Low forehands going long and to high

[Alekok1221]

Hi I'm always getting the problem that whenever I get a slice ball or a low ball, I try to hit it but it goes beyond the baseline and with a higher launch angle. I use a semiwestern forehand and I try swing low to high or catching the racquet like thiem. Pls I would like to hear your suggestions to fix this problem.

 

[3loudboys]

Even more vertical swing path to exaggerate the topspin and a more pronounced wrist turn to assist controlling the trajectory. If you’re deep on the base with a low ball you can aim higher over the net but inside the court you’ll need to go lower over the net to get it up and down. Good luck.

 

[LeeD]

Aim closer to the net.

 

[ballmachineguy]

Try hitting with closer spacing to where your racquet starts from behind your body and runs more parallel to the baseline instead of out toward the target. Like trying to put hook/draw spin on the bell.

 

[eah123]

Heavy topspin or slice it back. Don’t try to hit it flat.

 

[Jonesy]

More topspin. You are already doing something fine, that is elevating the launch angle, now it is time for you to do a big cut on the ball so that the ball lands in.

 

[ballmachineguy]

The rest of you realize that he/she is talking about “low” balls. More topspin has to come from an upward, low to high racquet head. That is hard to do when the ground is below the ball. Gonna have to swing in a way that provides a sidespin component also.

 

[Slicerman]

There's a common misconception when it comes to handling low balls. Using more topspin on a low ball will actually make it worse. The best way to handle a low ball is to use less topspin and hit it more flat.

 

[washingmachine]

Hmmm...maybe you do need to counter with lots of topspin, which means you need to swing fast to impart the spin. If you don't swing fast enough, then there won't be enough spin to keep the ball in the court. And to hit with lots of spin you need to keep your arm loose and hit through the ball.

 

[ppma]

Send him the junk with sliced foreham bro. You send junk, you get junk.

Talking seriously. If ball height is too low, you can manage to get some topspin with a topspin sliced forehand. You do this by having the racquet face looking somewhat laterally towards your left side (if you are right handed) in a closed stance. Kind of Rafa's banana shot.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

Send him the junk with sliced foreham bro. You send junk, you get junk.

Absolutely!

 

[nyta2]

Hi I'm always getting the problem that whenever I get a slice ball or a low ball, I try to hit it but it goes beyond the baseline and with a higher launch angle. I use a semiwestern forehand and I try swing low to high or catching the racquet like thiem. Pls I would like to hear your suggestions to fix this problem.

few checkpoints that help me:
* make contact, closer to my body (eg. not out in front)... if i contact "out in front" like a drive, i typically can't get much spin on it
* shorten backswing/smaller loop...
* finish is usually higher than a "normal" drive forehand (especially because need to add more spin, but also because i might be trying to counter the tendency for backspin to want to crawl down my strings on contact)
* loose wrist (i still need the brush to hit up, and have it come down).. when i get too tense, i end up blocking/bunting the ball... swinging low2high is good, to clear net, but no brush == no topspin to bring it back down again.
* stay low (don't jump up, or hop up thinking it's gonna give more topspin)

 

[Bagumbawalla]

The basic "rule of thumb" in tennis has traditionally been-
respond to topspin with topspin, respond to slice with slice and this is
what I would recommend if your shots are going long as you describe.

I'm sure you have seen this happen with the pros, once one of the players
slices, every ball thereafter is sliced back back and forth, until one takes the initiative
to hit a more aggressive and "chancy" shot.

If you do want to try imparting topspin to low slice, then keep your racket face approximately
perpendicular to the court surface. Do not open the racket face by tilting it "up".
If the ball stays really low you will need to "whip" through it and try for a placement
deep in the opposing court.

If you are having trouble with this, as you say, just reading about it is not enough
to turn a weak shot into an aggressive response. You need to practice.
Have a friend stand at the net with a bucket of balls and hit deep "slice volleys"
alternating between your forehand and backhand. Try driving through them with topspin.
Once you get the feel of that, then move up closer to the net and try doing the same.

 

[tendency]

Hi I'm always getting the problem that whenever I get a slice ball or a low ball, I try to hit it but it goes beyond the baseline and with a higher launch angle. I use a semiwestern forehand and I try swing low to high or catching the racquet like thiem. Pls I would like to hear your suggestions to fix this problem.

Self-feed (or have someone do it for you) low balls and practice snapping your wrist threw the ball as you swing to get more topspin. Have you skipped stones before? It's a similar feel to that or almost like you're throwing the racket at the ball through impact.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Hi I'm always getting the problem that whenever I get a slice ball or a low ball, I try to hit it but it goes beyond the baseline and with a higher launch angle. I use a semiwestern forehand and I try swing low to high or catching the racquet like thiem. Pls I would like to hear your suggestions to fix this problem.

You might check your racquet face at contact. One thing I become aware of is rec players have a tendency to over rotate their wrist, turning the bottom edge of the racquet forward, causing the racquet face to open upward. This seems to be especially prominent when the elbow gets tucked into the body too much. The other I've seen is dropping the racquet head too much and pulling up causing and upward motion as well.

If you post a video with several forehands it would help folks.

 

[J011yroger]

Hand speed my boy!

J

 

[Nellie]

Bend your knees so you get positioned to use a similar swing path as a regular ball at your waist. Otherwise, think of a low ball near your feet as a more defensive shot that you are going to roll back with less speed and more height/depth