Modern Forehand Tips And Technique Explained | Tennis Forehand Lesson
Summary
TLDRIn this informative tennis lesson, John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis explores the evolution of the forehand shot over the past 20 years. He demonstrates various forehand styles, including modern techniques like the floating wrist and the reverse forehand, as well as classic approaches. Craig emphasizes the importance of fundamentals such as unit turn, footwork, contact points, and unified movement for power and control. He recommends modeling forehand techniques after players like Carlos Alarz and Hugo Rune for simplicity and effectiveness, and advises against trying overly complex or snappy wrist movements, advocating for a simple, consistent forehand to win more matches.
Takeaways
- 🎾 The forehand in tennis has evolved significantly over the last 20 years, with various styles emerging.
- 🏸 John Craig's forehand is described as simple, without unusual nuances or complex movements, representing an older style.
- 🤔 There are modern forehand variations, like Tommy Paul's floating wrist and racket rise, which allow for more ball movement.
- 👋 Yannick Sinner's forehand features a pronounced lag and string rotation, which is challenging to execute without consistent practice.
- 🔄 Andy Roddick's forehand style involves pointing the racket tip at the ball before hitting it, creating a lag effect and more racket speed.
- 🌀 Roger Federer's forehand is noted for its simplicity and effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of fundamentals over style.
- 👣 Proper footwork and body positioning are crucial for storing energy and maintaining balance and control in forehand execution.
- 📍 Understanding the contact point's distance from the body in both width and depth is essential for consistent shot control.
- 💪 Power and control in the forehand come from a unified movement through contact, emphasizing shoulder rotation and a full extension.
- 👀 Observing top ATP players like Carlos Alcaraz and Hugo Rune can provide excellent models for a clean and effective forehand.
- 🚫 Avoid deliberately snapping or releasing the wrist through contact; let it happen naturally if the player is relaxed.
- 🔄 Strive for simplicity in the forehand to achieve consistency, which is key to winning more matches.
Q & A
What is the main focus of John Craig's lesson in the provided transcript?
-The main focus of John Craig's lesson is to cover the forehand technique in tennis, discussing its evolution, variations, and how to find the ideal forehand style for the viewer.
How does John Craig describe his own forehand technique?
-John Craig describes his forehand technique as simple and clean, without any unusual nuances, funny movements, or wrist flicks.
What are some of the different forehand styles that have evolved in tennis over the last 20 years?
-Some of the different forehand styles include the modern forehand with a floating wrist, Yannick Center's forehand with strings facing the back fence and a lag, and Andy Roddick's forehand with the racket tip pointing at the ball before hitting it.
What is the significance of the 'floating wrist' in the modern forehand technique?
-The floating wrist allows for more movement into the ball, enabling players to generate more spin and control.
How does John Craig demonstrate the modern forehand technique with the floating wrist?
-John Craig tries to lift the racket high and give it a go, experimenting with the technique despite never having tried it before.
What is the difficulty in executing Yannick Center's forehand technique?
-The difficulty lies in skillfully getting the racket strings from facing straight back to straight forward, which requires tremendous timing and is challenging for recreational players to develop.
What is the 'buggy whip' forehand and how is it used?
-The 'buggy whip' forehand, also known as the variation forehand or reverse forehand, is a technique used by players like Rafael Nadal, especially for high balls or when late on the ball, to generate spin and reach balls that are far away.
Why does John Craig recommend simplicity in the forehand technique for recreational players?
-Simplicity in the forehand technique is recommended for consistency, which is key to winning more matches, and because complex movements are difficult to develop and maintain for players who do not play regularly.
What are the fundamental aspects of the forehand technique that John Craig emphasizes?
-The fundamental aspects include a unit turn for power and control, proper footwork for balance and energy storage, understanding the contact point, and a unified movement through contact that rotates through the shoulders.
Which ATP Tour players does John Craig suggest as good models for a clean and simple forehand?
-John Craig suggests looking at Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune as good models for a clean and simple forehand.
What should a player avoid when trying to improve their forehand technique?
-A player should avoid deliberately snapping or releasing the wrist through contact, as this should happen naturally if the player is relaxed and goes through the proper motion.
Outlines
🎾 Evolution and Techniques of the Tennis Forehand
In this video script, John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis introduces a lesson on the forehand stroke, emphasizing its significant evolution over the past 20 years. He discusses the variety of styles seen in modern tennis and aims to help viewers find their ideal forehand technique. Craig demonstrates his own simple forehand, which lacks complex nuances, and contrasts it with contemporary styles, such as Tommy Paul's floating wrist and Yannick Sinner's unique string positioning and lag. He also explores other variations, including Andy Roddick's forward racket face and Rafael Nadal's 'buggy whip' forehand. Craig advises against overcomplicating the forehand and stresses the importance of fundamentals, such as a unit turn, proper footwork, knowing the contact point, and maintaining a unified movement for power and control.
🏆 Fundamentals and Style in Tennis Forehand
The second paragraph delves deeper into the fundamentals of an effective tennis forehand. Craig highlights the importance of a unit turn for power and control, the use of feet for energy storage and balance, and the awareness of the contact point for consistent ball control. He emphasizes that while players have their own styles in how they enter the forehand, the execution through the ball is fundamentally similar among top players. Craig recommends modeling forehand techniques after clean and simple strokes from players like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, who exemplify the principles of a good forehand. He also cautions against deliberately snapping or releasing the wrist during contact, suggesting that a relaxed approach will naturally allow for any necessary wrist action. Lastly, Craig encourages simplifying the forehand for consistency, which is key to winning matches, and offers a free mini-course for further improvement.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Forehand
💡Evolution
💡Variations
💡Ideal Forehand
💡Fundamentals
💡Unit Turn
💡Contact Point
💡Shoulder Rotation
💡Lag
💡Snap or Release
💡Consistency
Highlights
The forehand has evolved significantly in the last 20 years, with various styles emerging.
The instructor's forehand is simple, without unusual nuances or movements.
Forehand techniques from the 70s were even simpler, lacking the modern loop.
Modern forehand styles include a rising racket and floating wrist for more ball movement.
Yanxi Center's forehand involves a unique string lag and square-up on the ball.
The challenge of hitting a forehand with strings facing back and then forward.
Andy Roddick's forehand technique with the racket tip pointing forward for better racket speed.
The importance of shoulder rotation and arm movement for creating lag and power.
Rafael Nadal's reverse forehand, or 'buggy whip', for high and low balls.
The 'buggy whip' forehand as a useful option for late or wide balls.
The importance of personal style in forehand play and its impact on shot consistency.
Fundamentals of forehand play, including unit turn, footwork, and contact point awareness.
Carlos Alarz and Hugo Rune as models for clean and simple forehand techniques.
Avoiding the deliberate snapping or releasing of the wrist through contact.
The value of simplicity in forehand for achieving consistency and winning matches.
An offer for a free mini course on the five principles to master a professional-quality forehand.
Transcripts
hello everybody John Craig here with
Performance Plus tennis in today's
lesson we're going to cover the forehand
and no doubt that the forehand is the
one shot in tennis that has changed more
than anything else in tennis in the last
20 years and we see so many different
styles and the evolution of the forehand
is so fascinating and we're going to
look at that beforehand we're going to
look at variations of it we're going to
help you also figure out what is the
ideal way for you to discover the best
forehand for you to play with all that
and more in today's lesson so by today's
standards I really think of my forehand
is being really simple in many ways it
really doesn't have any unusual nuances
or funny movements uh Wibble wobbles
wrist flicks anything like that in it so
I'm going to hit a couple of my regular
forehands just hit my for I'm not going
really think about it I'm just going to
play my forehand just the way I know I
play
it very
simple and this evolved from me learning
in the 70s where the swings were even
simpler and I didn't even have the loop
in my forehand at that time okay
so that's my forehand really Simple and
Clean um not a lot of wrist movement not
a lot of angle changes in the racket I
can spin the ball I can do a lot of
different things with it but we don't
see forand in the tour like that at all
anymore we're seeing four hands with
very different movements and if we take
like catching off for example and Tommy
Paul who's our new Us number one we see
the the racket Rises and we see a
floating wrist so we see a we see a
racket that rises and we see a floating
wrist and this allows to get a lot more
movement into the ball and actually I've
never even tried this before but I'm
going to have a little fun with it and
see if I can actually lift it high and
give it a go okay LIF it high and give
it a go that's one variation another
variation the best forehand on tour this
year in 2024 is yanx Center and yanx
Center's forehand he takes it back and
the strings actually face The Back Fence
and then he has this tremendous lag in
it and it releases and squares up on the
ball
I'm going to try that now and see if I
can actually do that
forehand
interesting strings facing back and
whack it through it's pretty hard to do
actually but it's kind of fun to try all
these
variations very difficult for me to do
so different but having fun with it got
it okay so this is difficult because in
order to hit the four hand this way you
have to skillfully get the racket
strings from facing straight back to
straight forward and it takes tremendous
timing to do that and if you're not
playing all the time and you're a
recreational player playing a couple
times a week very difficult to develop
that movement okay so I really wouldn't
recommend it now another variation that
we see on forehand that I recall seeing
from Andy rodic is that when you prepare
the racket faces more forward so with
Roger feder was racket was more above
the hand even with Nal more above the
hand but with rodic he was kind of one
of the first ones who actually pointed
the tip of the racket at the ball and
then hit it I actually like that right I
can actually generate pretty good racket
speed on that oh I love that one
right and what happens on this
particular technique is that when you
make your move to play the ball your
shoulder your whole arm is what would be
supinated and then when you come back it
rotates around so it it creates more of
a lag effect you're here and then when
you bring it back and you rotate right
there is this tremendous lag and the
shoulder rotates and puts it in a
position with a great stretch in there
and you can really accelerate through
the ball so that if you're looking to
improve the performance of your forein
and you want to try something that's
relatively simple you could try this I
hit a few more point it forward then
play it point it forward then play it
point it forward then play it so for me
that's probably the easiest adjustment I
could make on my forehand to generate
more lag and more power on the forehand
without making my stroke very
complicated I'm simply going from where
my natural position is here to actually
here so when I make my move the
shoulder's going to rotate back the
racket's going to rotate around the hand
and then catch up and that's something
you could try Okay so that would be a
variation that might work for you but I
think it's um complicated if you have a
sort of a traditional type of a forehand
and another notable variation on the
forehand is what Nadal has done his
whole career and that's hit what we call
the variation forehand or the reverse
forehand or the buggy whip forehand so
all those three names are sort of
interchangeable and he combined that
usually with an open stance and he had a
semi-western grip so I'm going to hit a
few of those and see if I can get that
whip up on the ball here that he would
get so
much oh I did a classic there didn't I
so up over the top and this is very
useful when the ball's high and you want
to get a lot of spin on it Ball's up
high I can spin over the top of the head
here whip it
around get a lot of
Spin and that's the shot right there
give another one buggy whip here the
other time of buggy whip is useful is
when the ball's low and wide like if I
get pulled out wide I could do a buggy
whip right here and play it this
way
okay
and there we go another
one and over the top and this also
happens naturally if you're late on the
ball too if I'm a little late naturally
I'll go up and out versus around the
shoulders so you can use that variation
for hand as an option as well I wouldn't
use it all the time but it's a way that
you can play balls are a little late a
little further away from you or you want
to get a lot more spin on the ball so
you might be thinking at this point gosh
what should I do what's My Style what
kind of thing should I be trying to do
to make my forign the best it can be now
just remember the ball doesn't know what
your style is it doesn't know if you're
a pro or an amateur it doesn't know
anything it knows the speed of the
racket the angle of the Racket and the
path of the racket at that instant of
contact and how you get there is your
own style but if you're trying to do
things that are accomplish ated and
difficult then that contact point is
going to be inconsistent and then of
course your shots are going to be
inconsistent as well so I think we just
have to go back to what are the
fundamentals you look at all these
different styles of play whether it's
Andy rodic in the past or Roger feder in
the past or we look at Tommy Paul today
other players they're all doing
fundamentally similar things and how
they enter into the forehand is their
style but what they do through the ball
is very very similar okay so we're going
to go through a couple fundamental
things that you need to do all right
first of all make sure that your left is
involved so that every one of these
players whether no matter what their
style is they're entering into the
forehand with a unit turn where
everything is connected so this is
critical that you have this okay because
this is going to set up your power and
your control on your forehand and give
you everything you need at the beginning
stage of your forehand
shot in addition to the unit turn
preparation you also have to understand
how to use your feet to get into a
position where you store energy and have
balance and control so that when you
execute your swing that you have
complete control over your swing and you
can generate power through your body
very very important next up you have to
understand where your contact points are
so you're not guessing when the ball
comes in you have to know where that
contact point is measurably away from
your body in terms of width and also in
terms of depth because your whole
objective is to get through that ideal
contact point to be able to control the
ball so you've got to understand where
your contact points are
and then finally you have to understand
that the power and control is a unified
movement through contact that rotates
through the shoulders and you play out
through so your power comes through your
shoulder rotation and then that power
transfers through your hitting shoulder
into a comfortable extension and you
want to at least get here we do not want
to be playing arms and keeping the upper
arm next to the body we want to rotate
and
drive and if you look at the players
that are the best models for you on the
ATP Tour today I would look closely at
Carlos alarz whose forehand is
ridiculously great amazing but it's also
very clean and pure and it's most of the
components of his forehand are a great
model for you to follow it's very simple
in many many ways and hogar Runa is
another player who's got a clean simple
forehand I would try to model your
forehands after those two players and
stick to the fundamentals and the basics
and really try to get rid of any idea
that you're going to be snapping yes
there is a lag and there's a natural
catchup but as a final thought to do not
try to snap or release your wrist
through contact not deliberately if it
happens because you're relaxed and it
goes through it will just happen by
itself but it's nothing that you're
trying to do intentionally and then as a
final thought if you struggle with all
this go back to making your forehand as
simple as possible because consistency
is what's going to help you win more
match thanks so much for watching
today's video and I hope that these
Concepts will help you improve your
forehand and give us a like subscribe to
the channel if you've not done so
already leave your comments down below
and if if you're looking to get more
information on how to improve your
forehand click in the link in
description down below and get my free
mini course on the five principles you
need to master to achieve a professional
quality forehand thank you so much for
watching today's video and we'll see you
in the next lesson
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
PRO Forehand In 5 Simple Steps | Tennis Forehand Technique Lesson
Jannik Sinner Forehand Analysis- Footwork, Technique, Swing Path And MORE!
Hammer your opponent's backhand with heavy balls!
[#EBS평생학교] 2강 틈새 공략, 백핸드 탑스핀│김정훈의 배워서 바로 써먹는 탁구 2
7 most effective table tennis serves (with Ferenc Horvath)
Professional Volley Technique Explained | Volley Tennis Lesson
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)