Top 10 Forehands in history?

C

captainbryce

Hall of Fame
From a purely technical aspect (and the ability to hit winners)

Here are my picks:

1. Roger Federer (best cross-court forehand/best down the line forehand)
2. Fernando Gonzalez (best combination of pace and spin)
3. James Blake (fastest overall forehand)
4. Juan Martin del Potro (best inside-out forehand)
5. Rafael Nadal (heaviest forehand)
6. Pete Sampras (best running forehand/best inside-in forehand)
7. Andre Agassi (best forehand return)
8. Robin Soderling (most consistently deep forehand)
9. Novak Djokovic (best at changing directions)
10. Jim Courier*

*I put Jim Courier on the list because he pretty much invented the modern, American style of baseline play, in which players rely primarily on the full western grip forehand as their main weapon. Players that have copied this style are Andy Roddick, John Isner, Ryan Harrison, and Jack Sock. They all pretty much hit the same kind of forehand, which is BIG, but not necessarily the best.
 
1. Rafael Nadal
2. Roger Federer
3. Pete Sampras
4. Ivan Lendl
5. Juan Martin Del Potro
6. Andre Agassi
7. Bjorn Borg
8. Robin Soderling
9. Fernando Gonzalez
10. Marat Safin
 
captainbryce said:
From a purely technical aspect (and the ability to hit winners)

Here are my picks:

1. Roger Federer (best cross-court forehand/best down the line forehand)
2. Fernando Gonzalez (best combination of pace and spin)
3. James Blake (fastest overall forehand)
4. Juan Martin del Potro (best inside-out forehand)
5. Rafael Nadal (heaviest forehand)
6. Pete Sampras (best running forehand/best inside-in forehand)
7. Andre Agassi (best forehand return)
8. Robin Soderling (most consistently deep forehand)
9. Novak Djokovic (best at changing directions)
10. Jim Courier*
Click to expand...

This is a good list. The only thing I would change is possibly taking Djokovic off (his forehand as a standalone shot is not incredibly good, just good) and I would move Nadal's up to 2 or 3.

Also, Blake had a scary forehand, but it was not always consistent. Del Potro may have a better overall forehand, even though blake hits it a bit harder sometimes.
 
GoaLaSSo said:
This is a good list. The only thing I would change is possibly taking Djokovic off (his forehand as a standalone shot is not incredibly good, just good) and I would move Nadal's up to 2 or 3.

Also, Blake had a scary forehand, but it was not always consistent. Del Potro may have a better overall forehand, even though blake hits it a bit harder sometimes.
Click to expand...
Good call on everything. In fact, I think I'd replace Djokovic with Lendl. For some reason, I forgot how great his forehand was.
 
captainbryce said:
If I was comparing their overall game and accomplishments, your comment MIGHT also make sense. Alas, I was ONLY comparing the forehand shot, nothing more, nothing less.
Click to expand...

Well, everyone on the list played within the last 20 years. So calling those the top 10 forehand in tennis history makes no sense. Lendl's forehand came through for him on the biggest moment a lot more than someone like Blake and Gonzalez. Especially Blake. That guy was all hit or miss.
 
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Sid_Vicious said:
Well, everyone on the list played within the last 20 years. So calling those the top 10 forehand in tennis history makes no sense. Lendl's forehand came through for him on the biggest moment a lot more than someone like Blake and Gonzalez. Especially Blake. That guy was all hit or miss.
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If you had properly followed the progression of this thread, you'd see that I already supplanted Novak Djokovic for Ivan Lendl. That being said, I doubt there exists more impressive forehands than Blake and Gonzo before 1990. Perhaps you'd care to offer further suggestions besides Lendl?
 
Yeah, Blake, Soderling, and Gonzales have no business being on this list (and I say that as a big fan of all 3 of them).
 
People who put anyone ahead of Federer are insane. Nobody has ever had such combination of pace, depth, precision, spin in one groundstroke. Passing shots, lobs, squash shots (has anyone else even tried that shot with similar success?), on the run, heavy angled, etc. He can (could) do it all with that shot and I mean EVERYTHING and consistently. Fed's forehand is up there in the list of GOAT shots next to Karlovic's 1st serve, Sampras' 2nd serve, Agassi's backhand etc..

Nadal has the best forehand on clay (it literally never breaks down) but he's not even close to Fed on any other surface.

Blake, Soderling, Gonzalez shouldn't even be on the list. I absolutely loved their forehands but come on they were only very fast.
 
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tennis_pro said:
Blake, Soderling, Gonzalez shouldn't even be on the list. I absolutely loved their forehands but come on they were only very fast.
Click to expand...
Fast counts for a lot. I think to say that they should be on the list is a bit ridiculous. Many people list Nadal has having one of the best (if not the best) forehands. Yet, in a straight forehand to forehand rally against Blake, Nadal loses most of the rallies! In a forehand to forehand rally against Gonzalez, Federer loses most of the rallies. How do you explain that, and how do you justify saying that Blake and Gonzo don't have among the very BEST forehands? I don't understand this logic. :confused:

Gonzo Forehand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEL0olMmY4g

Blake Forehand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eltQDerPc
 
President said:
Yeah, Blake, Soderling, and Gonzales have no business being on this list (and I say that as a big fan of all 3 of them).
Click to expand...

Well it kinda depends on what we are looking at. If we are talking about only the standalone forehand stroke, a case can be made for those 3 guys (maybe not in the order the op listed.)

For a few years, Soderling had one of the most consistent hard hitting forehands on tour.

Blake hits some of the biggest forehands ever. Earlier in his career, he was a bit more consistent with his "go for broke" style and his forehand was feared. Overall, his forehand might not be as strong as someone like Nadal's, but it was still very good despite his poor shot selection.

Gonzales's was massive as well. His forehand as a standalone stroke deserves some mention. The rest of his game was not nearly as good as his forehand.

There are some other players I'm sure also deserve some mention, but a lot of the greater players with great forehands seemed better because they had an overall stronger game.
 
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captainbryce said:
From a purely technical aspect (and the ability to hit winners)

Here are my picks:

1. Roger Federer (best cross-court forehand/best down the line forehand)
2. Fernando Gonzalez (best combination of pace and spin)
3. James Blake (fastest overall forehand)
4. Juan Martin del Potro (best inside-out forehand)
5. Rafael Nadal (heaviest forehand)
6. Pete Sampras (best running forehand/best inside-in forehand)
7. Andre Agassi (best forehand return)
8. Robin Soderling (most consistently deep forehand)
9. Novak Djokovic (best at changing directions)
10. Jim Courier*
Click to expand...

Not a bad list, however Federer not only has the best cross-court/down the line forehand, also his inside-in/out forehand which he always relied on and made a career with.

Gonzalez/Blake/Soderling don't belong in this list in my opinion. Also Nadal should be in the top 3, if not #2, with all due respect to Del Potro, Nadal probably has the best forehand in the game beside Federer. Djokovic's got a good forehand, but nowhere near being in the top 10 of all time. The only top 10 worthy shot Djokovic has is the backhand and his return of serve.


1. Roger Federer
2. Rafael Nadal
3. Pete Sampras
4. Andre Agassi
5. Juan Martin Del Potro (just for the pace he gets when he hits flat)
6. Andy Roddick (peak Roddick had a great forehand before he turned into a looper)
7. Ivan Lendl
8. Marat Safin
9. Bjorn Borg
10. Jim Courier
 
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BLcGndkCAAEShfH.jpg
 
GoaLaSSo said:
Well it kinda depends on what we are looking at. If we are talking about only the standalone forehand stroke, a case can be made for those 3 guys (maybe not in the order the op listed.)

For a few years, Soderling had one of the most consistent hard hitting forehands on tour.

Blake hits some of the biggest forehands ever. Earlier in his career, he was a bit more consistent with his "go for broke" style and his forehand was feared. Overall, his forehand might not be as strong as someone like Nadal's, but it was still very good despite his poor shot selection.

Gonzales's was massive as well. His forehand as a standalone stroke deserves some mention. The rest of his game was not nearly as good as his forehand.

There are some other players I'm sure also deserve some mention, but a lot of the greater players with great forehands seemed better because they had an overall stronger game.
Click to expand...
EXACTLY! :-)
 
captainbryce said:
If I was comparing their overall game and accomplishments, your comment MIGHT also make sense. Alas, I was ONLY comparing the forehand shot, nothing more, nothing less.
Click to expand...

Just because Gonzales grunted like a bee stung him in the *** while hitting his forehand doesn't make his forehand that good. If it was that good, he probably would have won a tournament of some consequence.
 
Also, hitting your forehand with utmost might doesn't make your forehand good, it makes your forehand fast.

There's more to a good shot than this. Hitting accurately matters. Varying spin and velocity matters. Sometimes hitting with junk helps too. Gonzalez had no variety.

I am not surprised that today's tennis fans equate a good forehand with some guy hitting the crap out of the ball.

It does you no good if you don't know how to hit it and where to hit it. James Blake is the purest example of this.
 
tennis_pro said:
People who put anyone ahead of Federer are insane. Nobody has ever had such combination of pace, depth, precision, spin in one groundstroke.
Click to expand...
This ^.

No-one else has been able to do what he did with his forehand - not Lendl, not Sampras, not Gonzo, not Nadal etc. Most have their shortcomings in one area or another but Federer's, even in the most compromised situations, is beyond compare when viewed over the his whole career.
 
Fed´s FH needs too much set up time.
One reason why the old Agassi could put pressure on him.

Fed´s FH with so much TS is working in the era of the homogenized/slowed down surfaces.

On fast courts his long set up time combined with the TS gives the opponent extra time.

Gonzales FH is better in all departments.

KR
 
MachiA. said:
Fed´s FH needs too much set up time.
One reason why the old Agassi could put pressure on him.
Click to expand...
Say what? His forehand is one of the least affected by being rushed of any forehand in the history of the game. That's one key reason it has been such a strength and also how he's been able to stand close and hit on the rise more consistently than anyone in this era.
 
Ferrero had a great forehand, as did Roddick. I think Agassi had a better forehand than Sampras, it should definately be up in the top echelons.
 
Bobby Jr said:
Say what? His forehand is one of the least affected by being rushed of any forehand in the history of the game. That's one key reason it has been such a strength and also how he's been able to stand close and hit on the rise more consistently than anyone in this era.
Click to expand...

Yes, he always seems ready even if the ball is blasted near his feet.
 
1. Rafael Nadal
2. Ivan Lendl
3. Pete Sampras
4. Rod Laver
5. Roger Federer
6. Jim Courier
7. Andre Agassi
8. Jimmy Arias
9. Bjorn Borg
10. Carlos Moya
 
MachiA. said:
Fed´s FH needs too much set up time.
One reason why the old Agassi could put pressure on him.

Fed´s FH with so much TS is working in the era of the homogenized/slowed down surfaces.

On fast courts his long set up time combined with the TS gives the opponent extra time.

Gonzales FH is better in all departments.

KR
Click to expand...

that-was-a-cool-joke-bro.jpg
 
To all that say Fed's forehand is the best ever:

Are you all factoring all the UEs he makes with it in the most important moments of grand slam matches as well? It is definitely one of the candidates on this subject, but it seems this short coming of the stroke is often ignored.
 
Fed
Nadal
Lendl
Sampras
Borg
Agassi
Del Potro
Gonzo
Courier
Roddick

This is tough as I never saw the greats from the 80's back play other than highlights...

At their highest levels these are mine as these guys truly have forehands that inspired fear...
 
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CyBorg said:
Just because Gonzales grunted like a bee stung him in the *** while hitting his forehand doesn't make his forehand that good.
Click to expand...
True. The fact that the shot was technically sound, very powerful, and consistently hit winners or put him in a position to control the rally is what makes it THAT GOOD.

Perspective - 'noun': a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

CyBorg said:
If it was that good, he probably would have won a tournament of some consequence.
Click to expand...
One good shot doesn't win you a tournament. That's like saying that Andy Roddick should have won more grandslams because of his serve, or that Richard Gasquet should have gotten to world number one because of his backhand.
 
Messarger said:
To all that say Fed's forehand is the best ever:

Are you all factoring all the UEs he makes with it in the most important moments of grand slam matches as well? It is definitely one of the candidates on this subject, but it seems this short coming of the stroke is often ignored.
Click to expand...

You need to take into consideration that his forehand is what does the whole job, really. So unforced errors happen a lot but look at the number of winners he makes from that wing.
 
Messarger said:
To all that say Fed's forehand is the best ever:

Are you all factoring all the UEs he makes with it in the most important moments of grand slam matches as well? It is definitely one of the candidates on this subject, but it seems this short coming of the stroke is often ignored.
Click to expand...

Yes i do for one.Are you taking into account the many points he has won by simply dictating with it and forcing the 'UEs' from the opponent?
weighing that into the discussion and stats is vital..
The ratio in Feds favor ,wouldnt you agree?
 
MachiA. said:
Fed´s FH needs too much set up time.
One reason why the old Agassi could put pressure on him.

Fed´s FH with so much TS is working in the era of the homogenized/slowed down surfaces.

On fast courts his long set up time combined with the TS gives the opponent extra time.
Click to expand...
Dude, what are you talking about? Federer actually has one of the faster motions of the players mentioned. He actually takes the ball very early on the forehand side. Gonzo's forehand has a huge take back compared to Fed's. :confused:

MachiA. said:
Gonzales FH is better in all departments.

KR
Click to expand...
Except variety and consistency. I'm not one of those guys on here trying to claim that Gonzo's forehand isn't one of the best ones, or that it doesn't deserve to be on this list - that's just silly talk. But let's just keep it real for a moment, it WASN'T better than Federer's. Even if it was more powerful, because Federer could take the ball earlier, position himself to run around his backhand more often, employ a wider variety of angles and spins, and hit the shot more consistently "in the court", his forehand has to be considered better in most respects.
 
Messarger said:
To all that say Fed's forehand is the best ever:

Are you all factoring all the UEs he makes with it in the most important moments of grand slam matches as well? It is definitely one of the candidates on this subject, but it seems this short coming of the stroke is often ignored.
Click to expand...

To be honest....NO. I'm only evaluating it from a technical standpoint, and how effective the shot is in either hitting winners or controlling the baseline. In short, I'm judging the players technique, and their ability to consistently hit the shot with pace, depth, spins, and angles.

When it comes to shot selection, the players mentality, or ability to hit great shots under pressure, I'm not factoring any of that in. The question I ask myself is, "if I'm designing an android, and I want to give him the stroke techniques to be able to win every match it ever plays against any human, which players forehand stroke would I most likely model the android's after". And Roger Federer will probably be at the top of the list (along with Nadal, Gonzo, and Blake).
 
No way James Blake is up that high, he was incredibly inconsistent with his forehand.
 
chrischris said:
Yes i do for one.Are you taking into account the many points he has won by simply dictating with it and forcing the 'UEs' from the opponent?
weighing that into the discussion and stats is vital..
The ratio in Feds favor ,wouldnt you agree?
Click to expand...

forcing unforced errors? I know he's good but, really? On a more serious note, the main thing I look when considering such things is how well a player can use the stroke (fh in this case) to dictate points under extreme pressure like bp down or serving out a set. Federer's forehand is definitely up there, but most people tend to forget the times his FH screws up. It's as if Federer and ******** are two different players. Newsflash: they are one and the same.
 
tennis_pro said:
You need to take into consideration that his forehand is what does the whole job, really. So unforced errors happen a lot but look at the number of winners he makes from that wing.
Click to expand...

We have to consider both sides of the coin to properly evaluate where it stands on the GFHOAT list. My impression is that people only consider the winners and leave it at that.
 
Messarger said:
forcing unforced errors? I know he's good but, really? On a more serious note, the main thing I look when considering such things is how well a player can use the stroke (fh in this case) to dictate points under extreme pressure like bp down or serving out a set. Federer's forehand is definitely up there, but most people tend to forget the times his FH screws up. It's as if Federer and ******** are two different players. Newsflash: they are one and the same.
Click to expand...

His streaks of finals and semi's say his FH often doesn't break down in the biggest points.
 
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