The WTA forehand challenge

[onehandbh]

There seems to be quite a few posters on TW who believe the technique(s) used in the WTA is somehow inferior to those used in the ATP and TW posters themselves.

Some posters even seem to abhor the "WTA forehand", whatever they think it is, and think they have better forehand technique then the WTA players.

I challenge any of the above TW posters to show that they have better forehand technique than these two randomly selected WTA players' forehands.

Please provide video or a high speed photo sequence as evidence.

 

[Moveforwardalways]

The entire ATP vs WTA forehand concept was made up by some guy on YouTube. The posters on this site just want to be "a real man" and not "play that girl tennis".

 

[WildVolley]

The entire ATP vs WTA forehand concept was made up by some guy on YouTube. The posters on this site just want to be "a real man" and not "play that girl tennis".

Unlike some of the other forehand distinctions (push/pull was the old one I never understood), the ATP versus WTA distinction is easy to see and classify. More than that, the definition really does seem to strongly align with ATP and WTA players. Most ATP players use a shorter backswing forehand with a different motion at the transition phase. Most WTA players use a technique which combines strongly supinating the racket behind the plane of the body into the forward swing.

This distinction is meaningful and interesting even if it sets some poasters off here that a lot of rec players latch onto it and believe the ATP technique is superior.

Continue on with your ranting.

 

[rkelley]

Generally I think the ATP vs WTA fh thing has been real. I'm not going to say one is better than the other, but the women have been hitting a flatter ball with a bigger back swing while the men have been using a shorter back swing and hitting with way more spin. They're both hitting really, really hard. I think in the last few years I'm seeing more women hitting with more spin, so things are changing. Serena is one who used to just plow through the ball and now she's using way more spin.

 

[LeeD]

Seems around 10 years ago, a lot of junior girls started hitting the loop swing, off hand in front of the body style of forehands. They started hitting more topspin, slightly less pure pace, or the ATP style of forehand.
Not all girls, of course, just like not all junior boys hit with a loop backswing forehand, as there will always be exceptions.
Current WTA, the loop swing is taking over from the old school direct takeback, momentary stop, then shallow swingpath flattish forehands of the past.

 

[Fedinkum]

Halep's forehand is great to look at. WTA or not.

 

[Clintspin]

Many women on the WTA tour do have more of the men's style forehand. Caroline Wozniacki (old style)-Sam Stosur (modern more ATP).

 

[atp2015]

From my experience, wta vs atp difference is real. I have tried to adopt atp style (backswing, drag,slot etc), and it has made significant difference.

 

[mightyrick]

Maybe we should just name them differently if people are getting caught up on the gender-oriented names.

How about these names?

1) "Forehand With Very Short Takeback With The Racquet Head That Stays On the Right Side Of The Body".

2) "Forehand With Very Long Takeback With The Racquet Head That Crosses Behind The Back To The Left Side Of The Body".

Yeah, that's much easier.

 

[LeeD]

I hit more consistent using a WTA direct takeback stroke.
I hit harder using a semi ATP style of stoke.
Which is more fun?

 

[atp2015]

I hit more consistent using a WTA direct takeback stroke.
I hit harder using a semi ATP style of stoke.
Which is more fun?

Both, depending on what you are looking to do?

 

[Ihatetennis]

Muguruza hits like a guy, not a wta forehand

 

[atp2015]

Muguruza hits like a guy, not a wta forehand

Several women do. I think Kerber hits atp style.

 

[Ihatetennis]

Several women do. I think Kerber hits atp style.

and serena, it's just superior

 

[pushing_wins]

and serena, it's just superior

serena is atp now

the first chick in OPs post is atp as well

didnt look closely at the second one

 

[LeeD]

Posts 4 and post 7. At least 40% of WTA top 1,000 hit with a loop forehand stroke. Possibly up to 60%.

 

[atp2015]

Posts 4 and post 7. At least 40% of WTA top 1,000 hit with a loop forehand stroke. Possibly up to 60%.

Loopy, yes. But not other 8 ingredients of atp fh.

 

[LeeD]

Sure, but few ATP pros have all eight.

 

[atp2015]

Sure, but few ATP pros have all eight.

I thought all had 8 if they had time to setup for the shot. Who does not? Interesting to know the atp fh rating of top players.

 

[LeeD]

Your definitions might not be shared by other's.

 

[atp2015]

Your definitions might not be shared by other's.

Fair point.
I'm talking about the famous YouTube atp wta forehand vid.

 

[LeeD]

Fair point.
I'm talking about the famous YouTube atp wta forehand vid.

Most ATP player's use a combination of pure continous loop swing, semi open, off hand pointing near impact, style of forehand. Lots drop the rackethead straight down from the high racket head prep position, swinging into the ball from an almost WTA takeback position at the zenith.
A pure WTA stroke would be something like old school ChrisEverts/TracyAustin, purely closed stances, shoulder aligned.
I don't think ANY pro, WTA or ATP, hit's the forehand the same way every time. Depends on speed of incoming ball, depth, spin, bounceheight, what the player is trying to do, aggressive or passive, and other factors.
But, WTA return of serve is not too far off the mark, but shortened WTA, of course.
And loop swing ATP is great for providing power and spin to the ball, if you have time.

 

[GuyClinch]

I have seen several people with bigger waiter's tray serves then others who serve with a more correct motion. Do we berate those correct serving people and tell them to go back to waiter's tray serves?

And yes its essentially the same thing. Waiter's tray serve aligns racquet with ball ahead of time and allows you to hinge at the shoulder to smack the ball in..

Likewise the Hewitt style forehand is all about presetting the racquet with supination and holding the wrist in position during the swing - rather then using a whipping style with a relaxed wrist.. Hewitt takes the other joints out of the forehand to some extent - and hinges mostly at the shoulder. It's a pendulum swing instead of a throwing motion..

That's find but don't expect us to wax poetically about Hewitt's forehand. Yeah he can beat us - so can Johnny Mac and I am not copying his forehand either..

 

[dominikk1985]

chardy uses WTA but most men use the shorter backswing.

serena also has shortened her backswing over the years