how can i give more power to topspin forehand?

Avadia

Rookie
Do you lay your wrist back on the takeback, such that your racquet butt is facing the direction you want to hit the ball? Do you it the ball in front of you, rather to the side of you? I have found that by doing these two things and hitting through the ball more, I can hit a more powerful forehand that goes deeper into the court but still has plenty of topspin.
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
im trying to give so much spin to ball in my forehand but i cant give enough power to hit near the baseline.my balls hitting T most of the time.how can i give the power i want to the ball?this is my grip http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2668/loltef.jpg.is my grip good for topspin?

How is your ball speed?
If it is good, hit to side T instead of middle T, and be glad to have enough spin to bring down a fast ball with good net clearance near the svc line.

If ball speed is too slow, pull "up and across" powerfully thru contact to gain power.
 

mightyrick

Legend
OP, you are in for a rough ride. It looks like you are somewhere between a semi-western and full-western grip. Fairly extreme. Also, if I'm not mistaken, you are also a beginner.

Is your grip comfortable for you? Are you accurate with it? If not, then why not consider a mild semi-western or semi-western grip? Then you can focus on basic groundstroke fundamentals and still creating a penetrating ball.

If that grip *is* comfortable for you, then you are only going to create pace by greatly increasing your racquet head speed. As 5263 said, for most people this requires a very fast wiping motion with the contact point chest to shoulder high -- out in front of you.
 

TheTopSpin

New User
OP, you are in for a rough ride. It looks like you are somewhere between a semi-western and full-western grip. Fairly extreme. Also, if I'm not mistaken, you are also a beginner.

Is your grip comfortable for you? Are you accurate with it? If not, then why not consider a mild semi-western or semi-western grip? Then you can focus on basic groundstroke fundamentals and still creating a penetrating ball.

If that grip *is* comfortable for you, then you are only going to create pace by greatly increasing your racquet head speed. As 5263 said, for most people this requires a very fast wiping motion with the contact point chest to shoulder high -- out in front of you.

how do you know that im a beginner?

correct link http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2668/loltef.jpg
 

TheTopSpin

New User
How is your ball speed?
If it is good, hit to side T instead of middle T, and be glad to have enough spin to bring down a fast ball with good net clearance near the svc line.

If ball speed is too slow, pull "up and across" powerfully thru contact to gain power.

power means speed buddy.i can hit fast but not all of my strokes.ive tried the semi western but it needs more power
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
power means speed buddy.i can hit fast but not all of my strokes.ive tried the semi western but it needs more power

telling or asking that power means speed?
What do you mean by "not all my strokes"?
Not all your strokes, or not all your shots?
 

TheTopSpin

New User
telling or asking that power means speed?
What do you mean by "not all my strokes"?
Not all your strokes, or not all your shots?

dude thats my native language.stroke means shot right why r u asking?asking 4 just to ask.
you asked "how is your ball speed" and i answered :-?:confused:
 
So let me get this straight....you ask for advice, then give attitude to those who are trying to clarify and understand so they can help you?

As Cee Lo Green would say, Forget you.
 

Fuji

Legend
Increase racket head speed or hit through the ball more are really your only options. Either you have to swing a lot faster, or open up the racket face a bit to gain more depth. :)

-Fuji
 

SStrikerR

Hall of Fame
So let me get this straight....you ask for advice, then give attitude to those who are trying to clarify and understand so they can help you?

As Cee Lo Green would say, Forget you.

This was awesome. Anyway, if you're going to ask for advice, stop attacking the people who are trying to help. It's not like one specific grip gives you a ton of power while the others don't. Sure, some allow you to hit flatter, but that's about it. It's all about your stroke. And your strings. Maybe your strings are so tight that you can't create enough power yourself. It happens to 10 year old girls often, so maybe you have the same problem.
 

seb23

Rookie
What grip do you use? Switch to a semi western if it's more extreme than that. Also when you're practicing hit the ball hard and the more you do it the harder your strokes will come, obviously when you play a match take a bit off the ball for more consistency. Maybe use a more powerful string set up? Make sure your body weight is going forwards and not backwards when you hit the ball. Hit the ball out in front of you.
 

mightyrick

Legend
how do you know that im a beginner?

I know you are a beginner because of the question you ask and because you posted a picture of your grip to help clarify your question... whereas you could have just said that you have an extreme SW grip.

It is fine to be a beginner, there is no offense intended. Everyone here was a beginner at some point.

Also, I'm with others on this: Drop the attitude.
 

TheTopSpin

New User
thanks a lot for answers and im not attacking to you.i cant edit my messeges so thats not my native language if i attack you u have to know i didnt mean that.sorry about that.im just trying to get help.i asked two questions first how can i give more power to ball and took a picture and ask am i holding it wrong?the second question can the answer of first one.i hope u guys will understand me im sorry again. :)
 

SStrikerR

Hall of Fame
It's okay. Basically, you should try using semiwestern. If that doesn't give you enough power, then you should post your strings and what tension they were strung at, if you know. Last thing to do would be to post a video of you hitting, so people can help you out.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
So let me get this straight....you ask for advice, then give attitude to those who are trying to clarify and understand so they can help you?

As Cee Lo Green would say, Forget you.

He doesn't know that 5263 is a coach and that his questions are genuine. It's an understandable mistake.
 

RoddickAce

Hall of Fame
Do you have a pic of your grip from the side? From this angle it looks like you are holding the racquet handle a bit too far up, which limits your wrist movement and subsequently power/spin.
 

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
He was trying to ask if you were referring to your shots, or your strokes. The difference would be that if not all of your shots had power, you would have inconsistencies in your stroke. If not all of your strokes had power, you would need to revamp the form.
Well, I hope that's what he was getting at at least.
 

5263

G.O.A.T.
my powerfull shots have no spin just flat.
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7432/picgz.jpg

No problem,
I was just trying to get clear on your information.

For most of us, I expect would say a forehand stroke or a backhand stroke to speak of strokes.

I think most of us would say crosscourt shot or down the line shot to speak of shots.

A crosscourt shot could be a backhand or forehand stroke.
A backhand stroke could be a down the line shot or a crosscourt shot.
I'm sure that the above statements are not always used consistently though.

Hope that explains why I made the question about strokes/shots.
 

TennisCJC

Legend
Do you lay your wrist back on the takeback, such that your racquet butt is facing the direction you want to hit the ball? Do you it the ball in front of you, rather to the side of you? I have found that by doing these two things and hitting through the ball more, I can hit a more powerful forehand that goes deeper into the court but still has plenty of topspin.

I don't like "point the butt at the ball" as a consious thought. It does happen, but better to think prepare for hit by getting racket head up above wrist. Almost all pros get the racket head higher than the wrist and many get it almost directly above wrist. From that position, it is a matter of looping to the bottom of the ball and then following up, thru and across to opposite shoulder in a CONTINUOUS and accelerating motion. The wrist layback and butt pointing at ball happens during the continuous loop and I don't think you want for think about it or force it into your swing. Look at lockandroll instruction on youtube on forehand and backhand. Racket goes back above hitting hand. Forward swing starts, hips and shoulders rotate forward causing looping action of racket head, then follow thru. If you grips are relaxed the butt toward ball position is fleeting and fast and just a single phase of the loop.

To hit topspin shots deeper, you can try these things:
1. hit higher with your normal spin and swing.
2. hit less spin by flatening your upward arc a small amout. Nadal flatens his swing when he goes for the aggresive forehand vs the loop&grind forehand.
3. increase your swing speed with a relaxed but faster motion.
4. get a heavier racket (hi-er SW) as more mass behind the hit will produce more force as long as you don't slow your swing down.
5. be sure you are rotating the hips and shoulders into the ball. Sometimes the opposite shoulder actually goes backward as the dominate shoulder rotates forward. Think finish strong with you hand above or beside opposite shoulder. Sequence thru contact point is hips, shoulder, hands, and finish strong - this is a kinetic energy chain. Watch Fed forehand and see how smoothly coordinated the rotation is with each body part in perfect unison with the next.
6. You also want a bit of knee bend and knee lift in the kinetic chain so the lift of the legs happens as part of the unwinding of the hips, shoulders, and hands.

By the way, I couldn't see your grip but something south of an eastern forehand or a semi-western should be fine for topspin. A full western is too limiting for me but some like it.

That's about all I have learned in 35 years to generate more depth.
 
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5263

G.O.A.T.
IMO the windshield wiper (WW) forehand was brought into use to hit big spin with big power/speed.
Do you have this shot?
 
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