closing up the stance on the forehand

[dimkin]

I hit a 3/4 eastern straight arm forehand (bent arm gives me golfer's elbow pain)

My new coach is really pushing me to hit most of my forehands from a closed stance
(but on the follow through to step around the pivot leg)

Says the pros are:
- More linear shot allowing for proper weight transfer.
- Better balance, easier to keep the head still
- Better control and less risk of over-rotating and opening up too early.
- Better directional control, especially over cross-court angles, as one can create good rotation by pivoting around that left leg axis while staying balanced


For years I have been trying (poorly) to model my fh after Simon's (TTT).
Simon hits from a very open stance most of the time, and really loads up the hip - which is very difficult to do in a closed stance.
So the kinetic chain of a closed stance forehand is very different as is the footwork to the forehand - the first big step needs to come from
the left leg, as opposed to the right leg (which by now is natural).

Have you guys toyed with one type vs another?

@nytennisaddict

P.S.:

 

[PSC85]

incredible

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I hit a 3/4 eastern straight arm forehand (bent arm gives me golfer's elbow pain)

My new coach is really pushing me to hit most of my forehands from a closed stance
(but on the follow through to step around the pivot leg)

Says the pros are:
- More linear shot allowing for proper weight transfer.
- Better balance, easier to keep the head still
- Better control and less risk of over-rotating and opening up too early.
- Better directional control, especially over cross-court angles, as one can create good rotation by pivoting around that left leg axis while staying balanced


For years I have been trying (poorly) to model my fh after Simon's (TTT).
Simon hits from a very open stance most of the time, and really loads up the hip - which is very difficult to do in a closed stance.
So the kinetic chain of a closed stance forehand is very different as is the footwork to the forehand - the first big step needs to come from
the left leg, as opposed to the right leg (which by now is natural).

Have you guys toyed with one type vs another?

@nytennisaddict

P.S.:

i use a variety of footwork depending on the time i'm permitted.
if i can i will always hit closed stance with my weight moving linearly into the shot...
but sometimes my opponent doesn't give me enough time.

i use all these footwork patterns, at one point or another:

maybe your coaching is generally saying you should be striving to get your weight moving forward into the shot, for every shot? many times when folks learn open stance, they use it as a license to be lazy (at least i used to)....

 

[dimkin]

i use a variety of footwork depending on the time i'm permitted.
if i can i will always hit closed stance with my weight moving linearly into the shot...
but sometimes my opponent doesn't give me enough time.

i use all these footwork patterns, at one point or another:

maybe your coaching is generally saying you should be striving to get your weight moving forward into the shot, for every shot? many times when folks learn open stance, they use it as a license to be lazy (at least i used to)....

I am sure I am often lazy with the footwork and end up arming the ball, but the main technical flaws that I am trying to fix is
the opening up the chest too early, over-rotation, and "getting up" on the forehand.

 

[mad dog1]

@dimkin i try to do pretty much what @nytennisaddict said.

 

[Rosstour]

Generally end up hitting open stance for DTL, more closed for CC and inside-out.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I am sure I am often lazy with the footwork and end up arming the ball, but the main technical flaws that I am trying to fix is
the opening up the chest too early, over-rotation, and "getting up" on the forehand.

ah, the coach was saying to hit more closed to fix the problem of opening your chest too much.

tip that worked for me was to catch the racquet directly in front of me (ie directly between me and the net). forces me to address the contact longer (stay “square” to the contact)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ptuanminh]

I guess you mean neutral stance, not closed stance. I like your coach's suggestion. Using neutral stance will make u less lazy and move around more, which i see as a problem from watching your video.
Once you get used to with neutral stance, you will see its much easier to use your hip turn because it comes naturally with stepping into the ball.
In reality, you will still hit with mostly semi open or open stance, since we are all very slow. Once in a while, when you get an attacking ball, then neutral stance is kinda useful.

 

[ptuanminh]

I guess you mean neutral stance, not closed stance. I like your coach's suggestion. Using neutral stance will make u less lazy and move around more, which i see as a problem from watching your video.
Once you get used to with neutral stance, you will see its much easier to use your hip turn because it comes naturally with stepping into the ball.
In reality, you will still hit with mostly semi open or open stance, since we are all very slow. Once in a while, when you get an attacking ball, then neutral stance is kinda useful.

 

[dimkin]

Actually a closed stance.
I can load the back leg, but not the hip.

My shot is a lot flatter in that stance....

 

[sredna42]

Lol at the timing of this thread. I just got home from 3 hours hitting and this was exactly the thing i was working on. To take every forehand in neutral/closed, stepping into it, rather than taking everything in open like i seem to do, which gradually seems to devolve to late contact and arming the ball, or over rotating/ opening chest too early and shanking it cc.

 

[sredna42]

I hit a 3/4 eastern straight arm forehand (bent arm gives me golfer's elbow pain)

My new coach is really pushing me to hit most of my forehands from a closed stance
(but on the follow through to step around the pivot leg)

Says the pros are:
- More linear shot allowing for proper weight transfer.
- Better balance, easier to keep the head still
- Better control and less risk of over-rotating and opening up too early.
- Better directional control, especially over cross-court angles, as one can create good rotation by pivoting around that left leg axis while staying balanced


For years I have been trying (poorly) to model my fh after Simon's (TTT).
Simon hits from a very open stance most of the time, and really loads up the hip - which is very difficult to do in a closed stance.
So the kinetic chain of a closed stance forehand is very different as is the footwork to the forehand - the first big step needs to come from
the left leg, as opposed to the right leg (which by now is natural).

Have you guys toyed with one type vs another?

@nytennisaddict

P.S.:

You sound like me. The forehand does my head in.

 

[dimkin]

You sound like me. The forehand does my head in.

Yup... In contrast to my 2hbh backhand which I hit 90% closed stance and footwork is all good.
But I feel my fh has a ton of potential...

Need to figure it out.

 

[ptuanminh]

Actually a closed stance.
I can load the back leg, but not the hip.

My shot is a lot flatter in that stance....

Then I have no idea. Odd advice, who hit forehand with closed stance these days?
um, amount of topspin depends on the stance too??? Never heard this.

 

[pencilcheck]

I hit a 3/4 eastern straight arm forehand (bent arm gives me golfer's elbow pain)

My new coach is really pushing me to hit most of my forehands from a closed stance
(but on the follow through to step around the pivot leg)

Says the pros are:
- More linear shot allowing for proper weight transfer.
- Better balance, easier to keep the head still
- Better control and less risk of over-rotating and opening up too early.
- Better directional control, especially over cross-court angles, as one can create good rotation by pivoting around that left leg axis while staying balanced


For years I have been trying (poorly) to model my fh after Simon's (TTT).
Simon hits from a very open stance most of the time, and really loads up the hip - which is very difficult to do in a closed stance.
So the kinetic chain of a closed stance forehand is very different as is the footwork to the forehand - the first big step needs to come from
the left leg, as opposed to the right leg (which by now is natural).

Have you guys toyed with one type vs another?

@nytennisaddict

P.S.:

Closed stance means your left leg is crossing in front of your right leg, which is very uncommon to do now adays.

Neutral stances I believe is what you are referring to as "closed stance", this is the stances that have your left leg directly pointing at the ball and not crossing over your right leg.

Open stances is anything more opened than neutral stances.

If you want neutral stance advices for body rotation. I trick I did for myself is to imagine you are kneeling down forward with your right leg dragging on the ground, and that will cause your body to rotate properly.

 

[ByeByePoly]

 

[5263]

I hit a 3/4 eastern straight arm forehand (bent arm gives me golfer's elbow pain)

My new coach is really pushing me to hit most of my forehands from a closed stance
(but on the follow through to step around the pivot leg)

Says the pros are:
- More linear shot allowing for proper weight transfer.
- Better balance, easier to keep the head still
- Better control and less risk of over-rotating and opening up too early.
- Better directional control, especially over cross-court angles, as one can create good rotation by pivoting around that left leg axis while staying balanced


For years I have been trying (poorly) to model my fh after Simon's (TTT).
Simon hits from a very open stance most of the time, and really loads up the hip - which is very difficult to do in a closed stance.
So the kinetic chain of a closed stance forehand is very different as is the footwork to the forehand - the first big step needs to come from
the left leg, as opposed to the right leg (which by now is natural).

Have you guys toyed with one type vs another?

@nytennisaddict

P.S.:

you have to use all the stances at times, but the semi is best for the Fh when you can.

 

[Nellie]

Try to practice more crosscourt with your forehand. If you are opening the chest, you will tend to hit late and down the line. I also like to point at my intended target (to make sure I get enough rotation on the preparation) and to catch the throat to have enough linear travel (extension), as nytennisaddict suggested.

 

[ptuanminh]

Pointing at intended target as in pointing at the ball?

 

[Fintft]

i use a variety of footwork depending on the time i'm permitted.
if i can i will always hit closed stance with my weight moving linearly into the shot...
but sometimes my opponent doesn't give me enough time.

i use all these footwork patterns, at one point or another:

maybe your coaching is generally saying you should be striving to get your weight moving forward into the shot, for every shot? many times when folks learn open stance, they use it as a license to be lazy (at least i used to)....

To the OP:

- Search for other posts on the subject by Nytennisaddict in other threads.
- My second coach (who is actually a player, brother of his sister coach) told me to do the same as yours told you: hit more closed/neutral stance (and on the follow thru, step in, with a linear motion).
- This works generally speaking, but like NYTennisaddict says, do you have time to do it? I mean to recover for the next shot?
- Why do you think #1, Djokovic hits open stance (circular movement)? Could it be that his main focus is to be able to recover/defend after he executes his FH and not to hit winner with max power (using the linear movement our coaches are telling us)?

 

[ByeByePoly]

To the OP:

- Search for other posts on the subject by Nytennisaddict in other threads.
- My second coach (who is actually a player, brother of his sister coach) told me to do the same as yours told you: hit more closed/neutral stance (and on the follow thru, step in, with a linear motion).
- This works generally speaking, but like NYTennisaddict says, do you have time to do it? I mean to recover for the next shot?
- Why do you think #1, Djokovic hits open stance (circular movement)? Could it be that his main focus is to be able to recover/defend after he executes his FH and not to hit winner with max power (using the linear movement our coaches are telling us)?

"hit more closed/neutral stance (and on the follow thru, step in, with a linear motion)"

If he is talking about square/ neutral stance fh (see Fed video above starting at 00:30) the step has happened before contact and follow through

 

[Fintft]

"hit more closed/neutral stance (and on the follow thru, step in, with a linear motion)"

If he is talking about square/ neutral stance fh (see Fed video above starting at 00:30) the step has happened before contact and follow through

Probably both though, as to quote the OP "on the follow through to step around the pivot leg ".

 

[ByeByePoly]

Probably both though, as to quote the OP "on the follow through to step around the pivot leg ".

I don't think anyone hits closed FHs ... but neutral/square. Typical is Fed above at 00:30 where is back (right leg) will come up a little from momentum with a planted left leg. You also hit neutral/square FHs in stride ... say running in on a short ball.

When you hit a closed stance 2hbh, your off leg will come around with momentum. I assume if you actually did hit a closed FH, you would get a similar result.