Forehand Body Rotation

[datennisboy87]

I play at a 4.0/4.5 level, and I have been told by my coaches that i arm the ball. Even though I get good spin, power, and depth they claim that I am lucky to not have shoulder issues. I play a power/baseline game and am just seeking help I guess. Will keeping my left arm out across my body longer naturally give me the rotation? I hit mostly neutral and open stance.

 

[Blake0]

Yup, the left arm for righties, helps ensure body rotation and thats basically why you keep it across so your shoulders turn and your left shoulder (for righties) points at the net, preferably perpendicularly and let it naturally turn or uncoil with your shot.

 

[larry10s]

if you can get your left shoulderblade towards the net in the prep phase (yes left arm parrallel to the baseline across your body helps alot(look at a classic aggassi photo) and finish with your right shoulderblade toward the net at the finish its hard to have armed the ball

 

[Nellie]

Kepping your left arm across yuor body will initiate a shoulder/torso rotation, but will not give you rotation. the rotation will come from you catching the racquet with the left hand (or wrapping the racquet around your hip/shoulder) after completing the stroke.

 

[larry10s]

if you stand with your chest parralel to the net and completely arm the ball you could still catch it in your left hand and/or finish wherever you wanted. to get your body into it you have to coil and uncoil. do you agree?

 

[charliefedererer]

Your coach is right on. Too many tennis players concentrate on the "arm hitting" of the stroke. Not only grondstrokes, but volleys and serves can be made both more consistant, and have the potential for more pace and spin, if a better unit turn and stronger push off from the legs is employed.
I want you to try the following right now.
Rotate back with your unit turn the way you normally do.
Then do it with a deeper knee bend. Notice you can rotate back further with a deeper knee bend.
Finally from that deep knee bend/rotated back position, push up as forcefully and as quickly as possible while rotating back around.
Add that knee bend/rotation to your forehand along with your deep knee bend and you've unleashed the kinetic chain for what is going to be an awesome forehand. (Of course adding this to your stroke is going to screw your timing up at first, but keep at it.)
Here are two links that may help as well:
http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/content/fullstory.sps
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/videos/index.php/view/947/169/Introduction_to_the_Tennis_Forehand
(By the way, try to get that body rotation and leg power into your backhand, volley, and serves as well.)

 

[user92626]

I wonder roughly how many percent should be used for arm and how many for shoulder/body rotation?

Interestingly last weekend, i played around with my fh as usual and tried complete loosen arm, almost like it's just a string to link the body and the racket, result was interesting.

 

[crystal_clear]

if you stand with your chest parralel to the net and completely arm the ball you could still catch it in your left hand and/or finish wherever you wanted. to get your body into it you have to coil and uncoil. do you agree?

I agree~

Kepping your left arm across yuor body will initiate a shoulder/torso rotation, but will not give you rotation. the rotation will come from you catching the racquet with the left hand (or wrapping the racquet around your hip/shoulder) after completing the stroke.

Make sense.

 

[larry10s]

to me rotation comes from turning. the result of left shoulder to right shoulder towards the net . you have to turn to do this. ^^^^#2 still does not make sense to me.

 

[JesseT]

The trick, and it takes tons of hitting to convince yourself (your subconcious self) of this, is that less "strain" from the arm in a full rotation still results in a hard hit ball.

Face it, when your arm muscles tense up and you feel the power and see the ball fly off...you think "man, what a hard shot".

When you use 1/2 the arm but rotate a lot, you'll *see* a hard shot, but you just won't feel it the same way. It plays with the head until your muscles get used to it.