Took a lesson today. Here’s what he pointed out:

[TimeToPlaySets]

Took a lesson today. Here’s what he pointed out:

1. When running down a shot down the line, don’t turn and run sideways, but instead do a side-shuffle like “feet cross over” to move sideways.
2. I guess like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-mZPtSxOCk
3. Plant front foot forward on forehand .. I tend to plant on my back foot. Instead, step forward into it.
4. Backhand: 1) Keep arms more loose. Too tight. 2) Fully extend arms. In other words, stay a little farther away from the ball to get full reach/extension.

Of course, none of this is helpful until I drill it 100’s of times to make it a habit.

 

[anubis]

Took a lesson today. Here’s what he pointed out:

1. When running down a shot down the line, don’t turn and run sideways, but instead do a side-shuffle like “feet cross over” to move sideways.
2. I guess like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-mZPtSxOCk
3. Plant front foot forward on forehand .. I tend to plant on my back foot. Instead, step forward into it.
4. Backhand: 1) Keep arms more loose. Too tight. 2) Fully extend arms. In other words, stay a little farther away from the ball to get full reach/extension.

Of course, none of this is helpful until I drill it 100’s of times to make it a habit.

Out of curiosity, prior to this lesson, what typically happened when you had to run a ball down and hit DTL?

 

[sureshs]

[*]Plant front foot forward on forehand .. I tend to plant on my back foot. Instead, step forward into it.

Does he teach only closed-stance forehands? They are practically obsolete even in the clubs.

 

[Velvet Ga el]

Does he teach only closed-stance forehands? They are practically obsolete even in the clubs.

That's one interpretation. I think the more likely one is that, like many newbs, OP stays with his weight on his back leg and perhaps even has his front foot off the ground at contact, thus never really shifting his mass into the shot. Pros do it when they get pushed back or don't have enough prep time, but it's common for newbs to do the same from lack of preparation.

That can occur from an open, neutral, or closed stance.

 

[sureshs]

That's one interpretation. I think the more likely one is that, like many newbs, OP stays with his weight on his back leg and perhaps even has his front foot off the ground at contact, thus never really shifting his mass into the shot. Pros do it when they get pushed back or don't have enough prep time, but it's common for newbs to do the same from lack of preparation.

That can occur from an open, neutral, or closed stance.

I see what you mean - moving backwards during hitting and not having forward momentum, and losing sight of the left foot altogether.

 

[10isfreak]

I see what you mean - moving backwards during hitting and not having forward momentum, and losing sight of the left foot altogether.

It's not necessarily that he fails to move forward. If you don't transfer your weight from your racket-side foot to the non-racket-side foot, you basically failed to rotate your hips. In more contemporary set-ups where semi-open and open stances prevail, this would be the problem (unless we're talking about in-court ball striking).

If you want to get a student to do it right, ask him to hit forehands and hold the finish. In that position, he should be able to tap the ground with his racket-side toes. Look at Federer here:

Even on the run, he's standing on his left foot after his stroke is completed. You can also see the extreme shift (when he jumps) here:

He could tap the ground with his toes without problem. You can notice the rare over-the-shoulder follow-through too. He's part of those who still use it at times when hitting running forehands. The morale of the story: when you load, you're standing on your racket-side foot; when you're done, you're standing on the other side.

 

[RetroSpin]

Took a lesson today. Here’s what he pointed out:

1. When running down a shot down the line, don’t turn and run sideways, but instead do a side-shuffle like “feet cross over” to move sideways.
2. I guess like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-mZPtSxOCk
3. Plant front foot forward on forehand .. I tend to plant on my back foot. Instead, step forward into it.
4. Backhand: 1) Keep arms more loose. Too tight. 2) Fully extend arms. In other words, stay a little farther away from the ball to get full reach/extension.

Of course, none of this is helpful until I drill it 100’s of times to make it a habit.

To me, it looked like the guy in the video turned and ran sideways for a step or two. Actually, this is the fastest way to cover more than a step or two.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Yea, I hit with an open stance, and sometimes still have weight on both feet. For balls chased DTL, I sometimes leave weight on the back foot. Yea, I tend to plant on my back foot with the open stance.

I agree with the weight transfer logic. I have enough power just from my arms that I have gotten away with it. I will practice turning my hips through the ball via stepping into the shot, and I bet I will be able to take some power off my swing, and make it more consistent, as well. That must be part of the logic. This certainly works in golf. Turning the hips through makes the ball fly much straighter.