I seen like 100 videos on youtube that people say that they are probably the best videos on that topic. I disagreed with them all - I couldn't say they actually teach you all you need and point on every part. They skip many important parts. But, on that video I have to say that this is probably the best video on youtube on that topic. Touches every part - no skipping.
Totally agree. this is the best video on the topic. I have watched a lot of videos but this is the most detailed and comprehensive one. Thank you very much.
Indeed. Excellent technical info from start to finish! Yes, you're correct: I am watching because I struggle with my forehand. And so, watching videos like this one is done with questions that need answers based on the gaps in my game. So as pointed here here, b/c you didn't skip anything my ques were all answered and the gaps filled! E.g., the "inside out," "slot position," "lifting the shoulder." Thanks you!
Being a recent tennis player and watched hundreds of TH-cam lessons - this is the BEST simplified breakdown of the Forehand. Excellent details of How to achieve fundamentals. Bravo!
seen tons of videos on the topic - seems like majority wants to keep it short so people watch till the end. Here is a bit longer but so on the point covered all details - really great!
These are the best instructions for the forehand topspin swing. They are easy to understand as they explain the swing in stages, especially the contact point. The key at ball contact is to swing upwards, extending and lifting the ball. Other instructors have never provided such a clear explanation of this part. Thank you, and I appreciate your contribution.
FYI - a perpendicular racquet face at contact does not lift the ball (dwell time is only a few ms) - the ball is projected over the net - not lifted - the instant the ball leaves the racquet, topspin is trying to bring the ball down.
The best step-by-step instruction I've seen on forehands! The way you describe, show what to do, and drills/exercises really resonate to me as a student. So good that I watched this video twice and took notes in my tennis journal.
first time i've seen your content. wow man, great stuff. seriously.. a lot of important detail never touched by other coaches, really well communicated, too.
Great video James, thank you. Covers so many excellent points. I agree that having the racquet being horizontal at contact is correct for most balls. For this video it is a good point to make. But for some forehand strokes the racquet does need to be a bit open or a bit closed at contact. For example if you are hitting a ball in the air that is dropping when it reaches you then your racquet needs to open up a bit otherwise the ball will land in the net. And if you receive a deep hard topspin ball that is shooting up as you are hitting the ball to counteract the ball's trajectory and spin your racquet would need to be closed a bit. So there are sometimes the exception to the horizontal rule (but best to note this as a side note so as not to introduce too many details). If I’m ever in England James I would love a private lesson on my serve. I’m 70 and I recognize from playing tough competition that improving the serve and return of serve are so key as that’s how you start the point. I understand the components well on the serve and my racquet drop and pronation are pretty good with my shadow swing. Not as good with the actual serve stroke. Will be south in Boca Raton Florida for 3 months starting in January and will work on my serve staring with the toss. Got to get my toss to match my shadow swing rather than having my swing match my toss. Gotta figure out the perfect height and location for my toss. I have really enjoyed your serve videos James. You know they have not yet announced the future James Bond. If you can act maybe you could get that role. It would be fun to have a tennis playing Bond. 😊
thanks for the feedback!! :) Yes, you may see sometimes with the pros especially, the racket face may be off by a few degrees. However, the majority of the time.. the racket face will be vertical! There's a great analogy I learned from Gregg... "strings direct the ball, and the swing gives the shape". Yes please let u know if you're in the UK!! it'd be great to see you. And I don't think I could live up to the greats like Sean Connery haha :)
I have never enjoyed watching a video and learning a lot from what you are explaining. You make it seem very easy to follow and learn. This is by far the best instruction video I have ever seen on TH-cam. I am going to work with my daughter and will reach out for your analysis. Super job!
thanks for the kind words Michel :) please keep us posted on your daughters progress, and if you have any questions on her game.. simple send me an email at james@onlinetennisinstruction.com
From a competitive elite level coaching perspective, this is the best explanation of the forehand basics I've seen in the last 10 years ❤❤❤ please do it for backhand, volley and serve so that I can give a reference video to any of my kids students , JUST PERFECT 🎉😊
I’ve been playing tennis for 5 years, and I’m struggling with my groundstrokes. I’ve watched a lot of videos on TH-cam, but this channel has helped me develop a natural swing with plenty of topspin. Thanks for the amazing video! Greetings from Vietnam!❤
After watching many videos on how to hit or improve the forehand, this one is by far the most comprehensive and well explained in a simple terms including couple drills. Great job! Can't wait to see more videos on double handed backhand and serve.
Im only here to come back and say Thank you, had 2 training sessions and brilliant Club tournament, little change on my Grip (closed racket a bit more) and stance made huge difference to my game. Night/Day 🎉🎉 Appreciate You Mate!! 🙏
Very complete, step by step tennis forehand swing guide. Very good camera angles too. Many thanks coach! TBH, current tennis swings is more and more similar to modern golf swings. 👍😎👍
James is my favorite OTI instructor, he talks clearly and you can easily absorb what he is teaching. This is one of the channel where my forehand drastically improved. Thanks OTI.
Great videos James. I'll be referring people to this for a breakdown of the fundamentals. Your videos on creating the racket drop on the serve are also excellent resources for players!
that was so good, first hearing about the 'hidden zone' but makes so much sense to try and keep the forward path going to minimize timing errors. can't way to get out and try it (late 1980s secondary school team player coming out of dormancy, and now just learning - via youtube - that tennis has been completely reinvented since then)
I am a beginner and I work with my coach Mr. Inaam, Best video i have seen on TH-cam of tennis coaching. It clarified me more about all lessons my coach told me. Fortunately my coach and he are teaching the same.
I hope you can open join/donate option here.. This is the best explanation on forehand, without leaving any small small details behind, that happens alot in other videos.. Great work..
Really good instruction here. The “slot” position was new to me. The spacing, extension & follow-through discussions were extremely helpful. JUST SUBSCRIBED to your channel! 👍
@@OnlineTennisInstruction No, thanks to you. Actually, after one week practicing your teachings in my backyard, today I finally went to the court, and I had a REALLY amazing experience.
Hi. Let me start by saying great video. I would like to ask you for an advice. Im new on playing tennis so I need a lot of help 😊. The other night I was playing and a lot of my balls were going long. Can you tell me on how to fix this and maybe do some drills to work on to avoid this? Maybe you can even make a video(if you haven't yet) with this problem and solutions. Thank you in advance for your help
thanks for the kind words Benjamin! :) if the ball is flying long, it means your racket face is open at contact. Now there could be mutiple causes for this. First, we would need to check your grip. If the grip is correct as mentioned in this video, then you need to ensure that the racket face is closed in the slot position prior to contact... at least 30 degrees to the ground. Then when you swing to low to high too contact, you feel you are leading with the top edge to contact. This will ensure the racket face doesn't open and you truly brush up the back of the ball. Here is a link to a video we've done which will help you further: th-cam.com/video/OwOyppQgvco/w-d-xo.html Any further questions please let us know :)
@@OnlineTennisInstruction Hi. I had been working on it the last couple days. Basically, few good hits and few not so good. Im guessing the more I work on it, it will become more natural and eventually I hope I'll be more consistent 😉. Thx
most of the time it looks like the pros not doing high-low-high but simply going across the body? unless the ball bounces low? 1t least according to Tennis Doctor channel. what’s your take?
Yes, certainly they are not swinging as low to high as I am demonstrating in this video since I am exaggerating the correction. With the pros however, they still swing low to high around contact... you cannot see this in regular speed since they swing so fast. But if you slow them down in super slow motion and watch just before and after contact, you see how their racket lifts low to high out towards their target and remains stable. And then once the ball has left the strings, then the racket comes across naturally. But they are not consciously wrapping the racket around the body. let me know if this makes sense :)
Pros not doing high-low-high because tennis isn’t lifting game. Actually the swing path of the stroke is quite linear;) That what you see in the video is old school teaching 🫣
If you consider what some of the great forehands like Rafa and Roger have done for over 15/20 years 'old school', then i'd understand since they're both retired haha. But tennis is based on basics physics, and in order for that ball to clear the net and also land deep in the court, you need to lift the ball. Without a swing that lifts through contact, you would not get any topspin. Does their swing lift as much as mine in this video, no. I am exaggerating the correction. However, all the pros have swings that are a 'circular lifting action'. Don't take our word haha... watch them in slow motion hitting regular forehands :)
@@OnlineTennisInstructionYep. Guys he’s simply exaggerating the lift portion here. Most pros will hit in a more circular motion through the ball. I used to hit like James here but now more circular. Nothing wrong with either 😊
continental grip is not recommended if you want to hit a topspin forehand. With the continental, it will open your racket face too much around contact and makes it very challenging to generate topspin.
Very thorough but it would help to see the body movement if this dude wasn’t wearing such an enormous jacket. I get it that it is probably wet but this isn’t helping illustrate the way the body moves and is making this very arm orientated. Also this method of breaking down hit point is great for analysis but this is imo the wrong way to teach any swinging motion as it really ignores the motion arcs and the bio mechanics of levers that are the essentials in producing effortlessly motion through the kinetic chain. FYI I have never focused on the angle of the racket head when contacting the ball. Any focus is on the grip and swing path well before the ball is contacted. So much of this technique is not essential to making good contact with the ball. Thanks for the effort and care.
thanks for the kind words and feedback Ken! Yes agreed, I will not wear that big jacket next time and maybe find an indoor court so I don't freeze too much haha :) And yes I completely agree, players don't need to consciously focus on getting the racket face vertical at impact, if they have the correct grip and swing that will happen automatically most often. However, the reason I wanted to display this is so players have a basic understanding of what happens around contact since some players and coaches have a misconception that the racket face is closed at contact for example. So I just wanted to be thorough and make sure people understood what happens. Again, thanks for the feedback Ken! :)
Sorry, but I am a bit conflicted with what you say relative to what the world number 1 does...... th-cam.com/video/LZmuzcXjxR0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=cPLiMPLi-k07qnwp
'contact with racquet face should not be angled forward"..haha...then let's correct all the ATP players. Federer , or all the way back to Borg would never have kept a ball in the court with their racquet face like you say. no, all of their racquet faces are angled forward because of "physics." Let's try to differentiate between reality and perceived tennis instruction on the next video. coaches apparently can't differentiate between what they think is happening vs what they were told to believe vs what is actually happening. The racquet face of an ATP forehand is angled forward, at contact the force of the ball torques the face level, then it closes again... you really should not create content based upon assumptions. Take ball at waist level is total BS. All pro players attempt to take ball at the ideal apex of the ball trajectory...no one player gives a "S"if it is at their waist level...and now..not a single player lifts the shoulder at contact and through the ball...no pro player ever "lifts" at or after contact like you say. you are dillusional at best! every section i listen to i laugh with humor at the terrible perspective of reality. I am sick of online content misleading players and racking up the followers on BS instruction.
Thanks for the feedback Kent! Your opinions are very well and respectfully put from your side. To your point, will you see the top players have the racket face closed minimally at contact? Yes, sometimes you will see that. But we are talking 'Minimally Closed'. However, they all swing with so much racket head speed they can make up for it and still ensure the ball lands deep in the court. Also, over 70/80% of the time, their racket face WILL be vertical at contact. That's not an opinion, it's a basic fact! Go watch the videos. Secondly, "no pro player ever lifts around contact". How would they possibly get that ball over the net without lifting? Obviously you agree they hit with topspin? So how is topspin created?... if you tell a player to simply 'close your racket face at contact', that unfortunately won't create the spin. Why? because it's your "Swing Shape & Path" that creates the spin, and the strings direct the ball. Again, look at every pro player around contact and watch their racket lift 'low to high' around contact. The evidence is all there. Finally, it would be great to see your online videos Kent since it sounds like you've done lots of research in this area, and we would genuinely be interested in learning more since we are always trying to learn and improve our teachings. So if you have any instructional content out there, please share it.
Your swing is nothing like the guy in the black t-shirt at 11:55. His is advanced and yours is not. You're explaining it "somewhat" correctly but demonstrating it incorrectly. Your swing is more like a pendulum, when it needs to be more like a tilted merry-go-round. At 15:00 you have to move your knee out of the way for your swing path instead of being out and around with a unit turn. You do neither.
thanks for sharing your feedback. Yes correct! The guy Alex who is hitting is a professional tennis player, and he uses more advanced movements to get even more racket head speed. However, if you slow him down... he still has the grip, the unit turn, the high low high and inside out swing, the extension. Every fundamental we explained he utilises... just like every other pro! He also uses more advanced movements like the late hitting concept and so forth. The forehands I am hitting are more fundamental style, i don't use as much lag and also I am demonstrating all shots from a neutral stance. But the same fundamentals apply. again thanks for sharing your thoughts
Yes Tony, if you execute each of these 8 steps efficiently on your forehand then it’s going to be a very good forehand! Now will every player need to work on all these steps? No, because every player is different and some may already have some components working well on the forehand. So you may only take ‘9 or 7’ steps as you say. But the point is, these are all the key fundamentals for a great forehand.
Thou shall count to eight, no more, no less. Eight shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be eight. Nine shalt thou not count, neither count thou seven, excepting that thou then proceed to eight. Eight is right out. Once the number eight, being the eighth number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy forehand towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.' - Modified from "The book of Armaments, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975. All in good fun!
THIS IS THE BEST FOREHAND EXPLAINATION ON THE INTERNET PERIOD !!👍
thanks for the kind feedback!! :)
That guy knows what he is talking about! I am a german tennis coach, coaching for 35 years now and this is excellently done...congrats
thanks for the feedback Martin!! :) 35 years is amazing!!
I seen like 100 videos on youtube that people say that they are probably the best videos on that topic.
I disagreed with them all - I couldn't say they actually teach you all you need and point on every part. They skip many important parts.
But, on that video I have to say that this is probably the best video on youtube on that topic. Touches every part - no skipping.
thanks for the kind feedback!! :) much appreciated
That's just your opinion - you can't even name 25 well known tennis channels.
Totally agree.
this is the best video on the topic. I have watched a lot of videos but this is the most detailed and comprehensive one.
Thank you very much.
Exactly my thoughts 👌🤝👊
Indeed. Excellent technical info from start to finish! Yes, you're correct: I am watching because I struggle with my forehand. And so, watching videos like this one is done with questions that need answers based on the gaps in my game. So as pointed here here, b/c you didn't skip anything my ques were all answered and the gaps filled! E.g., the "inside out," "slot position," "lifting the shoulder." Thanks you!
Being a recent tennis player and watched hundreds of TH-cam lessons - this is the BEST simplified breakdown of the Forehand. Excellent details of How to achieve fundamentals. Bravo!
thank you for the kind feedback Daren!! :)
A touch long for our current watch habits, but really good intro
Excellent video guys. The best I've seen in a super long time.
thanks for the kind words :)
seen tons of videos on the topic - seems like majority wants to keep it short so people watch till the end. Here is a bit longer but so on the point covered all details - really great!
thanks for the kind feedback!! :)
These are the best instructions for the forehand topspin swing. They are easy to understand as they explain the swing in stages, especially the contact point. The key at ball contact is to swing upwards, extending and lifting the ball. Other instructors have never provided such a clear explanation of this part. Thank you, and I appreciate your contribution.
thanks for the feedback James :)
FYI - a perpendicular racquet face at contact does not lift the ball (dwell time is only a few ms) - the ball is projected over the net - not lifted - the instant the ball leaves the racquet, topspin is trying to bring the ball down.
The best step-by-step instruction I've seen on forehands! The way you describe, show what to do, and drills/exercises really resonate to me as a student. So good that I watched this video twice and took notes in my tennis journal.
thanks for such kind feedback Amy!! I'm happy to hear it's helped so much. What are you currently working on with your forehand?
first time i've seen your content. wow man, great stuff. seriously.. a lot of important detail never touched by other coaches, really well communicated, too.
thank for you the feedback! much appreciated! :)
Great video James, thank you. Covers so many excellent points.
I agree that having the racquet being horizontal at contact is correct for most balls. For this video it is a good point to make.
But for some forehand strokes the racquet does need to be a bit open or a bit closed at contact.
For example if you are hitting a ball in the air that is dropping when it reaches you then your racquet needs to open up a bit otherwise the ball will land in the net. And if you receive a deep hard topspin ball that is shooting up as you are hitting the ball to counteract the ball's trajectory and spin your racquet would need to be closed a bit. So there are sometimes the exception to the horizontal rule (but best to note this as a side note so as not to introduce too many details).
If I’m ever in England James I would love a private lesson on my serve. I’m 70 and I recognize from playing tough competition that improving the serve and return of serve are so key as that’s how you start the point. I understand the components well on the serve and my racquet drop and pronation are pretty good with my shadow swing. Not as good with the actual serve stroke. Will be south in Boca Raton Florida for 3 months starting in January and will work on my serve staring with the toss. Got to get my toss to match my shadow swing rather than having my swing match my toss. Gotta figure out the perfect height and location for my toss.
I have really enjoyed your serve videos James.
You know they have not yet announced the future James Bond. If you can act maybe you could get that role. It would be fun to have a tennis playing Bond. 😊
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Yes, you may see sometimes with the pros especially, the racket face may be off by a few degrees. However, the majority of the time.. the racket face will be vertical! There's a great analogy I learned from Gregg... "strings direct the ball, and the swing gives the shape".
Yes please let u know if you're in the UK!! it'd be great to see you.
And I don't think I could live up to the greats like Sean Connery haha :)
I have never enjoyed watching a video and learning a lot from what you are explaining. You make it seem very easy to follow and learn. This is by far the best instruction video I have ever seen on TH-cam. I am going to work with my daughter and will reach out for your analysis. Super job!
thanks for the kind words Michel :) please keep us posted on your daughters progress, and if you have any questions on her game.. simple send me an email at james@onlinetennisinstruction.com
excellent. it was a pleasure to watch.
thanks for the feedback Martin! :)
May be the most complete video about FH I've seen to date. Congratulations and thanks for the amazing work.
thank you for the kind words!! :)
From a competitive elite level coaching perspective, this is the best explanation of the forehand basics I've seen in the last 10 years ❤❤❤ please do it for backhand, volley and serve so that I can give a reference video to any of my kids students , JUST PERFECT 🎉😊
thanks for such kind feedback Charles :) we will plan to make videos on all the other strokes just like this
I’ve been playing tennis for 5 years, and I’m struggling with my groundstrokes. I’ve watched a lot of videos on TH-cam, but this channel has helped me develop a natural swing with plenty of topspin. Thanks for the amazing video! Greetings from Vietnam!❤
thanks for such great feedback!! :)
After watching many videos on how to hit or improve the forehand, this one is by far the most comprehensive and well explained in a simple terms including couple drills. Great job! Can't wait to see more videos on double handed backhand and serve.
thanks for such kind words!! :) much appreciated
Im only here to come back and say Thank you, had 2 training sessions and brilliant Club tournament, little change on my Grip (closed racket a bit more) and stance made huge difference to my game. Night/Day 🎉🎉 Appreciate You Mate!! 🙏
that's great to hear!! very happy it helped you :)
Amazing- best forehand breakdown ive ever seen
thanks James for such kind feedback!! :)
Very complete, step by step tennis forehand swing guide. Very good camera angles too. Many thanks coach! TBH, current tennis swings is more and more similar to modern golf swings. 👍😎👍
thank you for the kind words! :) yes tennis and golf are very similar in terms of biomechanics
Fantastic Video James! Thank you very much!
thanks for the feedback Robert! :)
You are taking the videos to a new level james!
I never learnt tennis before. With your valuable videos I really enjoy my progress. Ta
thanks for the feedback! :)
James is my favorite OTI instructor, he talks clearly and you can easily absorb what he is teaching. This is one of the channel where my forehand drastically improved. Thanks OTI.
thank you for the kind feedback!! much appreciated :)
Another fantastic video from James. Thank you for teaching so clearly and comprehensively. Just got to implement it now 😂
thanks Andrew!! :) yes that's the hard part haha
Great video. Clear outline each critical step !
thanks for the feedback Andy!! :)
The most comprehensive forehand lesson on TH-cam!
In addition to that, one of the most valuable forehand lesson
Thank you for sharing with us ❤
thanks for sharing such great feedback!! much appreciated :)
great content in a short period of time. always need to revisit the fundamentals.
thanks for the feedback!! :)
This is an excellent video on the forehand. Thank you!
thanks for the kind words Jeffrey!! :)
This is the best video so far i have watched, all details are explained ..
thanks for the feedback!! much appreciated :)
Simply amazing. First channel I've ever subscribed to. Thank you so much!🥰
thanks for the kind words!! and we feel honoured to be the first haha :)
Great videos James. I'll be referring people to this for a breakdown of the fundamentals. Your videos on creating the racket drop on the serve are also excellent resources for players!
thanks for the feedback Richard!! :) much appreciated
Simply excellent! The best I have seen 👍
thanks for the kind words!! :)
Incredible quality lesson👏👏👏
thanks for the feedback!! :)
that was so good, first hearing about the 'hidden zone' but makes so much sense to try and keep the forward path going to minimize timing errors. can't way to get out and try it (late 1980s secondary school team player coming out of dormancy, and now just learning - via youtube - that tennis has been completely reinvented since then)
thanks for the feedback!! :) please keep us posted on how it goes when you try it.
fantastic explanation !
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Clear explained!
thanks for the feedback! :)
the best video about forhand
thanks for such kind words!! :)
Excellent video, one of the best if not the best about it. Thank you
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Very good.Taught scientifically.Thank you so much.
thanks for the feedback!! :)
It is huge valuable video
thanks for the kind words!! :)
Please make another videos for different techniques exactly like this video@@OnlineTennisInstruction
we will definitely make more videos like this on the different strokes :)
I am a beginner and I work with my coach Mr. Inaam, Best video i have seen on TH-cam of tennis coaching. It clarified me more about all lessons my coach told me. Fortunately my coach and he are teaching the same.
thanks for such kind words!! :)
Wow. Perfect explanation! Thank you for everything... and your simple a clear English!°
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Thank you so much
no problem!! :)
I hope you can open join/donate option here.. This is the best explanation on forehand, without leaving any small small details behind, that happens alot in other videos.. Great work..
thanks for the kind words!!! it's much appreciated :)
Best training video i came across.❤
thanks for the feedback!!
Obrigado pelo vídeo! Great one! No bs, no slow roll, very nice
thank you!! much appreciated :)
Hai James
watching your vedios as a professional Tennis coach its helps me to keep updating the competent level
Thank you J
thanks for the feedback!!
THANKS A LOT!!! GREAT LESSON!
thanks for the feedback! :)
Great one James. I did not think you could surpass your ball toss video but I think you have done it again.
thanks for the kind words!! :) much appreciated
This is an exceptional video. Thank you for sharing and being so thorough. Subscribed.
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Great video on the forehand. My favorite without doubt . Great drills. OTI is well worth it, if you want to improve.
thanks for the kind feedback!! much appreciated :)
excellent drill. thanks a lot!
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Really good instruction here. The “slot” position was new to me. The spacing, extension & follow-through discussions were extremely helpful. JUST SUBSCRIBED to your channel! 👍
thanks for the kind words!! it's great to have you apart of the community :)
This is by far the best instruction video I have ever seen!
Can you do the same for two-handed backhand?
Thanks !!!
thank you for the feedback!! yes I will make a note to make a video like this on the backhand
Watched thousand of vidéos this one is #1
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Amazing explaination. Saludos desde Argentina ❤
thanks for such kind feedback!! :)
@@OnlineTennisInstruction No, thanks to you. Actually, after one week practicing your teachings in my backyard, today I finally went to the court, and I had a REALLY amazing experience.
just perfect!
thanks for the feedback :)
Great video, as always, James .. excellent explanation and execution of your instruction and suggestions.. Namaste 🙏🏼
thanks for the feedback Namaste :)
Great video
thank you :)
Thankssss...perfect
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Amazing
❤
Thanks
thanks for the feedback!! :)
Wow. Nicely done, James. Can you do the same in-depth on the 2 hand backhand? Thank you. Happy Holidays!
thanks for the feedback!! Will do Thomas :)
Grip no. 1 Western Grip is also good for ground strokes forehand.
Perfect👌🏻👌🏻
thank you :)
Vic Braden would love it Well done
we love Vic!! :) thank you
Hi. Let me start by saying great video. I would like to ask you for an advice. Im new on playing tennis so I need a lot of help 😊. The other night I was playing and a lot of my balls were going long. Can you tell me on how to fix this and maybe do some drills to work on to avoid this? Maybe you can even make a video(if you haven't yet) with this problem and solutions. Thank you in advance for your help
thanks for the kind words Benjamin! :) if the ball is flying long, it means your racket face is open at contact. Now there could be mutiple causes for this. First, we would need to check your grip. If the grip is correct as mentioned in this video, then you need to ensure that the racket face is closed in the slot position prior to contact... at least 30 degrees to the ground. Then when you swing to low to high too contact, you feel you are leading with the top edge to contact. This will ensure the racket face doesn't open and you truly brush up the back of the ball.
Here is a link to a video we've done which will help you further: th-cam.com/video/OwOyppQgvco/w-d-xo.html
Any further questions please let us know :)
@OnlineTennisInstruction thank you very much. I really appreciate the help.
let us know how it goes Benjamin :)
@@OnlineTennisInstruction
Hi. I had been working on it the last couple days. Basically, few good hits and few not so good. Im guessing the more I work on it, it will become more natural and eventually I hope I'll be more consistent 😉. Thx
Nice
thanks for the feedback :)
good
thank you! :)
most of the time it looks like the pros not doing high-low-high but simply going across the body? unless the ball bounces low? 1t least according to Tennis Doctor channel. what’s your take?
Yes, certainly they are not swinging as low to high as I am demonstrating in this video since I am exaggerating the correction. With the pros however, they still swing low to high around contact... you cannot see this in regular speed since they swing so fast. But if you slow them down in super slow motion and watch just before and after contact, you see how their racket lifts low to high out towards their target and remains stable. And then once the ball has left the strings, then the racket comes across naturally. But they are not consciously wrapping the racket around the body. let me know if this makes sense :)
Pros not doing high-low-high because tennis isn’t lifting game. Actually the swing path of the stroke is quite linear;) That what you see in the video is old school teaching 🫣
If you consider what some of the great forehands like Rafa and Roger have done for over 15/20 years 'old school', then i'd understand since they're both retired haha. But tennis is based on basics physics, and in order for that ball to clear the net and also land deep in the court, you need to lift the ball. Without a swing that lifts through contact, you would not get any topspin. Does their swing lift as much as mine in this video, no. I am exaggerating the correction. However, all the pros have swings that are a 'circular lifting action'. Don't take our word haha... watch them in slow motion hitting regular forehands :)
@@OnlineTennisInstructionYep. Guys he’s simply exaggerating the lift portion here. Most pros will hit in a more circular motion through the ball. I used to hit like James here but now more circular. Nothing wrong with either 😊
Do you have something like this but for the backhand?
not yet, but I will definitely work on making a video like this for the backhand! :)
Do you give private lessons?
yes, you can send us an email at james@onlinetennisinstruction.com for more details.
Hello, I wish you had Turkish subtitles for your videos.
we will definitely look into this option
Would it be correct that the legs raising the right hip create most of the low to high swing path instead of pulling up with the arm?
yes Michael!! excellent point... the lifting of the swing also comes from the lower body lifting.
why you are not using continental grip?
continental grip is not recommended if you want to hit a topspin forehand. With the continental, it will open your racket face too much around contact and makes it very challenging to generate topspin.
No windshield wiper effect?
5 star lesson!
Thank you very much!
I saved it and I am sure I will rewatch it many many times!
thanks for the feedback!! :) much appreciated
Put the racket on the ground and pick it up. That's the grip you want.
providing you both the index knuckle and heelpad are on the correct bevel with this method, yes it can work.
Very thorough but it would help to see the body movement if this dude wasn’t wearing such an enormous jacket. I get it that it is probably wet but this isn’t helping illustrate the way the body moves and is making this very arm orientated. Also this method of breaking down hit point is great for analysis but this is imo the wrong way to teach any swinging motion as it really ignores the motion arcs and the bio mechanics of levers that are the essentials in producing effortlessly motion through the kinetic chain. FYI I have never focused on the angle of the racket head when contacting the ball. Any focus is on the grip and swing path well before the ball is contacted. So much of this technique is not essential to making good contact with the ball. Thanks for the effort and care.
thanks for the kind words and feedback Ken! Yes agreed, I will not wear that big jacket next time and maybe find an indoor court so I don't freeze too much haha :) And yes I completely agree, players don't need to consciously focus on getting the racket face vertical at impact, if they have the correct grip and swing that will happen automatically most often. However, the reason I wanted to display this is so players have a basic understanding of what happens around contact since some players and coaches have a misconception that the racket face is closed at contact for example. So I just wanted to be thorough and make sure people understood what happens. Again, thanks for the feedback Ken! :)
Sorry, but I am a bit conflicted with what you say relative to what the world number 1 does...... th-cam.com/video/LZmuzcXjxR0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=cPLiMPLi-k07qnwp
'contact with racquet face should not be angled forward"..haha...then let's correct all the ATP players. Federer , or all the way back to Borg would never have kept a ball in the court with their racquet face like you say. no, all of their racquet faces are angled forward because of "physics." Let's try to differentiate between reality and perceived tennis instruction on the next video. coaches apparently can't differentiate between what they think is happening vs what they were told to believe vs what is actually happening. The racquet face of an ATP forehand is angled forward, at contact the force of the ball torques the face level, then it closes again... you really should not create content based upon assumptions. Take ball at waist level is total BS. All pro players attempt to take ball at the ideal apex of the ball trajectory...no one player gives a "S"if it is at their waist level...and now..not a single player lifts the shoulder at contact and through the ball...no pro player ever "lifts" at or after contact like you say. you are dillusional at best! every section i listen to i laugh with humor at the terrible perspective of reality. I am sick of online content misleading players and racking up the followers on BS instruction.
Thanks for the feedback Kent! Your opinions are very well and respectfully put from your side. To your point, will you see the top players have the racket face closed minimally at contact? Yes, sometimes you will see that. But we are talking 'Minimally Closed'. However, they all swing with so much racket head speed they can make up for it and still ensure the ball lands deep in the court. Also, over 70/80% of the time, their racket face WILL be vertical at contact. That's not an opinion, it's a basic fact! Go watch the videos.
Secondly, "no pro player ever lifts around contact". How would they possibly get that ball over the net without lifting? Obviously you agree they hit with topspin? So how is topspin created?... if you tell a player to simply 'close your racket face at contact', that unfortunately won't create the spin. Why? because it's your "Swing Shape & Path" that creates the spin, and the strings direct the ball. Again, look at every pro player around contact and watch their racket lift 'low to high' around contact. The evidence is all there.
Finally, it would be great to see your online videos Kent since it sounds like you've done lots of research in this area, and we would genuinely be interested in learning more since we are always trying to learn and improve our teachings. So if you have any instructional content out there, please share it.
Your swing is nothing like the guy in the black t-shirt at 11:55. His is advanced and yours is not. You're explaining it "somewhat" correctly but demonstrating it incorrectly. Your swing is more like a pendulum, when it needs to be more like a tilted merry-go-round. At 15:00 you have to move your knee out of the way for your swing path instead of being out and around with a unit turn. You do neither.
thanks for sharing your feedback. Yes correct! The guy Alex who is hitting is a professional tennis player, and he uses more advanced movements to get even more racket head speed. However, if you slow him down... he still has the grip, the unit turn, the high low high and inside out swing, the extension. Every fundamental we explained he utilises... just like every other pro! He also uses more advanced movements like the late hitting concept and so forth. The forehands I am hitting are more fundamental style, i don't use as much lag and also I am demonstrating all shots from a neutral stance. But the same fundamentals apply. again thanks for sharing your thoughts
💃🇷🇺🕺👍👍👍😂🌴
:)
Right!
Because it takes exactly 8 steps to “perfect” your forehand!
What if I take 9 !? Or 7 ? 🫢
Yes Tony, if you execute each of these 8 steps efficiently on your forehand then it’s going to be a very good forehand! Now will every player need to work on all these steps? No, because every player is different and some may already have some components working well on the forehand. So you may only take ‘9 or 7’ steps as you say. But the point is, these are all the key fundamentals for a great forehand.
@ mhm…
Thou shall count to eight, no more, no less. Eight shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be eight. Nine shalt thou not count, neither count thou seven, excepting that thou then proceed to eight. Eight is right out. Once the number eight, being the eighth number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy forehand towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.' - Modified from "The book of Armaments, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975. All in good fun!
hahaha being a welshman, we love Monty Python :)
@@andersflodmark8724 Thou shall NOT see thy forehand, for thou must Not realize he had fallen to his own demise.