Together with the serve, the forehand is the most dominant stroke in tennis, and your goal should be to turn this shot into a weapon. After reviewing the videos in our forehand technique section you will have a much better understanding of all the important technical fundamentals of the forehand and will know exactly how to correct common mistakes.
With a Crossover-Step into the perfect forehand closed stance position
The forehand from the lateral position occurs in competition tennis in special situations. One of these situations, for example, is a shorter ball that flies relatively centrally towards the player. A crossover step is an effective way t...
Delay and explode: Perfect visualization of the contact point
From this bird's-eye view, you can see the exact contact point in front of the body and the stretching-shortening cycle (lagging) in the transition from the swing phase to the stroke phase. To get access to the videos and pre...
Forehand Closed Stance (back view)
The forehand from the lateral position occurs in competition tennis in special situations. One of these situations, for example, is a ball that flies relatively centrally towards the player. To get access to the videos and p...
Experiencing the Movement Cycle
The best way to get the feel for the movement cycle is to shadow moving in different directions. Here is an example of a shadowing drill for your players. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, regi...
Working on the Split Step
Here is a good progression to work on the split step, starting with throwing and catching and then incorporating the racquet. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, o...
Improving your First Step
A quick first step is essential for an effective footwork. The following progression will show you how to work on exploding out of the split step. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register her...
Working on Recovering Efficiently
Stopping your momentum and recovering in one fluid efficient movement pattern is one of the most important skills for a tennis player. The goal is to move efficiently without wasting steps. In this video you will understand the theory a...
Recovery
A common mistake on the court is to fail to recover immediately after hitting the shot. The following drill will emphasize just that. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free ...
Move Diagonally Towards the Ball
Moving diagonally towards the ball is much more efficient than moving parallel to the baseline. Not only will you have shorter running distances but you will hit closer to the net taking time away from the opponent. To get a...
How to Deal with Deep, Forcing Shots that Push you Back
Sometimes deep and forcing shots will force you to move back. Here is how you should handle this situation. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, or become a member ...
Use The open Stance on Wide Balls
In terms of footwork, an open stance is more efficient when moving to wide balls because it allows the player to return towards the middle of the court without having to take additional steps. Take a look at how this works. ...
Use a Cross-Over Step to Recover when far from the Middle
When a shots gets you close to the sidelines, side steps will not be quick enough to get you back to the ideal court-position. Starting your recovery with a large cross-over step will be much faster and efficient. To get acc...
Recover with a Sense of Urgency
Recovering towards the middle of the court effectively after each shot can make a huge difference on your ability to cover the court. Use the same intensity to recover than you use to run to the ball. Recover immediately and quickly. ...
Stop your Momentum for Better Movement
Avoiding extra lateral steps when running for wide balls will make a huge difference on your ability to cover the court. Rotating the hips as you hit and using the outside leg to stop the lateral momentum is the best way to make sure th...
Use Small Shuffle Steps to Adjust to Slow Moving Balls
Hitting the ball at the perfect distance to the body will minimize mistakes. Work had and use small quick shuffle steps whenever you have time to achieve an ideal strike zone. This will definitely improve the quality of your shot. ...
Always Start Fast then Slow Down
The key to hitting your shots in balance is to get to the ball with enough time to set up before you hit. If you are rushed as you are hitting your chances of making more errors will increase. Always start to the ball quickly and then sl...
Understanding the Split Step
Tennis is a game of constant starting, stopping and changes of direction. In order to change directions quickly and effectively you need to be in balance. The split step is the key to efficient movement. Understand it and practice it un...
Just Move!
Tennis is a game of movement. The better you move the better you play and great movement requires quick reaction. On court you have to be intense, on your toes and ready to chase any shot. There is no room for trying to evaluate if you s...
How to Slide on Clay
Sliding on clay is one of the most important skills to improve your movement on that surface. Here are a few concepts that will help you understand and practice how to do this. To get access to the videos and premium media, ...
Change your Attitude to Improve your On-court Movement
Movement is one of the most important aspects in tennis, and the ability to move better can make a huge difference in a player’s game. Fitness training has become an essential component for every serious player. However, there is one v...
Slice Open Stance Forehand Swing Path
The swing path of a forehand slice is very similar to a forehand volley except much longer. As the player takes the racquet back, the racquet head opens. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, registe...
Drive Forehand Swing Path
The player takes the racquet back through a shoulder rotation. The racquet head lags a bit pointing forwards. As the racquet moves upwards and forwards towards contact, the wrist opens and the butt cap point at the ball.. The swing path...
Swing Path vs. Technical Details
There is a difference if you look at a stroke from a technical perspective of just focus on the swing path of the racquet head. There are many factors involved in the technical details. Each body segment and its changes during the swin...
Off the Bounce Forehand Topspin at the Baseline (Sideview)
Sometimes a deep fast shot from your opponent will force you to hit the ball off the bounce even when rallying from the baseline. In this situations it is very important to shorten the back swing, to catch the ball in front and to get th...
Hitting a Defensive Lob
o hit an effective defensive lob use a very short backswing, get under the ball and hit straight up finishing with the racquet high. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free tri...
Hitting and Offensive Lob
The most important aspect to hit an effective offensive lob is disguise. Ideally you need to be in an offensive position, fake a passing shot and change to a lob at the last second. Your goal is to hit the lob just above the opponent’s...
The Shoulder Level Shot
The shoulder level shot is used to attack a high ball from the opponent. The idea is to hit it hard and with little topspin. Technically, the player will prepare high, setting the racquet at the shoulder level. From there the racquet wil...
The Off the Bounce Shot
Sometimes during a point you will be forced into a situation where you do not have time to back up and will have to take the ball right off the bounce. In these situations the most important thing is to shorten your backswing as much as...
The Dipping Shot
The dipping shot is hit with a great deal of topspin, low over the net and short. It is used for passing shots, angles, and approach shots. In order to hit a solid dipping shot you need to accelerate the racquet head with the forearm an...
Use Disguise on your Drop Shots
The secret to an effective drop shot is not necessarily hitting it just over the net. More importantly is driving the opponent back before hitting it. Therefore the player needs to disguise the drop shot, using it in an attacking situati...
A Common Mistake When Lobbing
A common mistake when lobbing is to look up too early therefore missing the sweet spot on the racquet head. A lob requires precision and a clean contact point. Keep your head still until the ball leaves your racquet! To get ...
Use Under Spin for a Good Drop Shot
Under spin will keep the ball from moving through the court and is an essential ingredient of an effective drop shot. Learn how to use it! To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a ...
Keep the Head Still!
A common mistake on groundstrokes is to pull away from the shot as you swing. This always starts with the head. If the head moves, the body moves. This clip will explore the importance of the head when hitting your groundstrokes. ...
How Long Should the Forehand Backswing be?
Will a longer backswing help you generate more power? Will you lose control? How long is too long? Let's take a look. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, or become ...
Rotate into the Shot to Hit a Solid Forehand
A very common mistake on the forehand is to turn sideways and then swing only with the arm, keeping your body sideways. Ideally you need to use the whole body to swing. Rotate the hips and torso during your backswing and then uncoil int...
Keep your Backswing Simple for a Better Forehand
Ideally you want to line up the strings behind the ball in your forehand backswing. The less the racquet head has to move in your forward swing the better. Make sure you use a simple backswing to improve your consistency. Opening the ra...
Use Figure 8 Swings to Understand How to Swing More Efficiently
Many players tend to force the racquet instead of swinging it. Here is a great exercise using figure 8 swings to help you understand the concept of swinging vs pushing. To get access to the videos and premium media, just log...
Forehand Finish – Use the Elbow as Guideline
A solid forehand uses the whole body and a loose arm. A common mistake is to swing only with the forearm to generate topspin. A better swing will let the whole arm move through the shot. Finishing with the elbow in front of your chest i...
How to Return a Deep Lob that Gets Over your Head
Ideally you should always try to hit an overhead when the opponent lobs. However, there are times when the lob is so deep that you will have to run behind it and hit it after it bounces. In those occasions, it is important that you run t...
Offensive and Defensive Lobs
A lob is an important shot in tennis and can win you many points. There are two types of lobs: The defensive lob which is high and deep and is used to buy you time to recover from a difficult situation and the offensive lob, which is low...
Control your Racquet Face on the Backswing
Having the racquet face in the right position during your backswing will help you reach the ideal contact point more consistently. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial...
The Correct use of the Wrist on the Topspin Forehand
A common mistake at the club level is to lock the wrist when hitting a forehand and swinging from the shoulder. In order to hit an effective shot, the wrist joint has to remain loose through the swing. Ideally, he wrist opens on the bac...
The Importance of the Wrist on The Forehand Drive
The wrist plays a very important role on the forehand groundstroke. It allows you to make contact in front of the body and helps you generate racquet head speed. A common problem is holding the racquet too tightly and therefore blocking...
The Use of the Non-Dominant Arm on the Forehand
The non-dominant arm is very important on the forehand. It provides balance and it allows the shoulders to rotate properly. Let’s take a look at how it should be used. To get access to the videos and premium media, just lo...
The Correct Use of the Forearm on the Forehand
The forearm is a very important part of the swing on the forehand. Spin and acceleration depend on the correct use of this segment during the swing. As the arm moves towards the ball, the forearm rotates explosively to generate spin and...
The Forehand Contact Point
One of the most common mistakes is to hit the ball late. Catching the ball in front of the body is the first step towards a solid technique. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a ...
Forehand: Open Stance vs Closed Stance
The open stance allows for more rotation of the trunk and therefore more power. The closed stance keeps the swing in the direction of the shot, enhancing control. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login her...
The Forehand Stance
Players should feel comfortable hitting with open and closed stances but should avoid stepping across. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, or become a member of „T...
Forehand Grips
The first step to a solid technique is learning to hold the racquet correctly. The three forehand grips are: Eastern, Semi-Western and Western. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for...
Do not Fight your Body Momentum
When hitting a forehand make sure you finish your shot before recovering. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, or become a member of „Tennis2Brain“, the great tra...
Keep your Forehand Backswing Compact
Keep the backswing simple when hitting a forehand by rotating the upper body. Do not use your arm to take the racquet back. To get access to the videos and premium media, just login here, register here for a free trial, or be...