my whole game needs help!

[tenacitytennis]

hi all! could you please give me some tips? mainly the serve and forehand as well as the slice... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_ADzNNEGGU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFY1Uk8xjHw

 

[dknotty]

It's seems to me you aren't turning your upper body much on forehands. Use the left hand to give you the take back so your in a semi closed stance with your shoulders facing side ways. The slow motion videos of Federer's forehand show this.

 

[ilovetennis212]

Is it me or your hitting forehand is actually all look like under spin shot?
Your backhand seems ok than your forehand.
-solution-
If you want to hit Forehand top spin your racquet swing must start from down to up.
The swing path can be up -> down -> horizontal -> contact -> up .. But it will be too complicate as a starter.
Just try to think you are brushing the ball after contact is made.

I think you're serving with two motion.
1. stand back and tossing the ball
2. jump close to baseline and hit the ball.
you can easily lose your hitting timing and power with two motions.
Try to make the motion as one.
- Solution -
Stand close to baseline with left leg...
You can toss the ball and hit it with two legs jumping from where they were like federer.
Or you can put your foot together as you're tossing and hit it like monfils or berdych.

 

[tenacitytennis]

Hmm thanks for help! @ilovetennis212 thats interesting you say it looks like underspin! Its looking like top to me but i have had one guy tell me my forehand looks like two much wrist and my shots can have side spin when i try to flatten out them

 

[josofo]

on your serve.


the other guy was right it just doesn't look right. he said you have "two motions".

here is what i think you can do to fix it.


try to finish straight instead of falling off to your left at the end. i think if you made this change it would help you naturally correct the timing issues and the "doesn't look right" part of your motion.


as for your forehand. what do you do when your have a lot of time to hit a good forehand. in that video you seemed to just hit slice forehands or do like a push forehand.

 

[santihaas]

your forehand is a slice with a contiental grip you have to hit it normally with an eastern, semi-western or western grip

 

[ilovetennis212]

Hmm thanks for help! @ilovetennis212 thats interesting you say it looks like underspin! Its looking like top to me but i have had one guy tell me my forehand looks like two much wrist and my shots can have side spin when i try to flatten out them

Put up new video so we can actually see your forehand topspin.
Me, Josofo, santihaas we all saw your forehand as underspin shot

 

[newpball]

your forehand is a slice with a contiental grip you have to hit it normally with an eastern, semi-western or western grip

Why?

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[ilovetennis212]

your forehand is a slice with a contiental grip you have to hit it normally with an eastern, semi-western or western grip

He doesn't have to hit forehand with eastern or semi eastern grip.
He can hit forhand with continental grip like in 1960.
But he has to swing low to high.
Swing motion must be down to up with continental grip.

 

[Chotobaka]

First and foremost, get in the habit of using a split step on every ground stroke.

 

[movdqa]

Try to keep the left foot steady on the serve.

Use a continental grip on the serve.

Move your feet. You're standing around between shots.

As others have noted, it looks like you're using a continental serve on the forehand. You might consider switching to eastern, or semiwestern to generate topspin.

 

[LeeD]

Nice 2hbh.
Not sure why you slice every forehand, but you can hit topspin with conti grip even on balls chest high, you just have to turn sideways much much more, almost a closed stance. If you like conti forehands, look at old vids of Panatta and Nastase.
Serve. You obviously has a strong swing. Problem is your low toss hand, leading to no body arch, so you swing straight ahead, when your swing should be up towards the ball. Look at the ATP logo, the one of DJ in trophy position. Notice his high hand at the end of the ball toss. Now look at EVERY other pro, man or woman, and notice the high hand after they toss the ball. That high hand helps your body assume the archer's bow, so you can swing upwards, even for flat serves, but especially for topspin and kick/twist serves.

 

[LeeD]

And yes, your forehand is hit with underspin. When you try to flatten them out, your sidespin is the indicator.
If you WANT to hit underspin forehand, it's up to you.
If you WANT to hit topspin forehands, look at the grips of Nadal, DJ, Murray, and Federer.

 

[mad dog1]

the courts look like el dorado park tennis center

 

[tenacitytennis]

Yeah just noticed i did hit all my fhs slice... i will try to upload a vid with me actually hitting a real forehand and not chopping...@mad dog1...where is that park?

 

[tenacitytennis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSB7pPMZXjc i uploaded some forehands off the wall from an iphone... it was late at night but i have just been real busy

 

[ilovetennis212]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSB7pPMZXjc i uploaded some forehands off the wall from an iphone... it was late at night but i have just been real busy

1. Back swing
Your big roof back swing don't help your stroke for now. It doesn't look natural for you in my opinion.
I suggest you to swing back naturally not with your arm being straight to sky.
You can actually lose your hitting timing with that back swing. In practice or against bad opponent you can hit a forehand as you do now. But if you face better opponent in game your back swing will make you off timing.

2. Jumping (hop)
You kinda hop when you hit a forehand.
I think you want to generate more power with jumping or hopping to work with kinetic chain.(look for proper kinetic chain practice in y0utube.)
But I think you have to understand "body weight transfer into a shot" first and you can master the jumping shot.
I think you can use this drill with the link I made below. It's just drill.. Don't try it on game. This video helped me to understand to hit a hard forehand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ufMEMt-UE&feature=youtube_gdata

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ufMEMt-UE&feature=youtube_gdata

 

[tenacitytennis]

i have been told that my back swing is huge! i know that looks very unnatural and i agree but i think ive been doing it for so long it just feels natural and helps with timing if that sounds strange haha... also that hoping vid actually helped a bit as well! other than the back swing does the technique look normal or am i not pronating correctly with the wrist during the windshield wiping motion?

 

[the 10s n00b]

it doesnt look like you are using your forearm forehand to turn the doorknob per say which is what should be happening instead of using your wrist alone... im not a coach though....

 

[LeeD]

Read post 17 again.
If you want to hit conti forehands, BEND your elbow during the takeback, like Nastase and Panata did.
LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU SERVE!

 

[tenacitytennis]

Id rather hit semi western fh than conti...i only use conti to slice

 

[LeeD]

Don't think you've shown a SW gripped forehand topspin yet.
Looks like your latest vid, your grip is a hybrid conti and eForehand, with a continental topspin excessively long loop.

 

[ilovetennis212]

i have been told that my back swing is huge! i know that looks very unnatural and i agree but i think ive been doing it for so long it just feels natural and helps with timing if that sounds strange haha...

Rafael nadal has been played tennis since he was a little kid. And he's been world No.1 ranked in 2008. His service motion felt natural to him until 2009. I don't know if you notice him change his service motion in 2009. But he is humble enough to fix(change) his service motion to take him next level.
In 2010, he finally takes US open title and becomes a career grand slammer.
Here's the link Nadal is in lesson.
I think you can change if you want to. I bet you never played games or matches more than rafa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GljqJv84tTI&feature=youtube_gdatahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GljqJv84tTI&feature=youtube_gdata

 

[LeeD]

Make the change NOW, like the previous poster said. He is a ranked junior, I"m a 64 year old who's been playing tennis for 30+ years.
If you like SW grip, use it. Only use the conti forehand for goofing around, lazy, and wide retrieves.

 

[tenacitytennis]

watched the video about nadal and wow! thats pretty crazy! at the end he talked about bad habits creeping in though which makes me wonder if nadals muscle memory was so strong and programmed it just subconsciously took over or uncle tony told him to change back which i doubt. As for my grip i asked a couple people today they all said it looked like a semi western to them??? My take back i realize is a waste of energy and i will make the change but wonder whether everthing else looks good besides the take back

 

[LeeD]

SW, move your contact point more forward ahead of your body, more forward than any 2hbh.

 

[tenacitytennis]

ok so basically extend more forward... as if hitting a 1 hand back where you have to reach to get to the ball

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

He doesn't have to hit forehand with eastern or semi eastern grip.
He can hit forhand with continental grip like in 1960.
But he has to swing low to high.
Swing motion must be down to up with continental grip.

This is not 1960 and today's rackets aren't meant to be used that way... Smh

 

[ilovetennis212]

watched the video about nadal and wow! thats pretty crazy! at the end he talked about bad habits creeping in though which makes me wonder if nadals muscle memory was so strong and programmed it just subconsciously took over or uncle tony told him to change back which i doubt. back

I just watched nadal last week match vs federer, dimitrov in cincy 2013.
Nadal is serving with perfect trophy position as he changed from 2009. He actually hit good service to hold his serve against isner in cincy final.
Nadal is coming back strong in 2013 with good service. Probably he practiced service more.

I didn't mean that your entire huge back swing motion is wrong.
I meant it doesn't help you with your "straight" arm to the sky when you take back.
You don't have to change the whole progress.. You gotta do whats feel natural for you.

There's like gulbis who's forehand looks awkward in Pros. But still win some game...

 

[ilovetennis212]

. As for my grip i asked a couple people today they all said it looked like a semi western to them??? My take back i realize is a waste of energy and i will make the change but wonder whether everthing else looks good besides the take back

Your 1st video : it was continental grip. And hitting slices.
Your 2nd video : I see you're hitting with semi western.

You gotta understand "body weight transfer" "back to forward" first.
You don't have to change your grip or motion or anything.

BUT I SEE YOU'RE HITTING WITH JUMPING BACK. YOU MUST HIT WITH JUMPING UP OR FORWARD.
I understand if you were inside the court and try to go back outside the baseline.. Then you can hit with jumping back.
But I see its your habit that you kinda hopping back with your swing.
I think you must notice your jumping direction first and work with foot work.
That's just my observation.

 

[tenacitytennis]

OK i see... because soderling, gulbis, mayer all have crazy take backs that still work and ive seen very strong college players with big take backs as well... thats good new for nadal also! so would you say its common for bad habits to creep up if it happens to nadal

 

[ilovetennis212]

OK i see... because soderling, gulbis, mayer all have crazy take backs that still work and ive seen very strong college players with big take backs as well... thats good new for nadal also! so would you say its common for bad habits to creep up if it happens to nadal

I say it's common for bad habits to creep up on anybody if they don't focus on what they do.

BUT I THINK IT IS LAME TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN TRY TO FIX IT FIRST. Don't take it the wrong way.