fed learning tennis in the gut era (don't know if he ever played with wood as a kid) and adjusted to poly as he matured, and how he's one of very few with an eastern grip despite having a fully modern whippy swing, I think it's unlikely we'll see a forehand much like his again.
I'll say this, I'm not sure Federer ever really ripped forehands as hard as possible, so I still feel like I don't know how big he could actually go.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Cortana
Legend
It's funny because it's true. OP should define what a "FH like Federers" is exactly. How close has it to be?
30T2
New User
No joke. I think my wrist would break if it flexed like Roger's does.
racquetreligion
Hall of Fame
Tsitsipas FH is very close if not better overall than Feds but Fed did the rest better.
Fed's serve on the other hand is like night and day compared to that of the selfie greek
There is more than Feds weapons that made him who he was. His ability to come up
with ridiculous shots, placement and pull out rabbits out of the bag when it mattered
is simply the reason his FH was not the magical thing that separated him from the rest.
Fed could glide into a shot and kill the opponent while most others shuffle like mad.
In a semi final long ago in peak form, Stepanek won 2 tight tiebreaks serve and volleying
on dusty windy clay with the whole crowd against Stepps who did the worm at the end
with every i-tallians all wearing the same raybans couldnt believe their eyes or the result.
Nadal even on a hard court would produce more successful FH passing shots than Fed
so his FH was not what was amazing about that shot but his footwork and choosing when
to unload, specially when he ran around to hit it. Raonic and Ferrer had most of their
success when they could consistently run around to hit their FH when it was on song.
Fed's serve on the other hand is like night and day compared to that of the selfie greek
There is more than Feds weapons that made him who he was. His ability to come up
with ridiculous shots, placement and pull out rabbits out of the bag when it mattered
is simply the reason his FH was not the magical thing that separated him from the rest.
Fed could glide into a shot and kill the opponent while most others shuffle like mad.
In a semi final long ago in peak form, Stepanek won 2 tight tiebreaks serve and volleying
on dusty windy clay with the whole crowd against Stepps who did the worm at the end
with every i-tallians all wearing the same raybans couldnt believe their eyes or the result.
Nadal even on a hard court would produce more successful FH passing shots than Fed
so his FH was not what was amazing about that shot but his footwork and choosing when
to unload, specially when he ran around to hit it. Raonic and Ferrer had most of their
success when they could consistently run around to hit their FH when it was on song.
ForehandCross
G.O.A.T.
Ban this man.
Third Serve
Talk Tennis Guru
Either this is a very successful troll post or I need to bleach my eyes. Or both.
Third Serve
Talk Tennis Guru
lmao excellent post.
But yeah, it's true unironically. OP needs to define what a "forehand like Fed's" is. Are we talking 95-100% exact? Or just the same type of motion and that?
Start da Game
Hall of Fame
it is great only when he has time on the shot to execute it to near perfection........i have seen it getting broken down when constantly attacked and pushed wide on that side........on grass and hardcourts i would still pick pete's forehand over both fed and rafa........you simply could not attack and break down pistol's forehand.........
Bender
G.O.A.T.
Keep your wrist loose and time your stroke in sync with the SW of your frame and you'll get something similar. The mistake is thinking that there is an active element to the wrist movement in his forehand.
D
Deleted member 770948
Guest
Its not the most entertaining forehand. I can hardly remember it.
Gary Duane
G.O.A.T.
Incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial!untestable, unprovable, irrelevant
Bender
G.O.A.T.
Was it because it was in your childhood
Breakpointerer
Legend
before*
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Weird thread. Even Fed admits there are much more dominant forehands on tour. He has a very elegant and concise precision to his FH which is a model many players followed, so not really unique anymore. What made his stand out, is the way he applied the stroke and became one of the greatest players to date.
racquetreligion
Hall of Fame
lol from logic void fangirls
Even the fangirls of Roger cannot even see the complexity of their own Idol
They jump to his FH as the thing disregarding so many parts of his game
that help the most shanky FH in the game look like its a weapon.
Tell me where Stefanos game is better anywhere apart from his FH vs Federer.
It is the only thing that beat Fed at the AO19 and ATP finals.
There is nothing Tsitsipas does better than hit that eastern gripped stroked
with more pace and authority that makes even Stefanos serve look like a joke
when it comes to accuracy alone vs Feds delivery.
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racquetreligion
Hall of Fame
Stefanos crosscourt FH destroyed that of federer
Trust me there is nothing more cringe worthy than Stefanos except Kyrgross in my books
but what part of Stefanos game is better than Feds if not the FH?. Even against Nole Fed
knows not to get into crosscourts duals with him or Dimwit/Tsonga/Berdych and Murray.
I respect Feds game (not the person) more than most people give credit for.
Stefanos depth is like a shallow inflatable baby pool vs the Mariana trench of Federico.
Nothing else wins matches for Stefano more than his FH the rest of his game is inferior
vs any player in the top 5 even his defence is just below Nodal and Thiemeds.
Even with Stefanos foot speed and reach it is nothing compared to an old Fed with
his swiss clock timed crystal ball anticipation.
Trust me there is nothing more cringe worthy than Stefanos except Kyrgross in my books
but what part of Stefanos game is better than Feds if not the FH?. Even against Nole Fed
knows not to get into crosscourts duals with him or Dimwit/Tsonga/Berdych and Murray.
I respect Feds game (not the person) more than most people give credit for.
Stefanos depth is like a shallow inflatable baby pool vs the Mariana trench of Federico.
Nothing else wins matches for Stefano more than his FH the rest of his game is inferior
vs any player in the top 5 even his defence is just below Nodal and Thiemeds.
Even with Stefanos foot speed and reach it is nothing compared to an old Fed with
his swiss clock timed crystal ball anticipation.
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BackhandDTL
Hall of Fame
Probably not.
ForehandCross
G.O.A.T.
Does Stefanos has anywhere near the ability to take the ball early on his FH side?
Does he have anywhere near the ability to be as precise as Federer can be from the FH from even the most uncomfortable positions?
Federer's FH spin rate ranges from 2700-3200 RPM but that's not the point his bounce used to be second only to Nadal and yet he had more penetration.
Federer can half volley, can go 95+ mph, can be precise , can be more spontaneous than anyone ever I have seen.
His FH is an A+ Passing shot.
I do think Rafael surpasses Federer on FH but Federer FH is easily the most versatile FH ever.
Current Federer doesn't have a better FH than Tsitsipas maybe.
But Federer from his hayday will run circles on his good days around Tsitsipas as of now.
Nobody hits through Nadal on Clay at highest of his defensive abilities like Federer did in 2006 Rome.
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