Some advice for a lost forehand?

[beldredge]

I did a search here on the forums, and found some great threads from a few years back which were very helpful on this issue, but I thought I'd post my own thread to gain some additional, fresh insight.

I'll try to make this concise:

I'm turning 40 this year, and have played USTA leagues since my 20's. Played 7-8 years at 4.5, but then got moved down (rightfully so) to 4.0 and have played there ever since.

I certainly have challenges in all areas of my game, but I consider those to be "normal" for my level. My forehand, however, is simply embarassing. I had a great one when I was younger (like, when I was a teenager), but somewhere along the line, many years ago, I lost ALL feel for that stroke. What used to come naturally now feels foreign.

I can get it back when I hit hundreds of balls with my ball machine (which I purchased because of my forehand woes), but when I'm in normal practice or match play, I just can't get into that groove. Most of the time, I just "cut" the ball (I don't want to insult the technique and skill of a "slice" by calling it that). When I try to swing out more, I either brush up so severely on the ball (in an attempt at topspin) that it doesn't even make it to the net, or hit it so flat and up that it hits the back fence. Just no feel for it whatsoever!

I can list the things I need to do better - better shoulder turn, focus more on the ball, follow through and, of course, footwork.

But I struggle greatly in putting all that together in real world playing. All that comes so naturally with my backhand (2H), I don't even really think about it. But trying to put all those steps together on the other side is a struggle. No doubt much of this is mental, and just feeds itself - low confidence leads to tentativeness, which results in this weak forehand, which leads to low confidence....

So, anyway, I thought I'd turn to you wise ones for some insight and experience in this area.

Thanks!

 

[TeflonTom]

if u find it, get it microchipped for next time it gets lost

 

[NLBwell]

Very possibly you have ingrained lifting your head into your stroke. You lose sight of the ball, raise your body, and have to adjust in the middle of your stroke - often by dropping your wrist, which will lead to a compete loss of control.
If this is the case, it is a difficult habit to break.
Focus on keeping your head still (instead of following the ball) - eyes staying level and at the same height.
If you are on a court with true bounces, the mind knows where the ball will be without looking at it, but it is hard to adjust when the body is moving away from the ball.
Hopefully, after you break the habit, you will be able to both follow the ball and keep your head still.

 

[86golf]

You need to hit your way out of this. It's confidence that will get your stroke back. Stop slicing and hit out to get your confidence back. Prep early, turn and create space, pull the buttcap to the ball as you uncoil and don't decel.

 

[TennisCJC]

Watch some of Oscar Wegner's video.

To me, you are over thinking. Reduce it to the simple bits.

Get a soft EFH or SW grip.

Take the strings to the ball and pull up and across finishing with your racket hand touching the shoulder.

Keep both hands on the racket until the ball bounce - don't take racket back too early.

Don't worry about feet - simply take the strings smoothly to the ball and then pull the racket head up and across you body. Open stance = OK, closed stance = OK, neutral stance = OK. You use all of these stances depending on the situation - wide ball, faster ball.

See if you can find the MIT Coach video on Oscar Wegner's technique on the web - keep both hands on the racket, move to the ball so you will make contact to your side a bit, touch the ball and pull up and across.

Finish in the same spot every time - touching your shoulder.

Keep it simple.

 

[beldredge]

This is great! These are the tips I'm looking for - kind of a mental shift. 'Cause I know I can physically do it - I did when I was younger, and I can do it with enough repetition. It's a matter of making it more natural during play.

TennisCJC - I like the "Keep it simple" message. With the anxiety I have on that forehand side, I think I'm doing more damage in trying to think about where my feet are, how my shoulders are turned, where my weight is, etc., etc. Racket (strings) to the ball and follow through - and everything else should naturally fall into place.

Thanks! (and keep it coming)

 

[Limpinhitter]

The link below is the best lesson on the modern forehand I've seen online. His explanation of the role and importance of hip drive is excellent. However, there are a few things that he demonstrates but doesn't explain in such a short video.

One thing is "unit turn," which is the entire upper body from hips to shoulders to arms turning back and forth as a single unit. The swing path of a modern forehand his achieved almost exclusively by the unit turn, not with independent arm swing. In other words, your right hand should remain fairly close to in front of your sternum throughout your backswing. Hold your racquet in the exact position that he explains (except I recommend a SW grip), with the left hand remaining on the throat of the racquet until your unit turn back is complete - with an open stance your hips should be facing the side fence (ie: 3 O'Clock), your chest should be facing 4 O'Clock, and your chin should be resting on your left shoulder. From there you drive the hip as he explains and demonstrates and let the racquet head drop below the level of the ball. The hips pull the shoulders which pulls the arm and racquet through the shot. Rotational aka angular momentum.

In addition, it's very important for your elbow to remain IN and FORWARD throughout your back and forth unit turn up to contact. That may feel awkward at first, but, it's important. At contact, your elbow moves up and away to initiate the WW finish, and you finish with your chest facing the other side fence (ie: 9 O'Clock).

There is no reason to swipe up on the ball so severely. If you use a SW grip, and make contact about 2 feet in front of your right foot and swing moderately up, and across after contact, you will have a ton of topspin your your forehand.

Remember: (1) open stance, (2) SW grip, (3) unit turn back and forth, not independent arm swing, (3) elbow in and forward to contact, then raise the elbow up and out and finish facing the left side fence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EMNtq393tvo

Hope that helps.

 

[5263]

But I struggle greatly in putting all that together in real world playing. All that comes so naturally with my backhand (2H), I don't even really think about it.

So, anyway, I thought I'd turn to you wise ones for some insight and experience in this area.

Thanks!

Not a technique thing per se, but this might be helpful none the less.

I have a theory that the brain generally like symmetry, thus tends to try to use
the same contact point for both sides of the body unless trained to act differently.

Now the Fh and the Bhs.... all use different contact points and since you say your
Bh is sooo natural for you,....just maybe your brain is trying to use that Bh contact
point for your Fh as well.

As you know I expect, the stroke is built and pretty much lives and dies by the contact point, so.... if you are inadvertently influenced by the Bh CP on your Fh
it would stand to reason that it should and will feel very unnatural.

See what you think and see if this could be part of the unnatural feeling.
If so, direct training to deal with it can help greatly!
I hope to hear back from you.

 

[beldredge]

That's a good point - because my backhand feels so natural, I often try to replicate what I'm doing on that side to my forehand. But maybe that's just silly and I have to realize it's two different motions and processes.

I really like those Wegner videos that TennisCJC suggested. They really resonate with me. I think I've been worrying so much about footwork, upper body rotation, etc., that I don't make good contact with the ball and thus have no follow through. I look forward to doing some drills this afternoon with those tips in mind.

 

[charliefedererer]

Take aim.

Take dead aim.

Take dead aim with the butt of the racquet pointed at the ball.

 

[LeeD]

4.5, lost his forehand...yipps.
Practice against live players who hit topspin and slice. dump the ball machine that feeds semi flat balls.

 

[LeeD]

Probably NOT a technique problem, but might be a mental problem.

 

[beldredge]

Well, went out this evening and was real conscious of the tips provided here, particularly the idea of simplifying things. I stopped worrying about every "step" in the process, and concentrated on getting to the ball and making good contact with very little backswing, and I got a good feel back pretty quick. Basically, I followed the tips and lessons provided in those Wegner videos that were suggested.

So I'm pretty stoked about applying this approach. But to LeeD's point, this was with my Playmate portable, so obviously I need to translate that into real play, but I am very encouraged.

 

[beldredge]

I was shocked at how the short backswing, for me, translated into better follow through than I've ever had. And that generated more than enough pace, for my style anyhow.

 

[5263]

I was shocked at how the short backswing, for me, translated into better follow through than I've ever had. And that generated more than enough pace, for my style anyhow.

Sounds like excellent results.
Anything on working on the contact point?
Were you trying to use the CP for the Bh on the Fh too?

 

[Limpinhitter]

That's a good point - because my backhand feels so natural, I often try to replicate what I'm doing on that side to my forehand. But maybe that's just silly and I have to realize it's two different motions and processes.

I really like those Wegner videos that TennisCJC suggested. They really resonate with me. I think I've been worrying so much about footwork, upper body rotation, etc., that I don't make good contact with the ball and thus have no follow through. I look forward to doing some drills this afternoon with those tips in mind.

They are two different motions and processes.

Making good contact with the ball does not necessarily lead to a good follow through. Footwork, shot preparation, set up and upper body rotation (unit turn), back and forth, lead to a good follow though (aka finish). If you finish with your chest facing at 9:00 O'Clock do you think you will have a good follow through?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK2oOyqLSUQ

PS: Yes, overswinging in the backswing can cause deceleration before contact and a truncated follow through if you don't turn all the way back.