Kinetic chain question...on forehand.

[PittsburghDad]

Regarding starting the kinetic chain in your feet on a forehand. That initial force/push into the ground is almost if not completely back foot right? Watching tape after tape, there's plenty of evidence of guys hitting (practice and match) with the front foot not even on the ground. But never the reverse. Wouldn't work. So can you assume that really the necessary drive from the feet/legs can be exclusively right foot? For a righty.

If you wanted to clearly demonstrate and still the learning of staying the forehand seeing with your feet, would you consider isolating that back foot until it was second nature?

 

[PittsburghDad]

Sorry for the butchered second paragraph. Cell phone. Party foul.

 

[KineticChain]

not exactly sure what you're asking. are you talking about the fact that the right foot leaves the ground most of the time during a forehand?

 

[PittsburghDad]

not exactly sure what you're asking. are you talking about the fact that the right foot leaves the ground most of the time during a forehand?

No. That initial push into the ground thst starts the foreard swing. Its all back foot right? The left foot doesnt need to push off at all to start the swing right?

 

[KineticChain]

ah ok. i actually do think the left foot plays a role in the push off. from videos, you can see the movements of the pros, but it's difficult to tell how they are achieving those movements i.e. which muscle groups are contracted in what sequence. just judging from my own strokes, i feel my left leg is planted but pushes off a bit to increase that core rotation torque. while mostly for stability, i can feel my left leg contributing to the push off.

i'm no coach, so take what i say with a smidgen of salt. maybe a more qualified person will chime in

 

[TennisCJC]

I think the answer to your question is mostly yes. You load on the back foot and transfer weight up and around from there. If you get a sitter, load up the back leg with your weight then lift and rotate the core. Basically, load the back leg using a bit of knee bend and then push up and in to start core rotation. Also helps me to think of back hip driving into contact.

 

[PittsburghDad]

Thanks guys! I was recently sort of cleaning up a weIght transfer issue in my daughter's swing, and we started doing back leg only forehand. Cleared up the weight transfer, but I also noted that her power and hip drive improved. Seemed like the more the initial push was back leg, the better the swing.

 

[LakeSnake]

Well... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ufMEMt-UE

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

^ Looks like a great exercise. However, this should not encourage a player to hit all or most of their FHs with a fully open stance. Loading, unloading and landing on the same leg/foot can be very stressful to the hip over time. Shifting the weight from back leg to front leg on many of your FHs should help to minimize this stress to the right hip (for a righty FH).

Note that the leg drive can also accomplished with the front leg rather than the back leg. This happens on the jumping (mule-kick) BH. A similar type of action can be performed with the FH. The player leans forward a bit (toward the net), picks up the back foot, and then drives off the front leg (and jumps). While a mule-kick FH is not as common as the mule-kick BH, it can be employed every once in a while. I've actually done some mule-kick slice FHs a number of times -- a bit unusual but a lot of fun.

 

[LeeD]

I think the forehand fire comes from the back hip of the back leg.
The feet are connected to the ground, but the fire is first initiated with the back of the back hip.

 

[PittsburghDad]

I appreciate the responses. I saw big, immediate response in my daughter's forehand when we started isolating that back leg for 5 min and then rallying. People who see her play alot are questioning it because it's definitely more inconsistent than stepping in. For now. But it really looks like a better stroke. No question its more pace and topspin.

 

[Chas Tennis]

I appreciate the responses. I saw big, immediate response in my daughter's forehand when we started isolating that back leg for 5 min and then rallying. People who see her play alot are questioning it because it's definitely more inconsistent than stepping in. For now. But it really looks like a better stroke. No question its more pace and topspin.

Is the back leg mostly moving the body forward or rotating the pelvis? How does her motion compare to high level strokes in videos.

60p fps video available on many recent DSLR's with fast shutter speed - should take very good video of body motions. Smartphone ??

The ITF book, Technique Development for Tennis Stroke Production, (2009) has a great basic discussion on the forehand. It emphasizes principles for what you are doing. It also has developmental information on what younger players can do.

 

[PittsburghDad]

Chas, Focusing on the back leg push is what's really changed the basic directional from forward to up and rotational. Hip drive. Its a subtle, but clear change.

I do need to get more and better video. The stroke compares very well at close, hand fed. She does slow motion daily. Everyday it gets better full court.

Love the ITF stuff. Read it tons.