Any tips how to fix my semi-western forehand?

[Bram Hendriks]

Hi guys,

Maybe you can help me out. I am struggling with my forehand for way too long now. I use a semi-western grip, as you can see in the video's below (regular speed and 0.25x speed). I tried to change it to a western or eastern grip but that was no success at all, so I hope you can give me some tips how to manage my semi-western forehand. The trouble I have is hitting each ball with equal length and spin. I hit a lot of mishits, for example the last ball in the video's. Has it got something to do with my swing through, ending up quite high? Already tried to fix that, hard to get rid of.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[eah123]

You have muscle memory making you do the old stroke. You need to completely relearn the forehand, not just change the grip.

I recommend switching to a nextgen forehand. The process of learning something completely new will allow you to forget. Here’s a video that breaks it down. Good luck!

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Some better unit turn would definitely help smooth out this swing.

 

[Funbun]

The stroke itself is actually fine, if not just really unconventional. The follow through looks awkward but if you are comfortable with it, then I don't see a point in changing it.

Your footwork may be messing with your contact; the last shot in the backview video had you stepping across your back foot as you finished the stroke, resulting in a closed stance and less ready for the next incoming ball. Try to keep your back foot planted as you prepare for the incoming ball and then transfer.

Another thing that could mess with your contact is that you're lifting your head and torso during the swing. Stay planted and rotate; you do not have to "lift" the ball with your body; the nature of the forehand swing path will do that for you.

As for varying your shot height/spin, just try to mentally aim lower for flatter shots, a little above the net. Your will find yourself intuitively adjusting to get this shot.
If you want more spin, just swing faster at a greater height over the net; the racquet speed will naturally bring the ball down into the court with spin.

Despite what anyone would say, your forehand is fine! (It reminds me a little of Adrian Mannerino's forehand.) It looks really funny, but the shots you produce look mostly fine. Keep it up!

 

[coolvinny]

The main issue I see is that you lack horizontal space to the ball, so your right elbow is too tucked in. I’d just work on fixing that. It will take a while, it’s not as easy to fix as it sounds.

 

[ChanTen]

A tip that I found helpful on making things for fluid on forehand is making the circle motion, which can be well explained in this video, but might require you to change the timing of your FH.
Hope it helps.

CMIIW, just a self-rated 3.0-3.5 rated player trying to get better and share some tips to improve together

 

[Pumpkin]

There's a strange sort of sharp upward movement at contact which took me by surprise. This results in and causes the very high follow through. It's whatever it is that causes the sudden and sharp upward movement around contact that needs to be addressed. What that cause is I'm sorry I can't see it at the moment. I'll keep watching and hopefully I'll be able to atleast suggest some things you could try. It's a tricky one.

 

[Dragy]

There's a strange sort of sharp upward movement at contact which took me by surprise. This results in and causes the very high follow through. It's whatever it is that causes the sudden and sharp upward movement around contact that needs to be addressed. What that cause is I'm sorry I can't see it at the moment. I'll keep watching and hopefully I'll be able to atleast suggest some things you could try. It's a tricky one.

It’s likely locked wrist. Racquet only goes up with entire arm.

 

[acintya]

i will be honest. this looks very disconnected.

skip to 3:00 and try this for 10 practice sessions. thank me later.

why this? this is how you will be working more on your legs and positioning and backswing in one.
there is just no better lesson than this one.

you will get a great unit turn, positioning and you will finally feel how a tennis forehand should work.

its need to be natural - every move

 

[Dakota C]

@Bram Hendriks I have had those same struggles previously, also semi-western.

The tip that helped me fix the mishits (which I'm confident are always off the bottom of your racket) for the short term was to mentally try to make contact towards the top edge (the edge closest to the sky) of the racket, while keeping everything else the same.

The main issue with your swing right now is that it's simply much too vertical a swing path and is drastically reducing your margin for error in regards to timing. With your athleticism, you should never be having mishits on balls coming to you where you have as much time as you do in your clips.

Try experimenting with mentally trying to have your racket face very closed at contact and only swinging slightly low to high.

 

[Digital Atheist]

Hi guys,

Maybe you can help me out. I am struggling with my forehand for way too long now. I use a semi-western grip, as you can see in the video's below (regular speed and 0.25x speed). I tried to change it to a western or eastern grip but that was no success at all, so I hope you can give me some tips how to manage my semi-western forehand. The trouble I have is hitting each ball with equal length and spin. I hit a lot of mishits, for example the last ball in the video's. Has it got something to do with my swing through, ending up quite high? Already tried to fix that, hard to get rid of.

Many thanks in advance!
[..]

Same problem as this guy (arm structure is locked well through the stroke follow-through, and you aren't releasing the *hand* early enough, hence the exaggerated low to high).

 

[mental midget]

looks like you're 'flipping' the racket up a lot at follow through. just try finish more out into the court, picture the racket traveling through the ball more than up the back of it so much. you'll still get spin but your shot will have a lot more depth and consistency.

 

[Friedman Whip]

@Bram Hendriks I have had those same struggles previously, also semi-western.

The tip that helped me fix the mishits (which I'm confident are always off the bottom of your racket) for the short term was to mentally try to make contact towards the top edge (the edge closest to the sky) of the racket, while keeping everything else the same.

The main issue with your swing right now is that it's simply much too vertical a swing path and is drastically reducing your margin for error in regards to timing. With your athleticism, you should never being having mishits on balls coming to you where you have as much time as you do in your clips.

Try experimenting with mentally trying to have your racket face very closed at contact and only swinging slightly low to high.

I have been watching this thread and thinking about telling this guy exactly what you have said (which to me is his obvious problem) but I was too lazy to type it in and explain it. Swinging at such a steep angle requires almost perfect timing. Not surprising there are a lot of mishits. Swing out more toward the target. Of course he said he's tried to change this and it's hard. Sorry but yeah some changes are hard to make.

 

[Pumpkin]

The setup is not quite right. I'd like to see your hips facing more towards the right net post and your shoulders facing the side fence. At the moment the hips and shoulders are both facing the side fence. It may fix the sudden upward movement at contact because I'm confident it's something in the setup that is causing that.

 

[ubercat]

Steep swing path is ok with deep back leg bend because relative that makes it less steep. But you need iron legs to keep that up all match.