Weard forehand tip from very good tenis coach

[Nikae]

-OK here it is:

1.)"Racquet should approach the ball from below, and then pull up and across the body. Closed racket face through the swing, with the palm facing down, is preferable for topspin players"

ok that makes sense, but what about "closed racket face"?

-this is the weird part:

2.) "Try to make contact towards the bottom of the strings, as if you were stroking it with the end of your fingers, not your palm"

I always thought you should try to hit the ball with the middle of the racket head?
I am confused.

 

[ProgressoR]

1) palm surely not facing down?? and racket face can be a bit closed as long as the racket speed is high enough
2) not sure how to interpret the fingers and palm reference given my question above, but I would imagine a clean contact should either be in or near the middle of the face or perhaps a bit towards 12 o'clock of the racket face....

my opinion

if you want to imagine brushing the ball, then you should be looking to impact the racket face that is nearer the ball and then the ball brushing across the racket face, that might make sense

 

[papa]

1) palm surely not facing down?? and racket face can be a bit closed as long as the racket speed is high enough

What's your reference for saying this or is this something that doesn't sound right to you. Actually, its pretty good advice.

 

[ProgressoR]

What's your reference for saying this or is this something that doesn't sound right to you. Actually, its pretty good advice.

just intuitive...i guess palm could be facing down in conti grip, but even in eastern, at point of contact palm is closer to facing the front rather than down? I use eastern. Actually even in conti palm doesnt face down, for palm to be facing down you would have to have something like an eastern BH grip wbut hitting a FH,

maybe I have it all pictured totally wrong in my mind.....that is how it seems to me though

 

[joe sch]

You gotta atleast hit the sweetspot.
I suspect this coach meant the bottom of the SP ?

 

[LeeD]

Coach meant palm down after contact.
During contact, most players using W have palms facing UP.
Low to high is normal. SLIGHTLY closed face is normal.
Coach is trying to make you get farther away from the ball, so you use more leverage from the racket.

 

[papa]

Depending on the skill level of the players involved, I would think he meant palm down during the swing.

This is one of the problems when "new school" and "old school" look at various strokes. Closed face, palm down as the racquet is brought forward would be the way its done these days for the more advanced player.

 

[ProgressoR]

Depending on the skill level of the players involved, I would think he meant palm down during the swing.

This is one of the problems when "new school" and "old school" look at various strokes. Closed face, palm down as the racquet is brought forward would be the way its done these days for the more advanced player.

yep that makes sense, during the the swing prior to contact.

 

[ProgressoR]

Coach meant palm down after contact.
During contact, most players using W have palms facing UP.
Low to high is normal. SLIGHTLY closed face is normal.
Coach is trying to make you get farther away from the ball, so you use more leverage from the racket.

you sure you mean AFTER contact LeeD, or BEFORE?

 

[LeeD]

Before and after, but not during the actual strike. With W grips, and my strong SW, palm is facing upwards during the strike.
Before, loop backswing, on takeback, racketface faces behind me and down.
On forward swing, only at the end of the loop is palm facing down, then opens up as I swing forwards to strikepoint....racket slightly closed, palm facing up, then the bending of the elbow on the followthru closes the face till it faces beyond down, then hands roll over, and palm faces down on the finish of the followthru.
OK, I'm wierd.

 

[ProgressoR]

Before and after, but not during the actual strike. With W grips, and my strong SW, palm is facing upwards during the strike.
Before, loop backswing, on takeback, racketface faces behind me and down.
On forward swing, only at the end of the loop is palm facing down, then opens up as I swing forwards to strikepoint....racket slightly closed, palm facing up, then the bending of the elbow on the followthru closes the face till it faces beyond down, then hands roll over, and palm faces down on the finish of the followthru.
OK, I'm wierd.

yeh sounds right not wierd at all., similar to me except at max takeback racket and palm is facing directly to the fence on my right.

 

[mm916157]

i perceive this statement as palm down being equal to wrist down.

i was told to keep your wrist down, swing thru and up. this helps create big top spin. I try not to swing across and use foot positioning to create angles.