Tips on my forehand (video)

E

Enano

New User
Hey everyone,

here's a video of me playing a friend of mine a few weeks ago. It's not a rally, more like a competition where we're playing some points.

I started playing tennis in August, so haven't played more than about three and a half month. Where I live, it's kinda hard to practice tennis alot, so I've only been playing from 1-3 times per week (some weeks nothing at all).

I know I'm not very good at all, I just wanted to post my video here - and see if I could get a few tips and things I need to work on with my forehand.

Any help is much appriciated!!

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIhyrwtFzic

Regards,
Enano
 
there are a few things i would work on.

1. bend your knees more
2. move into your shots
3. don't lift up your front foot. this causes you to hit off your back foot which really takes from the power and throws you off balance.
4. go from low to high, you seem to be hitting across your body instead of low to high.
 
Last edited:
Not bad.

I'd suggest a stronger unit turn. That means keeping your off hand on the throat of the racquet until you turn your shoulders perpendicular to the net. Then, lead the stroke with your offhand. It should go from pointing at the side fence forward in the direction of the stroke and then across the body. This will give you a little more torque in the shot and engage your shoulders more. You seem to be arming the ball a bit on most of the shots (but it may be the camera angle).

Your stroke is quite nice for how little you've been playing.
 
WildVolley said:
Not bad.

I'd suggest a stronger unit turn. That means keeping your off hand on the throat of the racquet until you turn your shoulders perpendicular to the net. Then, lead the stroke with your offhand. It should go from pointing at the side fence forward in the direction of the stroke and then across the body. This will give you a little more torque in the shot and engage your shoulders more. You seem to be arming the ball a bit on most of the shots (but it may be the camera angle).

Your stroke is quite nice for how little you've been playing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!! But, I'm not sure I fully understand how todo this, have you got a video-sample or something? Would really be great!

- Enano
 
soggyramen said:
there are a few things i would work on.

1. bend your knees more
2. move into your shots
3. don't lift up your front foot. this causes you to hit off your back foot which really takes from the power and throws you off balance.
4. go from low to high, you seem to be hitting across your body instead of low to high.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips! I'll work on every one of them!

The lifting up the front foot kinda happens when I get a shoulder-high-ball which bounces alot further than I tought at first. I think that's why the front foot is lifter - cus I'm running backwards etc.
My biggest issues is to hit a high-bouncing ball, I always try to wait until it drops down from the bounce - maybe it's better to hit it when it's on it's way upwards? (Hope it made sence :))

- Enano
 
Here's a great website: http://www.usta.com/futurechampions/custom.sps?icustompageid=17361&itype=12457

Click on the "video instruction" and look at Agassi. You can practice this stuff in front of a mirror since court time is at a premium. A big area to focus on is the non-dominant arm (the left hand if you're right handed) this should be pointing out in front and across your body. In the Agassi sequence this is shown in the loading phase (it is easier to see from the front that the side which unfortunately they don't show in this but you can find a picture of elsewhere). This balances with your racquet take back and preparation. Basically everything is in line and balanced. Make sure to do the full follow through also. Keep it simple - the two most important things in tennis are preparation (get that racquet back as soon as possible) and keeping your head still (eyes on the ball). Stay positive too - tennis can be really technical and frustrating at times but remember that everyone goes through that, even the top pros.
 
Niiiiiccccceeee!!!

You've got a knack for putting a racquet on a ball, amigo. Keep at it.

Keep in mind that your legs and your core (that's your mid section) are the biggest "engines" you have to hit your strokes, so you want to naturally incorporate them in your shots. See how in a couple of your forehands you are actually moving slightly away from the net? Your legs are your friends and if you set up behind the ball just a little more, you can move forward through that shot more in the direction that you send the ball - that just naturally puts more energy into your stroke. Don't worry, you'll develop that instinct of where to set yourself up the more you play.

I'm not encouraging you to swing out of your shoes here. What you're after is a natural, repeatable motion that will take a little stress off your arm and shoulder. The "unit turn" is just referring to the rotation of your core through the stroke. More or less, on your way into the forehand, your left shoulder should be pointing at the net. As you turn through the shot, you should end up with your shoulders roughly square to the net. This rotation will eventually make your back foot want to swing out and replant at your side because you basically took a forward step and a ninety degree turn as you hit the ball. It's not very different from the motion you'd use to toss a ball side-arm and by using a step and a turn through that toss, it's easier to throw the ball than if you're standing still and just using your arm.
 
Great posts, they really gave me an idea on how the "unit-turn" works and what to practice from now on. I can really see the difference in the shoulder turn on that Agassi clip :)

I also found this slow-motion clip of Roddick on youtube, which I think is a good example also, you can really see his left-hand controlling the shot like you guys said!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-D32RwsD_w

I really appriciate the feedback guys, thanks alot!
 
While the unit turn as been addressed I would suggest viewing these clips from FuzzyYellowBalls:

Forehand Video 2:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410668&col=260821
Forehand Video 3:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410676&col=260821


I did want to mention your wrap around:

You have look to intentionally wrap the racquet around your opposite shoulder. It is important to understand that the wraparound in itself does not produce good strokes, instead, it is a sign of a good strokes.

The wraparound is a product of good arm extension, along with the forearm turning over.

Below is another video from FYB that shows what I am referring to with extension and the forearm turning over. Note: The instructor here says to turn the wrist over, this is the same as when I state turn the forearm over. I do not like to associate the wrist as having a dominate part in the forehand when I teach as it can often give the impression that the forehand is "wrist-y". (No knocks against FYB, mind you.)

Forehand Video 4:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410680&col=260821

-SF
 
How old are you? consider that ocular-hand coordination, strenght and perception of the shot get better as you go towards your 18th.
 
I'm 23 years old. I've been playing "handball" for like 10 years or so, so I'm very used to throwing a ball at least :)
 
SFrazeur said:
While the unit turn as been addressed I would suggest viewing these clips from FuzzyYellowBalls:

Forehand Video 2:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410668&col=260821
Forehand Video 3:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410676&col=260821


I did want to mention your wrap around:

You have look to intentionally wrap the racquet around your opposite shoulder. It is important to understand that the wraparound in itself does not produce good strokes, instead, it is a sign of a good strokes.

The wraparound is a product of good arm extension, along with the forearm turning over.

Below is another video from FYB that shows what I am referring to with extension and the forearm turning over. Note: The instructor here says to turn the wrist over, this is the same as when I state turn the forearm over. I do not like to associate the wrist as having a dominate part in the forehand when I teach as it can often give the impression that the forehand is "wrist-y". (No knocks against FYB, mind you.)

Forehand Video 4:
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=410680&col=260821

-SF
Click to expand...

Those videos are very nice! I have some things I really have to work on now, love it :) And thanks for the great post as well SFrazeur!!
 
The very good- your foot work is very natural and can be basis of a strong game. Good footwork is hard to teach and even harder to improve. In particular, it is great that you move to and from the ball to maintain better consistency in the contact point. You would not believe how hard this is to learn and how often you see even very experienced players hitting one shot at shoulder height and then the next at the ankles without trying to moving front and back.

To be improved: as others have mentioned, you are mostly hitting with your right arm without any rotation of the torso. If you look at the videos referenced above, there is actually very little motion of the arm, relative to the shoulder prior to impact, with the arm wrapping around after contact in the follow through. Ideally, the stroke motion is mostly in the hips.

To improve this, you should focus more on you left arm. Note in the video, it just hangs there like a dead weight. Compare, for example, to Roddick who holds on to the racquet until the last second, and then lets go and uses the left arm to lead the swing, and then folds in his left arm, like a figure skater doing a twirl (to increase the angular rotation speed.) To improve your stroke, try holding on to the neck of the racquet with your left hand until you start swinging forward. Then try to catch your racquet in your left hand near your left shoulder during the follow though. As you get better, your stroke will change so that you finish lower, but this initial swing path will encourage you to rotate your shoulders and to hit from low to high. As a visual clue, think of starting with your left shoulder pointed at the ball and ending with your right should pointing where you wanted the ball to go.

Of the forehands on the video, I like #3 for the footwork.
Keep trying to shift your weight through the stroke.
 
Last edited:
Enano said:
It's a place in Oslo, Norway. Would be a really huge coincidence if you play there too, but I doubt it ;)
Click to expand...

Talk Tennis Forum does have nearly 24,000 members located all throughout the world with several thousand being regularly active. Although the largest of the member cross section seems to be American, Canadian and Australian; but that's just my guess. Although, I have seen on many occasions users reference Norway as a place they live, have lived, or visit.

But also tennis courts tend to look very similar. :)

-SF
 
Last edited:
Enano said:
Hey everyone,

here's a video of me playing a friend of mine a few weeks ago. It's not a rally, more like a competition where we're playing some points.

I started playing tennis in August, so haven't played more than about three and a half month. Where I live, it's kinda hard to practice tennis alot, so I've only been playing from 1-3 times per week (some weeks nothing at all).

I know I'm not very good at all, I just wanted to post my video here - and see if I could get a few tips and things I need to work on with my forehand.

Any help is much appriciated!!

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIhyrwtFzic

Regards,
Enano
Click to expand...


you'll find some advise here;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2ho3FRWm9Pw&feature=related
 
Hey again!

I've been working alot on my forehand lately, and things are at least feeling like their improving. I'm getting the wrist set and working on the unit-turn, I'm hitting alot more "steady" now than I used too, thanks alot for the help!! I haven't been able to shoot a new forehand video yet, but I plan on doing it this week or the next.

However, I went to pratice my serve a bit yesterday. Haven't been serving much since I started playing, not really been a "priority" (might be very stupid!), but today I decided todo so. I was alone, so I made a movie. Any critique is very welcome! I know the serve isn't any good at all, but it's a start at least - I think

(youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcoW3x3O6nE

Regards,
Stian
 
Very good serve indeed! Good rhythm, sometimes a bit rushed thats all, do some of them go into the net? Anyway great! (ekstremt bra! Skulle aldri tro du hadde spillt så kort... seriøst!! :) )
 
morten said:
Very good serve indeed! Good rhythm, sometimes a bit rushed thats all, do some of them go into the net? Anyway great! (ekstremt bra! Skulle aldri tro du hadde spillt så kort... seriøst!! :) )
Click to expand...

Thanks alot :)

Yeah, some of them go into the net, that's really my biggest problem I think. Might be the throw beeing a bit "unstable" don't really know ...
 
I had a second look, on some serves you seem to jump a bit early, so that you are on your way down as you hit the ball. This may be a reason why you hit some balls to the net. A too early jump will cause lack of power and precision( even a jump in itself will not add more power) Let the body lift naturally AS YOU HIT the ball(see Sampras) The last serve you hit was good btw. Just try to focus on hitting on full stretch, forget about the jump, if you try this you may not even feel like you jump, it will happen without thinking about it. It could add precision and power IMO.
 
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