The wrist lag is more productive when you drop the face parallel to the ground vs on the edge. There are about 3 or 4 other factors that should have been mention to get more power - one of them is bending or loading up the hips which isn’t displayed at all!
Totally agree with you Hollister Lowe. We have covered the lag, the slot, the loading of the hips etc in multiple other videos and agree they are pertinent for power. We simply like to highlight one or two aspects of a stroke per video however. This particular video is part of a larger series of progressions and those videos as a series are found on the website. Progressions are key is learning this wonderful game. Sorry for any confusion, we appreciate the feedback 👍🏼
I'm working on this for a few months now and what is important to notice that it also requires a different timing between the older technique and the new one. The whip effect only works if you slightly delay your start of the drop. Otherwise you end up with a kinda new technique but without the whip or hitting way to far in front where you have lost the whip power zone. Nobody explains the difference in timing. As the base for my technique was 25 years ago i am working on transitioning the old technique to the new one. And old habits... Time it a little later and you can swing with more ease and whip for more power.
Love the feedback Larz. Sounds like you’re on the path to a great forehand. Check out the video below that discuses several key elements of the forehand, the slot and the lag. th-cam.com/video/BLykDnjRAhA/w-d-xo.html
On the path to yes.. performing it in a training rally is going really good. In a match i have it consistent enough as long as i am mentally strong in the game. And that's where old habits die hard... If somehow I'm a little bit off or mentally not 100% in the game it is very easy to fall back in a too early preparation, drop, old technique or a too slow swing speed or timing.. muscle memory takes time and training training training
Oh another personal tip related to this new forehand and backhand with lag: make sure your racket is not too light for you. The heavier (read swingweight) the racket, the easier you create good lag and racket head speed. As heavy as you can without it negatively impacting your reaction speed at the net. For me that means a head speed pro kinda weight and swingweight. But that differs per person. If your racket is too light weight for you, it is harder to get the proper lag as i notice that the swing weight resistance helps it (to feel it and to time it)
Love your advice and explanations guys but any chance you can discuss heavier raquet use for plough through. No one talks about how tennis can be made more competitive with a heavier raquet. Thanks.
I've just been recommended a slight technique change because I've been getting wrist pain by using my wrist to whip up the back of the ball so coach told me to change take-back so the head of racquet is 45 degrees rather than straight up.
@@Playyourcourt No, I'm talking about topspin forehand, which is what this video is about. One of the coaches at my local club told me to change my initial take back position from straight up in the air as you demo'd in this video to the more forward position that you also kind of demo'd in this video and have the racquet go in a slightly different path than what I'm used to so I engage my forearm more rather than the wrist, because my wrist on the pinky side was giving me some pain on the topspin forehand.
prigg88 sorry for the confusion, must have glanced at the serve vid from another monitor and mixed up the comment. Yikes. Anyhow..it sounds like your coach is taking you in the right direction. Nothing wrong with that take bag at 45• especially if it helps the ulnar wrist pain. I would defiantly focus on solid contact out in front as well. As you can see I often have my wrist tapped due to a wrist injury and contact is critical to keep the wrist playing nice. Thanks for watching!
Great info. Think you could have also stressed that you have to have a loose grip so the lag automatically happens and gravity takes over to put it in to the slit position.
Solid input Pacer Dave. We wanted to focus primarily on the high take back so we didn’t overload everyone with info. We’ve done quite a few vids on the lag and slot tour on the money with tour assessment though. Thanks for watching!
I have never seen any coach on TH-cam mention the role of the non-hitting arm. I think it has a big role in forehand power as it steadies the body and prevents spraying the ball, which most recreational players are so cautious of when they want to add power.
This works great for me when the ball is slow (like on clay against moon balls) However the compact stroke works better for fast serves and fast ground strokes at me. The compact stroke is also more suited for taking the ball early on the rise. I hybrid. Small 'c' swing with racket high for slow balls, compact stroke for fast balls at me. What do you think?
I think you’re on the right track Noel! Ideally we try to keep a loop on the stroke and work on taking the racquet back earlier to adjust to the speed/depth/spin of the ball. We can simply vary the size of the loop depending on the circumstance though. There are definitely times we have to improvise however, such as the return of serve where we may only have time for a slight unit turn and a compact stroke or as you mentioned a ball that has been struck really fast. Great feedback Noel! Thanks for sharing!
I have a question. Why do I always play bad during high school matches, singles or doubles. I barely ever play near my best. It’s not nerves because usually I’m better than my opponent, and still win. I come to the matches confident and ready to play but my backhand and my first and second serves are usually tight.
Are you sure it’s not nerves Drew? It sounds like a classic case. Nothing wrong with it being nerves, it happens to everyone. Perhaps the expectation of being “better” than your opponent creates anxiety during the course of the match. Certainly the fear of judgment from loosing will cause ones entire game to fall apart. Let me know your thoughts. Curious. We’re happy to help ya!
It's nerves. It happens to me especially against players I'm expected to beat. Played against a superior player and had nothing to lose, and I played my best ever match
I have a problem with playing people that have a slow playing style, they barely just hit it over the net but when I go up to net the just lob it over me, it’s super annoying. I can play good when I’m playing someone that can hit well. I lost to the worst person on my high school team just because his play style is slow and my nerves got to me, I was focusing too much on what would happen if I lost and how everyone would react to it.
Very informative but I would also add that that the supporting hand is important I usually touch the racquet idk but maybe using western grip forces u to use lag for acceleration
Totally agree Abstract Fitness! We did another video entirely on the importance of the non-dominant arm on the forehand. On this particularly vid, we just wanted to focus on this one aspect of the forehand but we certainly weren’t suggesting it was the only ingredient to a successful forehand! Thanks for the feedback! 🙏🏻
PlayYourCourt.com thanks for the reply and I was wondering well maybe in a later video or somewhere I can find some help my local teaching pro is a 5.0 I’m a 4.0 I hit as hard as I can using my full body but yet he creates more power without really throwing his whole body is that a matter of just racquet speed over a long period of time with a heavier racquet or leverages and hitting the ball faster on the rise don’t expect an immediate or a reply for this answer but thanks also subscribed
It could really be all of those things or it could simply be his / her contact is better. When we keep our contact out in front we hit the ball with more force due to the longer lever reaching maximum acceleration. As your contact improves you will find your power picks up as well. Solid question. Thanks for subscribing!
well I can see my issues as the first FH looks a lot like mine including the shape/spin. With the second are you hitting the same swing path b/c it's a lot less loopy?
@Rudd RocksVanUffrith solid question. The high take back allows me to go through the ball more but I could certainly drop the swing path to get more vertical to the ball. This would enable me to have more spin. It’s the option between the two that is so critical. Hope the vid helped. Thanks for the feedback! -Nate
@@Playyourcourt hi there, yeah, I also mean that going from theory to actually making an average player doing the shot is the key, I would love if you get that player, show him the theory, make him try, correct him, try again, correct him again, show what errors he is making that complicate the right execution, and so on until the average player can shot some of those shots.
👍 for prepping with racket face above wrist personally .. however for me it comes down to style as Murray and Ferrer are two great examples of racket prep level with wrist and still can hit monster forehands .. like how you talk about firing that hip .. you must admit though pal, you didn't try very hard on the first demo 😉 😉 you purposely hit slow .. but all in all some good points 👍
Want to meet new players & play more tennis? Try PlayYourCourt for free here: bit.ly/2HjZ0Gj Want more power and spin on your forehand? Grab our Forehand Mastery Course for free here: bit.ly/37mXTR6 Want to work with Scott & Nate? Check out upcoming live events and workshops here: bit.ly/36UGkXV
I’m using a semi-western but I’m waaay around on it, flirting with Western on occasion. I suffered a traumatic arm injury as a kid and have very little grip strength. My racquet loves to slide around but I do find a little over from semi-Western gives me the most support. Thanks for the question William!
Not sure you hit the mark on this. If the body is relaxed (arm and wrist) the lag happens as a function of the forward and circular movement. The racket set up on a medium to higher ball requires a higher set up. Low ball you need a low set up as you were demonstrating with more elbow wrist action. Sorry, massive “power” comes natural with more shoulder movement infront as the body rotates and a relaxed arm. Fast feet to get into the right position. Anyone can hit a hard ball being fed some easy shots. This video is missing a lot of context. Love your channel, but this one missed the mark for me.
Imo, his explanation is pretty good. I have a friend with a great FH, who uses the "antiquated" technique. Yes, he does get lag as a result of leading with the body and shoulder, and staying relaxed in the wrist, but nowhere near as much as if he didn't "start" the swing from the pat-the-dog position. I'd compare that type of FH, to the Nicolas Jarry or Caroline Garcia serve. It can still produce a lot of power and spin, but not as much as a fluid motion that makes the best use of gravity and body movement as power levers. Ime, the big issue with using the "new" technique, is when you try (too hard) to control or activate the wrist. Just as in golf, the lag should be a natural result of a proper swing, not something activated (by an active wrist). However, where golf and tennis are different, is that on many occasions you need to accelerate different parts of the body differently, "catching up", as a result of an incoming ball you are not properly placed and/or prepared to hit.
Thanks for the feedback Sapient Budgie. The instruction in this video is simply a small piece of how power is created on the forehand. Certainly the lag and understanding the slot are key elements to power. Ultimately, racquet head speed is the goal and starting with the racquet up on the unit turn is a must for an advanced forehand. We really wish videos could be more in depth and include more progressions but once these videos get particularly long it diminishes the amount of viewers and reaches a much smaller audience. We’ll do our best to continue offering short insights on The Tube but if you’re interested in a full product filled with progressions and explanations, check out the website were they are offered. Thanks so much for watching and keep the comments coming my man!!
Ifeanyi Ikpegbu that’s why it should be a series of videos in progression. Club players don’t need more power, they need to learn control and consistency. 5-6 days a week over several years the “atp” forehand comes naturally.
The wrist lag is more productive when you drop the face parallel to the ground vs on the edge. There are about 3 or 4 other factors that should have been mention to get more power - one of them is bending or loading up the hips which isn’t displayed at all!
Totally agree with you Hollister Lowe. We have covered the lag, the slot, the loading of the hips etc in multiple other videos and agree they are pertinent for power. We simply like to highlight one or two aspects of a stroke per video however. This particular video is part of a larger series of progressions and those videos as a series are found on the website. Progressions are key is learning this wonderful game. Sorry for any confusion, we appreciate the feedback 👍🏼
I'm working on this for a few months now and what is important to notice that it also requires a different timing between the older technique and the new one. The whip effect only works if you slightly delay your start of the drop. Otherwise you end up with a kinda new technique but without the whip or hitting way to far in front where you have lost the whip power zone. Nobody explains the difference in timing.
As the base for my technique was 25 years ago i am working on transitioning the old technique to the new one. And old habits...
Time it a little later and you can swing with more ease and whip for more power.
Love the feedback Larz. Sounds like you’re on the path to a great forehand. Check out the video below that discuses several key elements of the forehand, the slot and the lag.
th-cam.com/video/BLykDnjRAhA/w-d-xo.html
On the path to yes.. performing it in a training rally is going really good. In a match i have it consistent enough as long as i am mentally strong in the game. And that's where old habits die hard... If somehow I'm a little bit off or mentally not 100% in the game it is very easy to fall back in a too early preparation, drop, old technique or a too slow swing speed or timing.. muscle memory takes time and training training training
Oh another personal tip related to this new forehand and backhand with lag: make sure your racket is not too light for you. The heavier (read swingweight) the racket, the easier you create good lag and racket head speed. As heavy as you can without it negatively impacting your reaction speed at the net. For me that means a head speed pro kinda weight and swingweight. But that differs per person.
If your racket is too light weight for you, it is harder to get the proper lag as i notice that the swing weight resistance helps it (to feel it and to time it)
so glad that you also show a demo in you vids, keep it up! :)
Demo’s will be the standard moving forward. Glad you enjoyed it degrades9! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Great tips! Awesome
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching Nirav!
Love your advice and explanations guys but any chance you can discuss heavier raquet use for plough through. No one talks about how tennis can be made more competitive with a heavier raquet. Thanks.
We would be more than happy to make a video on racquet weight and how it effect plays. Thanks for the feedback Dai Kayll!
Managed to give it a go today. At times it felt effortless to hit hard!
Nice! Thrilled to hear the tip helped. Thanks for the feedback darrensurrey. 🤙🏼
Nice hair cut. Were you going for the fierce look
Thanks IPG, just battling a not so fun Auto Immune disease and making the best of it. The Hipster look is in so embracing it 😉😎
I've just been recommended a slight technique change because I've been getting wrist pain by using my wrist to whip up the back of the ball so coach told me to change take-back so the head of racquet is 45 degrees rather than straight up.
+prigg88 I assume you are referring to a topspin serve? Just wanted to clarify.
@@Playyourcourt No, I'm talking about topspin forehand, which is what this video is about. One of the coaches at my local club told me to change my initial take back position from straight up in the air as you demo'd in this video to the more forward position that you also kind of demo'd in this video and have the racquet go in a slightly different path than what I'm used to so I engage my forearm more rather than the wrist, because my wrist on the pinky side was giving me some pain on the topspin forehand.
prigg88 sorry for the confusion, must have glanced at the serve vid from another monitor and mixed up the comment. Yikes. Anyhow..it sounds like your coach is taking you in the right direction. Nothing wrong with that take bag at 45• especially if it helps the ulnar wrist pain. I would defiantly focus on solid contact out in front as well. As you can see I often have my wrist tapped due to a wrist injury and contact is critical to keep the wrist playing nice. Thanks for watching!
Great info. Think you could have also stressed that you have to have a loose grip so the lag automatically happens and gravity takes over to put it in to the slit position.
Solid input Pacer Dave. We wanted to focus primarily on the high take back so we didn’t overload everyone with info. We’ve done quite a few vids on the lag and slot tour on the money with tour assessment though. Thanks for watching!
What tipe of strings and gauge are you using ..what tension? Thanks...superrrr video🥇🥇🥇
Bare Miskic Babolat RPM, 16g varying between 53-58lbs. Thanks for watching 🤙🏼
I have never seen any coach on TH-cam mention the role of the non-hitting arm. I think it has a big role in forehand power as it steadies the body and prevents spraying the ball, which most recreational players are so cautious of when they want to add power.
Your wish is our command sir. 😃
th-cam.com/video/eglMaotbVXk/w-d-xo.html
Great video. My problem is that before I started playing tennis, I was into powerlifting and rock climbing so I tended to muscle everything.
This works great for me when the ball is slow (like on clay against moon balls) However the compact stroke works better for fast serves and fast ground strokes at me. The compact stroke is also more suited for taking the ball early on the rise. I hybrid. Small 'c' swing with racket high for slow balls, compact stroke for fast balls at me. What do you think?
I think you’re on the right track Noel! Ideally we try to keep a loop on the stroke and work on taking the racquet back earlier to adjust to the speed/depth/spin of the ball. We can simply vary the size of the loop depending on the circumstance though. There are definitely times we have to improvise however, such as the return of serve where we may only have time for a slight unit turn and a compact stroke or as you mentioned a ball that has been struck really fast. Great feedback Noel! Thanks for sharing!
Is there a video that teaches us to make swoosh sound effects with our mouth like you did in the video…
Sound effects are extra I'm afraid. 😉
I have a question. Why do I always play bad during high school matches, singles or doubles. I barely ever play near my best. It’s not nerves because usually I’m better than my opponent, and still win. I come to the matches confident and ready to play but my backhand and my first and second serves are usually tight.
Are you sure it’s not nerves Drew? It sounds like a classic case. Nothing wrong with it being nerves, it happens to everyone. Perhaps the expectation of being “better” than your opponent creates anxiety during the course of the match. Certainly the fear of judgment from loosing will cause ones entire game to fall apart. Let me know your thoughts. Curious. We’re happy to help ya!
It’s nerves 😂
It's nerves. It happens to me especially against players I'm expected to beat. Played against a superior player and had nothing to lose, and I played my best ever match
I have a problem with playing people that have a slow playing style, they barely just hit it over the net but when I go up to net the just lob it over me, it’s super annoying. I can play good when I’m playing someone that can hit well. I lost to the worst person on my high school team just because his play style is slow and my nerves got to me, I was focusing too much on what would happen if I lost and how everyone would react to it.
Very informative but I would also add that that the supporting hand is important I usually touch the racquet idk but maybe using western grip forces u to use lag for acceleration
Totally agree Abstract Fitness! We did another video entirely on the importance of the non-dominant arm on the forehand. On this particularly vid, we just wanted to focus on this one aspect of the forehand but we certainly weren’t suggesting it was the only ingredient to a successful forehand! Thanks for the feedback! 🙏🏻
PlayYourCourt.com thanks for the reply and I was wondering well maybe in a later video or somewhere I can find some help my local teaching pro is a 5.0 I’m a 4.0 I hit as hard as I can using my full body but yet he creates more power without really throwing his whole body is that a matter of just racquet speed over a long period of time with a heavier racquet or leverages and hitting the ball faster on the rise don’t expect an immediate or a reply for this answer but thanks also subscribed
It could really be all of those things or it could simply be his / her contact is better. When we keep our contact out in front we hit the ball with more force due to the longer lever reaching maximum acceleration. As your contact improves you will find your power picks up as well. Solid question. Thanks for subscribing!
PlayYourCourt.com thanks for reply much appreciated!
Graet video 😊
Thanks! 😊
well I can see my issues as the first FH looks a lot like mine including the shape/spin. With the second are you hitting the same swing path b/c it's a lot less loopy?
@Rudd RocksVanUffrith solid question. The high take back allows me to go through the ball more but I could certainly drop the swing path to get more vertical to the ball. This would enable me to have more spin. It’s the option between the two that is so critical. Hope the vid helped. Thanks for the feedback! -Nate
Could you try teaching in video this to a 3.5 level player
I think if you apply the same principles at 3.5 you will still find that you have a lot of success with this forehand technique.
@@Playyourcourt hi there, yeah, I also mean that going from theory to actually making an average player doing the shot is the key, I would love if you get that player, show him the theory, make him try, correct him, try again, correct him again, show what errors he is making that complicate the right execution, and so on until the average player can shot some of those shots.
You read our minds alfprieto! We have something in the works I think you’re going to love!
👍 for prepping with racket face above wrist personally .. however for me it comes down to style as Murray and Ferrer are two great examples of racket prep level with wrist and still can hit monster forehands .. like how you talk about firing that hip .. you must admit though pal, you didn't try very hard on the first demo 😉 😉 you purposely hit slow .. but all in all some good points 👍
I plead the fifth 🤭😉. Thanks for the feedback Adam, glad you enjoyed the instruction! 😃
@@Playyourcourt 😅 🤙🤙
Semi western grip? Amazing video. Best regards from argentina
Yes, semi-western is ideal but a eastern grip can work as well. Thanks for the feedback Santiagoafull & we appreciate the support from 🇦🇷!!
❤️🙏🏻😃
Want to meet new players & play more tennis? Try PlayYourCourt for free here: bit.ly/2HjZ0Gj
Want more power and spin on your forehand? Grab our Forehand Mastery Course for free here: bit.ly/37mXTR6
Want to work with Scott & Nate? Check out upcoming live events and workshops here: bit.ly/36UGkXV
Nate, what grip are you using on this forehand? I'm guessing semi-western but my eyes aren't that good.
I’m using a semi-western but I’m waaay around on it, flirting with Western on occasion. I suffered a traumatic arm injury as a kid and have very little grip strength. My racquet loves to slide around but I do find a little over from semi-Western gives me the most support. Thanks for the question William!
YOU ARE SIMPLY HITTING IT HARDER
MASSIVE FOREHAND POWER
MASSIVE! ;)
Yeah, great tip.
Not sure you hit the mark on this. If the body is relaxed (arm and wrist) the lag happens as a function of the forward and circular movement. The racket set up on a medium to higher ball requires a higher set up. Low ball you need a low set up as you were demonstrating with more elbow wrist action. Sorry, massive “power” comes natural with more shoulder movement infront as the body rotates and a relaxed arm. Fast feet to get into the right position. Anyone can hit a hard ball being fed some easy shots. This video is missing a lot of context. Love your channel, but this one missed the mark for me.
Agreed. I'm going to try it out during volleys, but it was pretty obvious his swing was just slower during the comparison
Imo, his explanation is pretty good.
I have a friend with a great FH, who uses the "antiquated" technique. Yes, he does get lag as a result of leading with the body and shoulder, and staying relaxed in the wrist, but nowhere near as much as if he didn't "start" the swing from the pat-the-dog position.
I'd compare that type of FH, to the Nicolas Jarry or Caroline Garcia serve. It can still produce a lot of power and spin, but not as much as a fluid motion that makes the best use of gravity and body movement as power levers.
Ime, the big issue with using the "new" technique, is when you try (too hard) to control or activate the wrist. Just as in golf, the lag should be a natural result of a proper swing, not something activated (by an active wrist). However, where golf and tennis are different, is that on many occasions you need to accelerate different parts of the body differently, "catching up", as a result of an incoming ball you are not properly placed and/or prepared to hit.
Thanks for the feedback Sapient Budgie. The instruction in this video is simply a small piece of how power is created on the forehand. Certainly the lag and understanding the slot are key elements to power. Ultimately, racquet head speed is the goal and starting with the racquet up on the unit turn is a must for an advanced forehand. We really wish videos could be more in depth and include more progressions but once these videos get particularly long it diminishes the amount of viewers and reaches a much smaller audience. We’ll do our best to continue offering short insights on The Tube but if you’re interested in a full product filled with progressions and explanations, check out the website were they are offered. Thanks so much for watching and keep the comments coming my man!!
It's one thing at a time mate. You can lump everything together in one video, that's why it's a channel
Ifeanyi Ikpegbu that’s why it should be a series of videos in progression. Club players don’t need more power, they need to learn control and consistency. 5-6 days a week over several years the “atp” forehand comes naturally.
From your demonstration, seems like you're only doing it half right, there's way more power being left out especially for a guy with your frame
I already found my power ful for hand
Coil and uncoil its a tennis law😊
Yes sir it is!
you're to close from the ball when you hit it ! ;)
iam from indonesia
Thanks for watching Abdul!
What massive forehand lol
How to unlock forehand power... hit with shorter swings 🙄
Wait...what? 🤔