I keep hitting my shoulder and non-dominant arm (forehand)

ogruskie

Professional
I whip out my arm and the momentum causes the racquet to slap my shoulder or somewhere on my non-dominant arm (left). Sometimes I try catching the racquet, but that ends up smashing against fingers. If I try to stop my forehand stroke from whipping too hard, it creates an abrupt short motion that creates a weak return.

What can I do to stop this?
 
C

chico9166

Guest
I whip out my arm and the momentum causes the racquet to slap my shoulder or somewhere on my non-dominant arm (left). Sometimes I try catching the racquet, but that ends up smashing against fingers. If I try to stop my forehand stroke from whipping too hard, it creates an abrupt short motion that creates a weak return.

What can I do to stop this?

You're probabaly swinging acrossed your body too much. Try directing the impetus, momentum, force of your swing outwardly, on the line of the shot. Hitting through 3 balls or any other extension based tip should help. If you do this properly, the arm/racket will be decelerating when it comes back to you.
 
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Nellie

Hall of Fame
You're probabaly swinging acrossed your body too much. Try directing the impetus, momentum, force of your swing outwardly, on the line of the shot. Hitting through 3 balls or any other extension based tip should help. If you do this properly, the arm/racket will be decelerating when it comes back to you.

I think this is good advice - i only hit myself when I am too wristy so that my arm (i am a righty) stays right and I try to wrap around the left side with just the racquet. When I hit through with a good shoulder rotation, I sometimes hit myself on my back on the runn, but I cannot myself on the side with the racquet unless my wrist stays way right

You can see in the pictures of Federer, how the followthrough should include wrapping the hand around the side.

http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/forehand/forehand.aspx?id=129054
 

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
I do the same thing on my shots, except I usually don't hit myself. I wrap around my forehand to where my racquet hand hits my bicep/tricep. I used to windshield wipe my forehand to where I would strike my elbow on my nondominant arm and it hurt like hell. So, I started wrapping around my arm and it's fine now.
 
I am assuming that the racquet and not a part of your arm (hand and/or forearm) is hitting your non-hitting side. I think the problem is that you are not hitting through the ball enough. If you can just do a stroke without racquet and motion a forehand while continuously having your arm's momentum going forward and up, you should not hit yourself with the racquet. I don't know if I explained it correctly. Sorry if it sounds like a bunch of mumble jumble. :)
 
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