FOREHAND STROKE Videos

CLICK near the number or letter (a, b, c...) to open the video:

1) From the Ready Position you must always make a good Unit Turn.

i) The Ready Position:  Using the forehand grip, position your racket out in front away from your body with your elbows elevated (show your arm pits).  Your left hand is on the throat of the racket. You are up on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent.

ii) The Unit Turn:  As soon as you see the ball coming to your forehand immediately coil your shoulders away from the net.  Your racket and elbow are elevated in this short take back. Keep your non-racket hand on the throat of your racket and make sure the strings are facing the side fence. 

2) Six checkpoints to master the modern forehand stroke:

i) The Ready Position:  Use the Eastern or Semi-Western forehand grip and position your racket out in front away from your body with your elbows elevated (show your arm pits).  Your knees should be slightly bent and your left hand is on the throat of the racket. 

ii) The Unit Turn: As soon as you see the ball coming to your forehand immediately coil your shoulders.  Rotate your hips and shoulders while keeping your back elbow elevated and pointed toward the back fence.  Keep your non-racket hand on the throat of your racket and make sure the strings are facing the side fence. 

iii) Pre-Contact Position: Coil your shoulders until you are looking over your front shoulder at the oncoming ball.  Start with your racket above the oncoming ball as you step toward the ball.  

iv) Release and Extend: As you look over your front shoulder, extend your non-racket hand toward the oncoming ball while you relax your racket arm and extend it toward the back fence.

v) Contact Point: Bend your knees as you position the strings below the oncoming ball.  Make contact with the ball out in front.  Tuck the

non-racket hand inward as you brush the strings across the ball from low to high. 

vi) The Follow Through: After making contact with the ball catch your racket with your non racket hand and let the racket continue until the racket finishes over your back shoulder (or across your chest).  Your front elbow should finish high making your nose "appear larger".  To generate more power bring your back foot to the front as you hit the ball.  If you are right handed, you started by looking at the ball over your left shoulder and you should finish by looking over your right shoulder. 

3) This is an excellent teaching video demonstrating the use of the  non-dominant (non-racket hand) during the forehand stroke.

i) The Unit Turn: Keep your non-racket hand on the throat of the racket as you coil your shoulders around your hips. Make sure the strings are facing the side fence. Your back elbow is elevated.

ii) Release and Extend: As you look over your front shoulder, extend your non-racket hand toward the oncoming ball. Practice catching the ball first, drop the ball and then hit it. Your non-racket hand is used to get the proper spacing to the ball and for balance.

iii) Follow Through: After making contact with the ball catch your racket with your non racket hand and let the racket continue until the racket finishes over your back shoulder (or across your chest). 

iv) Generate Power: Near the end of the video, watch the player bring his back foot toward the net when hitting the ball.  He generates a lot of power by uncoiling his shoulders and moving his back foot and his body toward the net. 

4a) Use your left hand (the non-racket hand) to force the racket back with a good shoulder turn.  Keep your non-racket hand on the racket for as long as possible.  You then extend your non-racket hand across your body toward the oncoming ball.  This helps you get the correct spacing to the ball and to maintain good balance. 

4b)  Use of non-dominate hand and Alcarez 

5) This video is about practice using correct SHADOW STROKES to develop the muscle memory needed to master each stroke.

i) Start in the Ready Position: Your knees are bent while holding the racket out in front in the forehand grip.  You elbows are elevated. You should be able to fit a basketball in the space between your racket and your chest.  Spread your fingers along the racket handle. Keep your wrist firm but have a very loose grip so that you can generate a lot of racket speed. 
ii) The "Back Swing": coil your shoulders while keeping your non-racket hand on the throat of the racket. Your racket faces the side fence (like holding a stop sign). Elevate your back elbow and look over your front shoulder at the imaginary tennis ball. 
iii) Release and extension:  Release your non-racket hand and extend it toward the oncoming ball while extending your racket arm toward the back fence. Step toward the ball and look over your front shoulder at the imaginary tennis ball. 
iv) Contact point: Let your racket make contact with the ball out in front and "flush" (racket face vertical).  Brush the ball from low to high and follow through.

v) Follow Through: Catch the racket with your non-racket hand and let the racket continue until the racket finishes over your back shoulder (or across your chest).  You finish high in a "kiss your bicep" position.  If you are right handed, you started by looking over your left shoulder and you finish by looking over your right shoulder. 

6) In this video two players practice using their non-racket hand.

7) The Forehand technique in five video progressions: 

8) This slow-motion video shows the proper forehand technique.

i) The Back Swing: Notice how he coils his shoulders while keeping his non-racket hand on the racket. The racket position is momentarily vertical and faces the side fence.
ii) Release and Extend: His non racket hand reaches for the ball  while his racket arm extends toward the back fence.
"Follow Through": catch the racket with your non-racket hand and let the racket continue until the racket finishes over your back shoulder (or across your chest).

c) Nick Aracic teaches Anna, a beginning tennis player, how to hit the forehand stroke.

Another video with Anna practicing the forehand and backhand. 

d)  Coach Macci (part 1) video showing a student the proper technique.

The "back swing" means coil your shoulders around you hips while keeping your non-racket hand on the throat of the racket.  The racket face is vertical and faces the side fence (like holding a stop sign).  Your back elbow is elevated as you rotate your shoulders so that are looking over your front shoulder at the oncoming ball.

e) Coach Macci (part 2) video showing the "Release and Extension" part of the forehand.
After the "back swing" elevate your racket elbow ABOVE the oncoming ball.  

"Release and Extension: Release your non-racket hand and extend it toward the oncoming ball while extending your racket arm toward the back fence. 

f) This video is about: No excuses! Get out there and practice!
You don't need a hitting partner or a wall or a ball machine.  Get a bag of balls and "drop feed" them and work on your technique and your footwork on your own.  No excuses!

g) Nick Aracic describes the important parts of the modern forehand.  He first coils his shoulders until he is looking over his left shoulder at the oncoming ball. His racket elbow is elevated almost at shoulder level.  His non-racket hand stays on the racket as long as possible as he moves toward the ball.  His non-racket hand lets go of the racket and comes across his body almost pointing toward the ball.  He lets the racket head drop and points the butt of the racket toward the oncoming ball.  He then quickly pulls his non-racket arm to the side which initiates the pulling action of the racket toward the ball.  The racket head brushes the ball from low to high and finishes above his shoulder or across his body.

h)  Rick Macci teaches "Elbow Elevated" and then "Elbow Extension" for forehand progression.  Fast forward to the 9 min mark. The first progression starts with the elbow already extended and the non-racket arm across his body.  As he bends the knees he points the butt of the racket toward the ball and "pulls" the racket toward contact. The second progression starts at 11:30 min mark.  Both hands on racket with elbow elevated. Change racket into forehand grip as you turn your hips, coil the shoulders and look over your shoulder.  From elbow up go to elbow extended (straightened) backward.  Uncoil as you pull the racket toward contact. The third progression at the 16:30 min mark with the "ready position".  Focus on keeping the off hand on the racket as long as possible and coil, coil the shoulders around the hips.  Excellent review of the forehand at the 18:20 min mark. 

i) At the 1 minute mark notice how he turns his shoulders while keeping his non-racket hand on the racket.  His racket and elbow are elevated almost at shoulder level and his non-racket hand stays on the racket as long as possible.  He gets his racket hand elevated high above the incoming ball and the racket face elevated above his head.  As he rotates with the racket head pointing to the sky, he coils his shoulders further than his hips as he looks over his left shoulder.  As you practice, say to yourself: "coil, coil, coil" so that you coil (rotate) your shoulders as much as possible.  At the 1:40 min mark his non-racket hand lets go of his racket and comes across his body almost pointing toward the ball.  At the 3:20 min mark he lets his racket elbow drop and extend backwards: "His elevated racket elbow drops as he straightens his racket arm." At this point say to yourself: "Pull the racket" which means let your shoulders and hips uncoil. Rather than swinging the racket, pull the racket toward the oncoming ball.  As you pull the racket, point the butt of the racket toward the oncoming ball (imagine your fist making contact with the ball).  

j) From the "ready position" quickly make a good "unit turn".

k) The Forehand Slice stroke and when to use it.

l) How to DEFEND against the forehand slice stroke.

m) The Forehand Slice: Using the continental grip and the 

bent elbow like you do in the backhand slice.

n) The most thorough analysis of the various take-backs (power position) for the forehand stroke.

o) 5 mistakes to AVOID on your forehand stroke

3) a) High balls hit deep can be a challenge unless you use the correct footwork and racket preparation.  He quickly steps back and if needed uses cross-over steps to get further back.  He gets sideways while getting his racket back and high above his shoulders.  He holds the racket with his non-racket hand as long as possible and swings the racket as if he is going to hit the ball with his fist.  He pushes his back foot forward while his racket follows through in a horizontal "windshield wiper" motion. 

b) Video: shows how the racket elbow is elevated and then extended. 

c) This video avoids "pat the dog" (strings facing downwards toward the court) and replaces it with racket facing the back fence and then rotate wrist so strings are positioned more sideways. Although if you hit the ball across court then you will naturally hit the side of the ball as shown in the video.

d) This link has photos and descriptions for the perfect forehand. 

e) A proper Unit Turn allows for a more compact swing.  The racket and elbow are elevated in the short take back. Your elevated elbow helps to keep your racket from going behind your back.  As you step toward the ball bend your knees and push up from the ground.  Power in your stroke starts from the ground up. Maintain a right angle between the racket and the racket arm as you make contact with the ball out in front

f) A unique technique is used to get a short take back to develop a more compact swing. Fast forward to the 10 minute mark of the video.  Notice that with his normal stroke how his non-racket hand and arm comes across his body.  Pointing the non-racket hand toward the oncoming ball helps you to get the proper distance from the ball and to maintain balance.  

g) Use your left hand (the non-racket hand) to force the racket back with a good shoulder turn.  Keep your non-racket hand on the racket for as long as possible.  You then extend your non-racket hand across your body toward the oncoming ball.  This helps you get the correct spacing to the ball and maintain good balance. 

h) We need to give the ball top spin to get the ball over the net and then land inside the court.  This is done by brushing the strings upward on the ball as the racket is lifted from a low to high position. Excellent slow motion at the 5:00 minute mark shows the racket head making contact with the ball out in front and below the level of the oncoming ball.  The "follow through" occurs when the elbow is lifted upwards from the shoulder and the racket goes over the shoulder.    

3) a) These players use shadow strokes to practice the technique.  
Start in the "ready position" and then make a unit turn with a short backswing while using the correct forehand grip.  Notice the "L shape" between their racket and their forearm.  Their non-racket arm then comes across the body almost pointing to the oncoming ball.  Bend the knees and transfer your weight from the back foot to your front foot.  Make contact with the ball out in front.  Your back leg comes forward with a good hip rotation and follow through as their racket arm finishing high over your shoulder (your chin ends up touching the shoulder). Recover back to the middle of the court and keep the feet moving in the "ready position".


      iv) At the end of this video we see slow motion of the swing
           path of the racket going from low to high as the strings
           brush up on the ball giving it topspin.

c) Techniques to insure that you watch the racket strings make
     contact with the incoming ball.

  e) i)  How do I know if I am following through on my swing? 
          As you swing your racket from low to high, catch your
          racket with your non-racket hand.  Your chin should end
          up on your shoulder.  

     ii) "Chin-To-Shoulder" rotation is another way to insure that 
           you follow through with your forehand as well as your two
           handed backhand. 
  
   ii) Slow motion part of this video shows how the non-racket
       hand is used to force the racket back which allows the
       shoulders to rotate in the Unit Turn.  Notice how he finishes the
       stroke with the elbow up and the racket arm around his neck.

g) i) One of the biggest challenges that many players face is how to
       handle high balls hit to your backhand or forehand.  First get
       your racket back and up near shoulder height.  Then brush the
       strings across the ball as you swing in a horizontal direction. 
       Notice the follow through as he catches the racket with his
       non-racket hand.

       ii) To hit a high ball close to the net, first turn your shoulders
         and get your racket back near shoulder height. It is
         important to make contact out in front as you swing the
         racket in a horizontal motion.  Notice the follow through as
         she catches the racket with his non-racket hand.
 
      iii) Use the swing volley to hit slow high balls near the net.
           Swing the racket from below the ball in a windshield wiper
           motion. The racket speed must be high.

h) Use an Eastern or Semi-western grip for the forehand stroke.    
    Turn your shoulders as you maintain a right angle between your
    racket and your forearm.  The racket and elbow are elevated in
    your take back.  Your wrist can be locked and the racket arm can 
    be straightened as you swing out at the oncoming ball. 

i) With the racket back, now rotate your wrist so the racket
     head points toward the ground.  You correctly show how the racket should be brought back with the racket head pointing toward the sky. The next step is to allow the wrist to rotate and extend backwards into the "racket lag position" . The focus should be allowing the racket head to drop BELOW THE LEVEL OF the oncoming ball and then PULLING on the racket so the butt of the racket is direct toward the ball. There is a wrist rotation that must occur to change the racket head from pointing upward to pointing downward toward the ground as shown in the Federer video. A NATURAL RESULT of this technique is that the racket now lags behind the wrist and the wrist is now out in front of the racket. I agree that it is vital to have a relaxed wrist, a relaxed grip and a relaxed racket arm. This will allow you to generate the racket head speed needed for a powerful stroke.

k) Drills to master the racket lag with focus on the wrist position.

l) SPREAD your fingers along the racket handle and use a very
   loose grip. Your WRIST remains firm but your fingers grip the
    racket loosely. This will allow you to increase your racket speed.

m) Techniques for taking high, deep balls on the rise.

n) Case Study #1: Fixing the forehand stroke by changing the 
     back swing to make it shorter and more compact.

o) Case Study #2:  Fix your forehand by using the none-racket 
    arm in your unit turn and for your follow through.

p) This video demonstrates the importance of finishing with the
     elbow up.  You get more height over the net!

q) Use your non-racket hand to bring the racket back and
    maintain that right angle (90 degrees) between your racket and
    your forearm. 

r) As soon as you see the ball coming to your forehand (or
    backhand), turn your shoulders (the Unit Turn).  Don't wait
    for the ball to bounce.  This is especially important when
    returning serves. 

s)  Change the direction that you hit the ball by ONLY changing
     the racket angle.  For every stroke, watch your racket make
     contact with the ball.


2) a) With the racket "lagging" behind your wrist, point the butt of 
        the racket (the butt cap) toward the ball.  Make contact 
        just BELOW the oncoming ball and brush up for topspin.

    b) Proper "Shoulder-to-Chin" rotation for accuracy and direction.
           Important: Always look over the RIGHT shoulder at the
       oncoming ball and end by looking over the LEFT shoulder 
       after your follow through.  Keep your head still.

   c) Correction and drills to make your forehand more efficient.

   d) Advanced self-feeding to improve your forehand.

    e) Comparison of the correct and incorrect forehand stroke.
        The man is left handed.  He keeps the wrist firm and he
           positions the racket face just BELOW the oncoming ball.

    f) Maintain the leverage angle to AVOID "snapping" the wrist

  3 a) Give "SHAPE" to your stroke: Start the racket high then
         bring the racket head below the oncoming ball and then brush
         up as you finish the stroke.

   b) 1) Using the TopSpin Pro to learn to hit topspin

           2) Working on your foot work using the TopSpin Pro

           3) Many drills using the TopSpin Pro
    
   c) Finish your forehand stroke with the elbow UP and
      "kiss" the bicep muscle.

   e) Changing the direction of your shot from down the line to
        cross court.

   f) 1) Technique for handling HIGH forehand shots.
       
        2) How to attack HIGH forehand shots.
     
   g) Learning to hit the INSIDE OUT forehand.

   h) Loading the OUTSIDE leg to gain more balance and power

 

j) How to run AROUND your Backhand to hit the Forehand

4)  a) Teaching yourself the Topspin Forehand: Pat the Dog
    
     b) Rick Macci: Tap the Dog and then let the racket DROP and
         keep your racket grip very LOOSE.
   
     c) Teach yourself the Topspin Forehand: LEAD with the HIPS
     
     d) Rick Macci: After the racket drop, PULL into contact

     e) Power: BEND the knees and PULL the racket into contact

     f) Finishing the forehand: Uncoiling the Hips


     g) With the racket back and strings facing downward, continue 
         to swing forward from BELOW the ball to get topspin. 


  5) a) Oscar Wegner teaches the modern forehand stroke.
       b) Steve Smith teaches the modern forehand
           c) Power versus Control related to the topspin forehand
       d) Forehand progression by Rick Macci

  6)  a) Follow through on the Short High Ball with windshield wiper forehand technique.

b) Three ways to attack a Short ball

c) Hop Hop to attack the SHORT ball

d) How to attack the SHORT ball
       

e) What to do against a player who is a PUSHER.

 

7) a) Bent elbow or straight arm motion
 
       b) Elbow bent and point the butt of racket toward the ball

     c) Closed stance compared to Open stance. 

     d)  Changing the Direction of the ball

 8) Excellent Slow Motion videos of Roger Federer

9)  The Forehand Slice