Incredible first tip about the wrist. I always felt an instability and I just realized after all these years my wrist was straight when preparing..guess it's gonna be a game changer, thanks!
I made this adjustment recently. I started noticing how the one hand backhand setup and stroke also have the same wrist break and setup. It totally transformed my one hand backhand. I then noticed how the forehand has the same wrist break. It's very subtle when you see someone like Roger Federer but if you pay close attention you see the break. It is very pronounced in Nadal's forehand. He sets his wrist up right away and it's almost awkward of a setup, but the proof is in the puddin'
Excellent tips for hitting consistent forehand shots. This is the most comprehensive rundown of the various phases of the shot including how to change the direction of the shot. Thanks a lot!
Today I was talking with my spouse about the wrist extension at the beginning of the FH, so this video came from heaven because it is a very visual way to keep it in the minds eye. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Wish you a wonderful week.
I had a lot of issues “feeling” the forehand and your explanations on this and other videos make so much sense as to why. Thank you for the mechanical and mental tips! Interestingly, never had these issues on backhand which seemed more intuitive for me.
Eureka moment! The absence of the little wrist bend was screwing my forehand for years and I never understood what was going wrong! Thanks for the tip!
Great practical tips, as always. From purely the "ball's point of view", more accuracy and consistency should come when the racquet face remains in the direction of the target longer, which allows for slight variations and room for mistiming. You can see this quite clearly with slow motion replays of pros during and just after contact. At much lower levels of play, the racquet face is usually slightly open at contact (due to tight arm, less topspin swing path, etc). This means perfect timing can still result in a good flat shot, while slight changes in the angle of the racquet face can cause inaccurate results. So fundamentally changing the stroke to be more "correct" can massively improve accuracy for players at the lower levels, but of course this may be too difficult. Regardless, all these tips should help towards that goal as well as improving the timing even if hitting under the ball.
Thanks useful. I do wonder what you think about ‘the patting the dog’ position on the backswing Federer does it and he has an Eastern grip as I have. I have been working on doing this as it seems to give more power and topspin and control, the wrist can rotate easily as it comes through. Liked your robot body demo I have got that more easily on my backhand harder to keep that action on my forehand. Again thanks for your valuable insights.
The patting the dog instruction is the same non-sense as there used to be "stratch your back" when teaching the serve. That obviously did not work well and I really hope no coach ever says that again. Why is that a problem? Because you are telling the player to consciously DO what actually needs to just HAPPEN because of relaxation. When the player tries to DO something, they are ENGAGING (contracting) their muscles exactly at the moment when they should be RELAXING them. Can you see how stupid that is? When serving, the loop behind the back happens because we relax the arm and we drive up with the legs and rotate with the shoulders and that creates a deep drop and loop which is what effortlessly accelerates the racket while all the time the arm is relaxed. If the arm is not relaxed, it will not drop low neither it will swing around. In the case of "patting the dog", you are contracting the muscles of the wrist to orient the racket downwards exactly at the moment when the wrist needs to fully relax as to create the lag and later be able to slap the ball. Do you see how stupid is that? To tell the player to DO something exactly at the moment when they should relax that body part? Roger Federer and other top pros with that style of the forehand have a closed down racket face because they are completely relaxed at that moment and that is what causes the strings to face down - it's not something they DO and I guarantee you 100% that they were not taught to close the racket face intentionally or to "tap the dog". What you should DO at that moment of the swing is to drive up with your legs and rotate your hips and upper body as you start uncoiling towards the ball and the wrist will align correctly depending on your skill level, your current timing ability and the situation you are in. One more thing - the player cannot fully relax the wrist unless they have impeccable timing which 95% of the recreational players do not posses. They will simply lose control of the ball if their wrist is too relaxed. In other words, the level of the wrist relaxation is directly related to their ball reading skills and timing. So again, people who teach that type of forceful wrist position haven't got a clue about tennis no matter what their surnname us.
Hello Tomaz, I noticed that even when you demonstrated hitting the ball with just "body rotation", there is a "wrist lag" before you strike the ball. I think it is also the source of extra pace of your ball, compare to absolutely just hitting with body rotation. My question is then is this lag created by momentarily further extend the wrist before the racquet is swung forward. Thank you. Always enjoy your instructions. Nick
Hey Nick, if the wrist is laid back but it does not slap, there is no power coming out of the wrist. Well, at least as much as I can block it in that example. Wrist lag by itself produces no power unless you then release the wrist. Imagine my wrist was in a cast as it was laid back, there was nothing I could do to move it. But in a real forehand, the wrist is usually laid back from the start and then the body rotation and arm pull forward creates maximum wrist lag where the wrist can't move back any more. Again, that does not automatically mean power, you need to release the wrist (sometimes less and sometimes more, depending on the situation) into the ball for extra power. Look into Universal swing drills where I show swings around the racket on the ground to develop good wrist lag and slap: th-cam.com/video/GeElHXkCG7g/w-d-xo.html
You are doing an amazing job ! Thanks...make a video on how ro gaón consistency on serve for beginners. It drives me crazy some days i serve well,good speed and not many doble faults and other day I.m not able to put the ball in the box...
Thanks for the feedback! Whatever stage you are in, whether beginner, intermediate or pro, the way to consistently serve in the service box is to find the speed and height above the net that is appropriate to your skill level. If you are not consistent, you are trying to serve faster than what you're currently capable of. Slow down and aim 2-3 feet above the net and find that speed at which the serves go in, regardless of your technique.
Wonderful tips as always Tomaz. I'm one of your old-time suscribers and one your many devoted followers from Spain. As you know, we have plenty of sun in Spain. Could you possibly give us some advice on how to play against the sun? I keep loosing lots of points, especially in doubles when those nasty opponents keep throwing me high balls that leave me blind as a bat. Of course I do the same to them, but that keep us even. I'd like to have an advantage. 😂. I notice professional don't seem so disturbed about that...Thank you and keep counselling!
Thanks for the kind feedback! Not much you can do when you are lobbed, the ball will fly how it wants and the sun won't move. Don't try to hit a good smash, accept that your vision is compromised and either just pop the ball nicely and safely with the smash deep into the court and avoiding giving away a free point - or let the ball bounce if possible and play a groundstroke. On the serve you have an option to toss the ball differently and avoid looking into the sun. You will of course many times have to serve a slice or a topspin serve as your first serve to make the serve safer.
I hold an Eastern forehand grip and I am not hitting a heavy topspin. When I hit heavy balls the racket face may close a bit more, maybe up to 45 degrees. By the way, I highly discourage "tapping the dog" or intentionally facing the ground with the racket face just because some clown on TH-cam says so. ;) Visualize how you want to hit the ball (height, speed, spin - th-cam.com/video/sJTkThAKMMQ/w-d-xo.html) and let your body naturally adjust to that.
@ I also found out that teaching “pat the dog” is a stupid thing to do because it disrupts the natural swing of a player. I told my son to stop being too conscious about angling the racquet face to the ground.
But question : regarding the feel of the racket face with nondominant hand, how about people who stay in 2h Backhand grip in the ready position, how would you suggest to go into the ptep/take back for the forehand?
Well, two options - first they should not hold the racket in 2BH position in the ready position. Djokovic is a 2H BH player and he has his hand higher up on the handle in the ready position so he can prepare well for the forehand. If he has to hit a backhand, he slides his hand down. But if the player for some reason insists on holding both hands together ready for 2H BH, then they need to slide their hand up for the forehand preparation.
Incredible first tip about the wrist. I always felt an instability and I just realized after all these years my wrist was straight when preparing..guess it's gonna be a game changer, thanks!
I made this adjustment recently. I started noticing how the one hand backhand setup and stroke also have the same wrist break and setup. It totally transformed my one hand backhand. I then noticed how the forehand has the same wrist break. It's very subtle when you see someone like Roger Federer but if you pay close attention you see the break. It is very pronounced in Nadal's forehand. He sets his wrist up right away and it's almost awkward of a setup, but the proof is in the puddin'
I don't remember seeing this wrist tip in previous Feel Tennis forehand videos. Maybe I just missed it?
impressive explanations and as well very clear demonstrations - thanks for everything! Happy to see you are back actively creating quality content
Thanks a lot, and yes, have more videos on the way, stay tuned!
I watched many tennis coaches online and the best is Tomaz
Much appreciated!
youre the best coach on youtube! thank you for everything
Excellent tips for hitting consistent forehand shots. This is the most comprehensive rundown of the various phases of the shot including how to change the direction of the shot. Thanks a lot!
Very good tennis class, Tomaz.
Thank you! ❤
Always the best video from Tomaz!
Thanks Tomz.
You always give me tips to increase the tennis ability.
Tomaz, as always great work! A hall of fame for tennis coaches and you are first choice!
Thank you very much!
Today I was talking with my spouse about the wrist extension at the beginning of the FH, so this video came from heaven because it is a very visual way to keep it in the minds eye. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Wish you a wonderful week.
Great tips as usual, and very well explained. Thank you Tomaz!
Thank you. The combination of upper body, arm, wrist and feet was excellent!
Thanks for super golden lessons sir tomz.❤
great tips as always!
Dear coach, thank you very much for the valuable tips.
I had a lot of issues “feeling” the forehand and your explanations on this and other videos make so much sense as to why. Thank you for the mechanical and mental tips! Interestingly, never had these issues on backhand which seemed more intuitive for me.
And thank you for the feedback!
Eureka moment! The absence of the little wrist bend was screwing my forehand for years and I never understood what was going wrong! Thanks for the tip!
Glad it was helpful, thanks for the feedback!
Superb as usual.
This was excellent!
One of the best! 💪👍
Glad that you paired up with Ian. He is a great guy.
Thank you Tomaz 🐐
thank you teacher.
Thanks so much. For some reason my forehand has completely failed. This video is timely.
Great practical tips, as always. From purely the "ball's point of view", more accuracy and consistency should come when the racquet face remains in the direction of the target longer, which allows for slight variations and room for mistiming. You can see this quite clearly with slow motion replays of pros during and just after contact. At much lower levels of play, the racquet face is usually slightly open at contact (due to tight arm, less topspin swing path, etc). This means perfect timing can still result in a good flat shot, while slight changes in the angle of the racquet face can cause inaccurate results. So fundamentally changing the stroke to be more "correct" can massively improve accuracy for players at the lower levels, but of course this may be too difficult. Regardless, all these tips should help towards that goal as well as improving the timing even if hitting under the ball.
Great explanation. Thanks Tomaz.
My pleasure!
Great tennis FH tips. 👍🎾🙏
Thank you.
Thank you!
Amazing 👍
Superb🎉
Thanks useful. I do wonder what you think about ‘the patting the dog’ position on the backswing Federer does it and he has an Eastern grip as I have. I have been working on doing this as it seems to give more power and topspin and control, the wrist can rotate easily as it comes through. Liked your robot body demo I have got that more easily on my backhand harder to keep that action on my forehand. Again thanks for your valuable insights.
The patting the dog instruction is the same non-sense as there used to be "stratch your back" when teaching the serve. That obviously did not work well and I really hope no coach ever says that again. Why is that a problem? Because you are telling the player to consciously DO what actually needs to just HAPPEN because of relaxation.
When the player tries to DO something, they are ENGAGING (contracting) their muscles exactly at the moment when they should be RELAXING them. Can you see how stupid that is?
When serving, the loop behind the back happens because we relax the arm and we drive up with the legs and rotate with the shoulders and that creates a deep drop and loop which is what effortlessly accelerates the racket while all the time the arm is relaxed. If the arm is not relaxed, it will not drop low neither it will swing around.
In the case of "patting the dog", you are contracting the muscles of the wrist to orient the racket downwards exactly at the moment when the wrist needs to fully relax as to create the lag and later be able to slap the ball. Do you see how stupid is that? To tell the player to DO something exactly at the moment when they should relax that body part?
Roger Federer and other top pros with that style of the forehand have a closed down racket face because they are completely relaxed at that moment and that is what causes the strings to face down - it's not something they DO and I guarantee you 100% that they were not taught to close the racket face intentionally or to "tap the dog".
What you should DO at that moment of the swing is to drive up with your legs and rotate your hips and upper body as you start uncoiling towards the ball and the wrist will align correctly depending on your skill level, your current timing ability and the situation you are in.
One more thing - the player cannot fully relax the wrist unless they have impeccable timing which 95% of the recreational players do not posses. They will simply lose control of the ball if their wrist is too relaxed. In other words, the level of the wrist relaxation is directly related to their ball reading skills and timing. So again, people who teach that type of forceful wrist position haven't got a clue about tennis no matter what their surnname us.
Hello Tomaz,
I noticed that even when you demonstrated hitting the ball with just "body rotation", there is a "wrist lag" before you strike the ball. I think it is also the source of extra pace of your ball, compare to absolutely just hitting with body rotation. My question is then is this lag created by momentarily further extend the wrist before the racquet is swung forward.
Thank you. Always enjoy your instructions.
Nick
Hey Nick, if the wrist is laid back but it does not slap, there is no power coming out of the wrist. Well, at least as much as I can block it in that example. Wrist lag by itself produces no power unless you then release the wrist. Imagine my wrist was in a cast as it was laid back, there was nothing I could do to move it.
But in a real forehand, the wrist is usually laid back from the start and then the body rotation and arm pull forward creates maximum wrist lag where the wrist can't move back any more. Again, that does not automatically mean power, you need to release the wrist (sometimes less and sometimes more, depending on the situation) into the ball for extra power. Look into Universal swing drills where I show swings around the racket on the ground to develop good wrist lag and slap: th-cam.com/video/GeElHXkCG7g/w-d-xo.html
You are doing an amazing job ! Thanks...make a video on how ro gaón consistency on serve for beginners. It drives me crazy some days i serve well,good speed and not many doble faults and other day I.m not able to put the ball in the box...
Thanks for the feedback! Whatever stage you are in, whether beginner, intermediate or pro, the way to consistently serve in the service box is to find the speed and height above the net that is appropriate to your skill level. If you are not consistent, you are trying to serve faster than what you're currently capable of. Slow down and aim 2-3 feet above the net and find that speed at which the serves go in, regardless of your technique.
Wonderful 🎉 thanks a bunch👁️🙌✨
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful tips as always Tomaz. I'm one of your old-time suscribers and one your many devoted followers from Spain.
As you know, we have plenty of sun in Spain. Could you possibly give us some advice on how to play against the sun? I keep loosing lots of points, especially in doubles when those nasty opponents keep throwing me high balls that leave me blind as a bat. Of course I do the same to them, but that keep us even. I'd like to have an advantage. 😂. I notice professional don't seem so disturbed about that...Thank you and keep counselling!
Thanks for the kind feedback! Not much you can do when you are lobbed, the ball will fly how it wants and the sun won't move. Don't try to hit a good smash, accept that your vision is compromised and either just pop the ball nicely and safely with the smash deep into the court and avoiding giving away a free point - or let the ball bounce if possible and play a groundstroke. On the serve you have an option to toss the ball differently and avoid looking into the sun. You will of course many times have to serve a slice or a topspin serve as your first serve to make the serve safer.
Sensible advice. Thanks a lot!
Hi! I noticed that your racquet head doesn’t face the ground, instead, it faces your right side. Why is this?
I hold an Eastern forehand grip and I am not hitting a heavy topspin. When I hit heavy balls the racket face may close a bit more, maybe up to 45 degrees. By the way, I highly discourage "tapping the dog" or intentionally facing the ground with the racket face just because some clown on TH-cam says so. ;) Visualize how you want to hit the ball (height, speed, spin - th-cam.com/video/sJTkThAKMMQ/w-d-xo.html) and let your body naturally adjust to that.
@ I also found out that teaching “pat the dog” is a stupid thing to do because it disrupts the natural swing of a player. I told my son to stop being too conscious about angling the racquet face to the ground.
@ Is there any way I can contact you?
@UlyssesVillamin Through my website feeltennis.net
So what happen to the beautiful clay court? Looks like it’s some sort of Astro turf now
But question : regarding the feel of the racket face with nondominant hand, how about people who stay in 2h Backhand grip in the ready position, how would you suggest to go into the ptep/take back for the forehand?
Well, two options - first they should not hold the racket in 2BH position in the ready position. Djokovic is a 2H BH player and he has his hand higher up on the handle in the ready position so he can prepare well for the forehand. If he has to hit a backhand, he slides his hand down.
But if the player for some reason insists on holding both hands together ready for 2H BH, then they need to slide their hand up for the forehand preparation.
@feeltennis thanks a lot for taking the time to answer so detailed and clear.
IAN , that is a great thought to have a player recognize and feel the angle and position of the racquet face. (like a sandwich )
9 :40 WHOS THAT ? THEY ARE NOT GOATS BUT THEY LOVE TO EAT THE GRASS LIKE THE JOKER LOL < NICE LESSON < JUST JOKING< IM A JOKER TOO LOL
the best lesson wherever racing