Are there any great forehands?

dmt

Hall of Fame
I have a question about pro forehands. Do any pro's have great forehands who dont use a straight arm forehand? Or do all pro's with the best forehands have their arm straight at moment of impact?
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
Joker hits mostly double bend I think, and IMO his is one of the best and more dependable than Feds.
 
I have a question about pro forehands. Do any pro's have great forehands who dont use a straight arm forehand? Or do all pro's with the best forehands have their arm straight at moment of impact?

Double bend forehands:
-nole
-Murray
-tsonga
-roddick
-gonzalez
-ferrero
-kuerten
-agassi
-söderling
-safin
-courier
-tomic
-blake
-haas
-grosjean
-davidenko
-ferrer
-berdych



actually most good players today use it. straight arm was very common, but in the last years it became quite rare.

Straight armers in the last ten years:
-fed
-nadal
-srichapan
-verdasco
-del potro
 

dmt

Hall of Fame
i have a bend in my forehand and i was thinking about switching but i wasnt sure if i needed to, thanks
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
i have a bend in my forehand and i was thinking about switching but i wasnt sure if i needed to, thanks

I've posted here several times that IMO these are not 2 distinct shots. My understanding is that this is something John Yandell came up with in the early days of pic/vid study of strokes, but now should be understood not to be a defining aspect on the Fh. Most double bend players will extend at times and hit straight, as well as players like Fed will at times get some more bend in the Fh. There is more difference between Fed, Del Potro, and Nadal's straight arm Fhs than anything separating the bent vs straight arm Fhs. Some normally have big bends some have small bends, and probably nobody is completely straight, locked out. Sort of odd to even call the straight arm a category at all IMO, as it is IMO clearly just a variation (maybe even a compensation), which those guys use more often than not.

The Double bend has some advantages, along with being easier and more consistent and allows for extending and hitting more straight when the situation calls for it.
I recommend you to stay with the double bend as a base.
 
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GoaLaSSo

Semi-Pro
I find the double bend to have less power/drive, but it seems to have a fair amount of spin and control compared to straight arm
 

dmt

Hall of Fame
thanks for the replies guys

I still find it hard to understand how Gonzalez can produce so much power with the bent forehand. Is it because he is physically strong?
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
thanks for the replies guys

I still find it hard to understand how Gonzalez can produce so much power with the bent forehand. Is it because he is physically strong?

IMO it just proves there can be as much or more power in the bent.
 

Blake0

Hall of Fame
thanks for the replies guys

I still find it hard to understand how Gonzalez can produce so much power with the bent forehand. Is it because he is physically strong?

Monfils has hit 120mph with a double bend. The hardest and most consistent players, especially in high level juniors, have double bend forehands (most of them). I'd say just go with what you feel is more natural and take that as a base and develop from there just as someone else said.

Truthfully speaking, double bend players have had more velocity then straight arm players..
 
thanks for the replies guys

I still find it hard to understand how Gonzalez can produce so much power with the bent forehand. Is it because he is physically strong?

Most of the power comes from the trunk rotation and not the arm.

both strokes have different advantages:

straight:
-longer lever
-often more stretch in the wrist

bent:
-you can rotate quicker, since the rotational innertia is smaller (like a figure skater brings his arms in when he pirouettes fast)
-you can use internal rotation of the upper arm like a baseball pitcher. first the elbow leads and the forearm lays back(upper arm externally rotates), then the upper arm internally rotates and the forearm moves rotationally around the elbow. this is an extra whip.
explained here: http://www.revolutionarytennis.com/step8.html

both forehands are good for different types of players. straight arm players need a strong arm and flexible wrist. if your strengths are that go for straight arm.

bent arm needs a very strong core that rotates fast and a flexible shoulder. to get real power with the double bent you need that external/internal rotation move of the upper arm(which is also the driving force in throwing and serving-but with those strokes there is also extension added of course). just going to swing the arm bent won't cut it, the humerus rotation is the turbo boost you need.

players who get that can hit really hard, if not better hit straight arm. the double bent is a very rotational move-in the hips and in the the arm.
 
BTW that site mentions that rotation of the body is bad(only recommends that to very good players). I think they are very wrong on that. but they explain the arm move of the double bent very good.
 

dmt

Hall of Fame
well then i am going to stick with the bend forehand and work more on rotation. I'll try and work on my consitency too and if i can do that well, hopefully i'll attempt to hit it harder after a few months.
 

JohnYandell

Hall of Fame
Some of the players will use both--Fed for example. But he would probably much prefer straight arm--or straight elbow if that term is clearer, whenever possible. The new high speed footage we have with over two hundred examples probably shows 85% or more Fed forehands with the straight arm.

I must say though that I agree that 99.9% of all players should get down on their knees and thank Jesus if they can develop a solid double bend forehand with all the key technical components at a high level.

So many people I have seen and videoed talk about the straight arm as if it were the magic bullet when they have horrible fundamental flaws that render that discussion ludicrous.

And it would be hard to argue with the way Djokovic hit that double bend forehand in Aussie land.

Having said all that there is some amazing new research coming from Brian Gordon that will establish based on measurements that all other things being equal the straight arm has advantages--in terms of taking away time, and particularly in the production of spin. Also that it is much more difficult to execute. Which brings me back to the first point.
 

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
Excuse Me, John....If is subsribe for one month on Tennisplayer.net....do i get a 30 day view or is just for that month!

Also after that month.....do i have to phone to cancel or is there an option on the website? Thanks
 

JohnYandell

Hall of Fame
you get 30 days from the day, and if you time it right this could cross two issues... you can cancel the renewal and just get one month if that's what you want.
 
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