Racquet face at contact

[jbdbackfan]

I've done quite a bit lately to improve my forehand. Lots of time watching video and practicing out on the court to improve flaws.

I use a semi-western grip and am finding a lot of the time now, when I strike a forehand groundstroke I seem to be hearing more of the "string brushing" of the racquet on the ball, and many balls are dying by the time they reach the net.

My question is, should the racquet face be pretty much perpendicular to the court (maybe a little faced down) or what? I am confused. I know the grip itself highly influences top spin, but this is driving me nuts, and is starting to eat away at confidence on my shot which I felt very good a few weeks about. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong that I wasn't before, or some tweak I am unaware of his doing this?

I realize too, your arm should become more vertical the more extreme your grip is on the follow through. I do catch myself sometimes just going across my body on the shot more so than across the shoulder. Maybe this is it?

Any help would be great. Thanks! Joe

 

[forehandshanker]

I use an Extreme Eastern grip for my FH which is not all that different from a SW FH in terms of the ideal contact point.

Generally I try to contact the ball with racquet face more or less perpendicular to the court. The fact that "balls [you strike] are dying by the time they reach the net" makes me guess that you're arming the ball too much and not getting enough of your kinetic chain into the ball. For an open stance FH (regardless of your grip), you've got to get a good shoulder turn, load up on inside leg, push off the leg and pivot off that leg in order to get a lot of centrifugal force into the ball. For a neutral stance FH (regardless of grip), make sure you have good shoulder turn, load up on the back leg, and transfer your weight forward by stepping your front leg forward as you swing.

 

[LeeD]

I use SW grips.
On slower swings, especially lower balls, racketface can be SLIGHTLY open.
On first swings, strikezone, racketface is slightly closed.
On fast swings, going for extreme top, face is full closed.
On high balls, just returning the ball with top, face is fully closed.
On high balls, going for a flat fast mover, face is vertical.

 

[SuperDuy]

I use SW grips.
On slower swings, especially lower balls, racketface can be SLIGHTLY open.
On first swings, strikezone, racketface is slightly closed.
On fast swings, going for extreme top, face is full closed.
On high balls, just returning the ball with top, face is fully closed.
On high balls, going for a flat fast mover, face is vertical.

Basically the same for me leed, just for me on high balls I try to have racquet face fully closed then I add topspin,