How many things are wrong with my forehand!
- Thread starter Sweatii_yetii
- Start date
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Looking quite good. Are you always keeping your head still for the part of your forward swing -- until after you feel & hear the contact?
How are you with shots where you are moving out wide -- where you might need a more open stance. You appear to be doing quite well with neutral stances & slightly (semi) open stances.
How are you with shots where you are moving out wide -- where you might need a more open stance. You appear to be doing quite well with neutral stances & slightly (semi) open stances.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Your forehand looks like this guy’s.
One thing to possibly mess around with to see if it helps, is to a a essentially change the point from which you accelerate the racquet toward contact from. I mentioned in an earlier post, that it doesn’t look like the racquet and arm angle is optimal going into contact. You start with a Nextgen unit turn then raise the racquet head up, drop the hand then go for max acceleration. There isn’t much sense to my eye in inverting the racquet Nextgen style unless you are going to make use of it. Therefore, spend as little time as possible in that racquet head up/handle down position. You should be passing through it quicker because you have started your acceleration build up as soon as you get out of that horizontal racquet position the Nextgen unit turn put you in. If I’ve said it a million times, I’ve said it once on this site, once the hitting arm elbow starts to go down it means you are hitting. Full speed ahead. Don’t wait until after dropping the elbow to accelerate forward.
If it doesn’t work, sorry. It is really the only difference I see between you and #2 in the world.
One thing to possibly mess around with to see if it helps, is to a a essentially change the point from which you accelerate the racquet toward contact from. I mentioned in an earlier post, that it doesn’t look like the racquet and arm angle is optimal going into contact. You start with a Nextgen unit turn then raise the racquet head up, drop the hand then go for max acceleration. There isn’t much sense to my eye in inverting the racquet Nextgen style unless you are going to make use of it. Therefore, spend as little time as possible in that racquet head up/handle down position. You should be passing through it quicker because you have started your acceleration build up as soon as you get out of that horizontal racquet position the Nextgen unit turn put you in. If I’ve said it a million times, I’ve said it once on this site, once the hitting arm elbow starts to go down it means you are hitting. Full speed ahead. Don’t wait until after dropping the elbow to accelerate forward.
If it doesn’t work, sorry. It is really the only difference I see between you and #2 in the world.
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Slicerman
Professional
Checked out a few of the videos. Your form looks good on the forehand. I would suggest taking the progression to the next step. Work on doing a running forehand. Recover to the center after each ball, then practice a running crosscourt forehand. It will add more movement, pressure and closer to a realistic point situation.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
The ball slinger ball machine is at the same speed setting just further back. Done intentionally to hit more shots at or inside the baseline. First video I think I was too far behind the baseline like some other posters had mentioned earlier.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Thanks, I appreciate it! Honest answer would be no… I am more cognitive about keeping an eye on the ball it but I know that I’m lifting my head early.
moving out wide I struggle at times and find my self hitting balls to high that end up landing out. Pretty sure it has to do with poor footwork and me getting into position late. I’ve been using the slinger oscillation tool and it’s been awesome and helps me with running ground strokes.Next time I’m out I’ll record that!
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Thanks GeForce the input. Do you suggest that from the unit turn I don’t have racket up so high and instead start my swing at a lower position?? Sorry if I misunderstood
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Have any of you made a conscious effort in trying to straighten out your arm for a forehand? Watching my forehand videos back I feel as though my elbow is too close to my body and would like to “open up” a bit more. I’m not looking to have a straight arm fire hand but something a little elongated. Is there any way to break that habit? Is it worth it to even try? Thanks
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Currently your swing starts too low, because you wait to accelerate into contact until you have dropped your elbow to its lowest point. The elbow dropping is part of the forward swing, not the backswing.
If you are trying to rip a 100mph forehand, the elbow won’t make it down very far, ball will be flatter. If you are hitting a topspin lob, your acceleration will get racquet to top speed in a greater amount of time allowing the elbow to drop further allowing for the steeper path to the ball. Regardless, the elbow only drops when you have decided it is time to swing at the ball and is always accelerating regardless of the rate of that acceleration.
Everything else about your forehand looks great.
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
????
At your level, typical groundie is hit 3-5' BEHIND the service line.
Any shot like you get in 2nd video is a winner attempt or approach.
This is true even at 4.0.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Normally, double bend for me. I really only employ a straight arm forehand for high ball contacts.
For my unit turn, I keep the top hand on the throat of the racket until the hands / racket is even with my back shoulder. From there, the top hand releases and I extend my not dominant arm out and cross my body (more or less parallel to the net). For a brief period, I am using that extended hand to assist with my spacing -- primarily so I am not crowding myself wrt the trajectory of the incoming ball. Just be aware of that and see if it helps.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Dumbest video ever made about tennis. Genetic predisposition. LMFAO.
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Oh ok. Maybe Nadal and Federer had gene transplants since they were juniors. It is apparent their genetic predisposition let them hit bent arm forehands earlier in life. Different techniques. A guy making a living teaching tennis should be better than this.
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
Your comment is one of the most stupid things I've ever read, not just tennis-wise, but in general.
And yes, genetics, your height, your limb length, etc, control and influence how you hit a ball.
For that I award you with the award of the dum dum of the day, congratulations.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Thanks!
Dragy
Legend
If he starts accelerating forcefully before dropping, he’ll ruin his FH.
Dragy
Legend
@Sweatii_yetii I like your form in this video as well as early preparation. I’m with those who earlier suggested to make it work against more challenging balls - deeper, wider. As well as make it work with various intention and placement - go deep, hit CC, DTL, I/O. Hit to recover. Hit to rally. Hit to pull opponent wide. Approach. Put away short balls.
While doing so, see how your (quite generous) takeback works - don’t you need to abbreviate? And keep fluid feel, avoid forceful feelings in arm and shoulder unless you are jammed maybe.
While doing so, see how your (quite generous) takeback works - don’t you need to abbreviate? And keep fluid feel, avoid forceful feelings in arm and shoulder unless you are jammed maybe.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Brought the slinger bag out with the oscillation stand to get a video of moving ground strokes
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
It’s hard to see in the video but I’ve set up a target in the back right. It’s the bag for the oscillating stand held down by the Gatorade bottle
Dragy
Legend
Prep a bit late again, if you ask me. Rush "full back high" position by bounce. Now you get pushed by the ball.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
No. It will flatten it out, but only in the times he does that. That is exactly what I stated. Did you miss the part where I mentioned the topspin lob situation - less forceful or slower build-up accel but accelerating? The point is, that is where the acceleration starts - at elbow drop. That is where the swivel then lag comes from. Dropping passively and then just accelerating after elbow drop will have you shanking and hitting balls on neighboring courts. If you wait until you drop the elbow and the racquet handle is at its lowest point before accelerating toward the ball what would you suggest is the point of having it up in the first place?
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Did you make any stroke changes? It looks different and better. Just the new angle?
Dragy
Legend
There could be a hitch at low point of drop, but I don't see anything of this kind in OP's swing. I see danger in trying what you described. There's flip/slap techniques of Kyrgios, but it's not what I recommend to use. Based on who are best young players of today, so-called "next-gen FH" is dead end.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Yea I do feel late to the ball almost all the time… I think my take back is the issue but not certain.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
I’m pretty sure it’s just the different angle. I didn’t try and incorporate anything different today other then focusing on keeping my eye on the ball at impact.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
This is next on my “fix it” list
there’s quite the LOL in here
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Hud9_6v7d9k
there’s quite the LOL in here
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Hud9_6v7d9k
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
There will be one person that will tell you to stop serving immediately before you hurt yourself.
There are probably easier ways to get to the trophy position, but that is for a later time. Did you get that ball back? SpaceX would be proud.
Anyway, I am flummoxed on the forehand. I do see one big difference between yours and Medvedev’s forehand. His is something no one would try to teach someone, including me. But, he, unlike you, doesn’t pull the arm/racquet into contact with the upper body rotation. You get the right shoulder ahead of the racquet coming into contact, which I would think is optimal. Look at the video below and go to 5:50 and watch how Medvedev doesn’t really use the upper body until he uses mostly arm to get the racquet ahead of the shoulder. Weird! Your forehands are similar otherwise. The guy is pretty much a freak of nature. Even the guy in the video says he will never win a slam with his stroke, I believed that too, but it works for him. Like I said, I don’t know what to make of it, but just wanted you to see it.
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Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
I almost hurt my truck!! Lol it was parked behind those trees. I was waiting to see if I’d hear a thud or something. Kind of embarrassing but I thought it was pretty funny
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Yeah, there is something to be said for getting the hitting elbow in line with the two shoulders. You are very athletic. You will be very good if you keep working at it.
Sweatii_yetii
Rookie
Just watched the video and I do agree about the take back. I did mention a couple of posts up in response to dragy that I feel like I should try and shorten that by not going so high and see how that works.
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