Hitting a topspin forehand with power
- Thread starter michaelNY
- Start date
Make sure you're getting a full shoulder turn, good weight transfer, and don't have any hitches (stops) in your takeback to forward swing.
I bet if you posted a video, you'd get about 30 answers in the first hour though
tacotanium
Professional
practice practice practice practice
im undergoing this process too.
im undergoing this process too.
Devilito
Hall of Fame
With an eastern forehand it should be a lot easier to hit a nice heavy ball that has pace and spin. Prepare early, coil your body, bend your knees and explode into your shot. Hit infront of you not to the side. Hit as hard as you can. If you're hitting out then you need to flick your wrist more and add more spin to the ball until you can swing hard and keep the ball in play.
Watch some videos of Federer's forehand. It's pretty much the perfect eastern grip forehand.
Watch some videos of Federer's forehand. It's pretty much the perfect eastern grip forehand.
Don't listen to the above responses or you may injure yourself.
For more power examine your posture and make sure it's athletic enough and not too casual. Keep your body relaxed. Deliver your whole weight into the shot using your legs and torso to drive the shot. Hit the ball with the sweet spot of your racquet.
For more power examine your posture and make sure it's athletic enough and not too casual. Keep your body relaxed. Deliver your whole weight into the shot using your legs and torso to drive the shot. Hit the ball with the sweet spot of your racquet.
Wes_Loves_Dunlop
Professional
The apdc has ample power and spin. You are just not using it well.
and to the guy who said something about the takeback, you are wrong, you can use either way
and to the guy who said something about the takeback, you are wrong, you can use either way
Any tips on how to get the most out of it? I can hit my one-handed back hand really deep and with tons of pace, it's just the forehand and the serve that are giving me fits. My net play is great with it, too.
Devilito
Hall of Fame
a lot of people just gave you good advice. Without actually seeing you play it's the best you're gonna get. Post a video
Bagumbawalla
G.O.A.T.
Many elements add together to make a good stroke. Many elements executed very well add up to an accurate, powerful stroke.
First of all, relax. If you are too tight, and "forcing" your actions- that will limit your power.
Find the right "balance point" with your weight moving forward so that you hit the ball right at the point where, without some correction, you would, otherwise, tip forward- and that is when you should drive through the ball.
Many people are confused about adding topspin to the ball and try to "brush up", but forget to drive through the ball. If you are using lots of effort and the ball is going nowhere fast- this could be your problem. Forget "brushing". Think, instead of driving through the ball from low to high.
Keep a fairly loose wrist, and do not try to impose any "wrist action" on the ball. Keep your swing simple and unforced. Practice the motion without a ball until it seems fluid.
Make sure you get to the ball early and get set up in position so all your strokes are, basically the same- and you are not "improvising" or inventing new stroks or positions as you go.
Practice your shots at a comfortable, medium, pace- then when you finally get the rhythm down, increase the speed, but keep everything else the same.
And, as someone mentioned above- practice. Get yourself to a wall or a ball machine and refine your stroke through dozens/hundreds of repitions until it all comes smoothly and effortlessly. The key isrefinement, smoothness, looseness, not force.
First of all, relax. If you are too tight, and "forcing" your actions- that will limit your power.
Find the right "balance point" with your weight moving forward so that you hit the ball right at the point where, without some correction, you would, otherwise, tip forward- and that is when you should drive through the ball.
Many people are confused about adding topspin to the ball and try to "brush up", but forget to drive through the ball. If you are using lots of effort and the ball is going nowhere fast- this could be your problem. Forget "brushing". Think, instead of driving through the ball from low to high.
Keep a fairly loose wrist, and do not try to impose any "wrist action" on the ball. Keep your swing simple and unforced. Practice the motion without a ball until it seems fluid.
Make sure you get to the ball early and get set up in position so all your strokes are, basically the same- and you are not "improvising" or inventing new stroks or positions as you go.
Practice your shots at a comfortable, medium, pace- then when you finally get the rhythm down, increase the speed, but keep everything else the same.
And, as someone mentioned above- practice. Get yourself to a wall or a ball machine and refine your stroke through dozens/hundreds of repitions until it all comes smoothly and effortlessly. The key isrefinement, smoothness, looseness, not force.
VaBeachTennis
Semi-Pro
This is very good advice. Read this book and it may help as well................
INNER GAME OF TENNIS This is a preview version on "google books". After reading what I read (yesterday) and trying it the next day (today), it helped my game enormously! It was like EUREKA! I found the missing link! good luck.
Jay_The_Nomad
Professional
What racket were you using previously?
Jay_The_Nomad
Professional
That's terrible advice.
Devilito
Hall of Fame
better tell Federer that. He could take some lessons from you.
Mahboob Khan
Hall of Fame
Use semi-open or open stance (feet must be wider than your shoulders).
With the use of the non-hitting arm, turn your upper body against your legs which are in open stance position. If the upper body turn is correct, your left shoulder will be at 12, and right shoulder will be at 6 o'clock positions. This will send your racket in a loop position.
As the racket comes down the loop add speed through contact. If done correctly, you will find your right shoulder at 12 and left shoulder at 6 o'clock positions.
Regular gym training, and medicine ball throws sandwiched in your practice sessions, will give you the power to hit hard.
To develop arm speed: sit on a stability ball facing the net. Ask someone to feed you a ball to your right side, and you try to hit the ball as hard as possible (with arm speed only).
The idea is you develop the arm speed in isolation, and then integrate it into the overall swing pattern.
Another way to develop arm speed is: Remove strings from your racket. Have some one feed you balls from a ball basket. Try to generate massive racket head speed allowing the ball to go through your frame. If you hit the ball with a frame that means you are off contact. If the ball goes through your unstrung racket-head, it's good.
With the use of the non-hitting arm, turn your upper body against your legs which are in open stance position. If the upper body turn is correct, your left shoulder will be at 12, and right shoulder will be at 6 o'clock positions. This will send your racket in a loop position.
As the racket comes down the loop add speed through contact. If done correctly, you will find your right shoulder at 12 and left shoulder at 6 o'clock positions.
Regular gym training, and medicine ball throws sandwiched in your practice sessions, will give you the power to hit hard.
To develop arm speed: sit on a stability ball facing the net. Ask someone to feed you a ball to your right side, and you try to hit the ball as hard as possible (with arm speed only).
The idea is you develop the arm speed in isolation, and then integrate it into the overall swing pattern.
Another way to develop arm speed is: Remove strings from your racket. Have some one feed you balls from a ball basket. Try to generate massive racket head speed allowing the ball to go through your frame. If you hit the ball with a frame that means you are off contact. If the ball goes through your unstrung racket-head, it's good.
Jay_The_Nomad
Professional
Federer has a loose wrist. He doesn't deliberately flick the ball to get action.
*but anyway, i'm still interested to know what racquet the threadstarter switched from.
It was Wilson. I'm honestly forget the model, but it was one of the thicker frame models.
Jay_The_Nomad
Professional
Have you considered using a stiffer & more poweful racquet?
Most of the people who say that the APDC is a powerful racquet are probably using a more control oriented racquet, so their opinion may be a little skewed.
The Babolat aerostrike supposedly plays like the APDC except its got more power.
The APDC has a higher swingweight, hitting weight, and is stiffer than a aerostrike... the APDC is the more powerful racket of the two.
The APDC is probably around the 75th percentile of all rackets in power. This is not an equipment problem.
Wilson and the APDC have very different grip shapes. I had a mild SW grip when I played with my Wilson, but had to switch to a more extreme SW grip on the APDC to get the same results. Just another thought.
So you think switching to SW grip would benefit me ?
All I'm saying is play around with the grip position a little and see if it helps, because the grip shapes are very different. You may need to go to a milder eastern grip if you played with an eastern grip with your wilson, to get the same shot depth. Or learn to swing through more or change your contact point.
