Practive flat forehand?

[farwellbooth]

Practice flat forehand?

I learned to hit a pretty flat forehand using an Eastern grip and lately have only been hitting and getting lots of topspin on my FH using a semi-western. When practicing sometimes I hit the ball as hard as a can and it just doesn't have as much pace as I'd like. Should I also work on my flatter FH or just keep focusing on hitting with topspin? I'd really like to occasionally throw in a flatter shot that's lower to the net with more pace to throw off my opponent... If I do hit a flat shot should I switch to an Eastern or stay in a semi-western? I think my semi-western will put it in the net.

I have a lot of ball machine time and just thinking about grooving between top and flat.

 

[Prince_of_Tennis]

To ever lose your touch with the flat. Someone people get so screwed up trying to hit against flat its not even funny. Its very useful. Try to practice hitting a flat witha semi if you can't then there shouldnt' be any harm switchin to an eastern to crush a flat shot.

 

[Kana Himezaki]

I use a Semi-Western, and have no problems driving the ball or loading it with topspin. Granted, when I drive the ball, it has some topspin, but that keeps it from going out. Plus I have plenty of pace.

So...you can fill it with pace easily, even with a little topspin. You don't have to do a low-to-high topspin groundstroke all the time, just push out through the ball as far as you can. I've always used a SW grip, so it might be easier for me, but it's even easier for me to drive the ball than do a big, loopy stroke.

If you really want it completely flat, you can stick with the Eastern. A lot of successful players actually use a variety of grips, so you shouldn't feel bad about using more than one.

 

[obackvalobasha]

I use all the grip. I use sami,continantal and thinking of going ot eastern for my flat shot. BEcause i have tried it with same western with raquat face open its not working that well. I also use exteam western for real high ball with havey top spin

 

[bee]

High bouncing ball with an open court? Hit 'em flat for winners. I rotate my grip to an eastern, or what might even be an extra-eastern, grip for these high balls. My favorite is to hit a hard serve out wide to the deuce court, get a high bouncing weak return back to my forehand and pound a flat forehand to his back hand corner.