If, like me, you learned your tennis a while back, you probably have nice “old school” strokes and all these top-spin shots seem a bit ”alien”. However topspin shots provide more margin for error and make the shots harder to return for your opponent.

This first post on the Forehand (part 1 of 2) focuses on the basic understanding of what is required to make the transition from a “classic” to a “modern” forehand  and is also what you would explain to a beginner tennis player learning to hit a modern forehand!

This initial video talks about the 4 basic key points of a topspin forehand:

1. The grip – except he talks at first about the semi-western grip and really you should use the eastern forehand grip (which he recommends at the end) – refer to my post#1 on the ”grip” for more details on suitable grips
2. The ready position and racquet back
3. The “pat the big dog” position 
4. The follow through, finishing high over your shoulder

This next video decomposes the forehand movement more precisely. And since the celebrity coach is of my “vintage”, I felt comfortable listening to her

1. Footwork
2. Early shoulder turn
3. Contact point
4. Grip

She then gives more details and answers a few good questions

This next video emphasises 3 key points required to make a topspin forehand:

• Have the proper swing path – not just “low to high” but lower than the ball contact point to higher than it

• Don’t use muscle power but use the correct “kinetic chain” (proper movement)

• Work on getting the required ball flight/shape over the net

Finally, this video is a coaching lesson to transform a rather “ugly” traditional looking forehand into something much better… You might associate with the guy’s problems:

• Bad grip
• not turning your body
• not going from low to high

and may benefit from the drills demonstrated:

I hope you found this video selection useful and join me for part 2 of the Forehand soon.

I am trying to improve my tennis, and the first thing you hear is that tennis has changed and that you need to change the way you hit the ball. No more flat forehands and sliced backhands… you need topspin and for this you often need a new different grip.

So here are a couple of good videos explaining the different grips to use:

Summary:

Continental Grip – Index knuckle on bevel 2

• Used for volley and serve. Can be used for flat/sliced or for double handed backhand instead of Eastern backhand grip (see below). Was also used for forehand in the “olden” days…

Eastern Forehand Grip – Index knuckle on bevel 3 (large flat)

• Used for topspin forehand (easier for topspin) – preferred choice!

Semi Western Forehand Grip – knuckle on bevel 4 (small one)

• Used by some players to generate even more top-spin on forehand

Eastern Backhand Grip – Index knuckle on bevel 1 (top one)

• Used for topspin backhand – preferred choice!

This second video reinforces in a different way the first video and also talks about the two-handed backhand hand placement:

But the best video is this next one which, towards the end, explains how to go from one grip to the other while you are playing.

If you are like me, and always wondered how you switch between forehand and backhand grips and how you find the time to do it in between shots. This video reveals the secret !

And finally, only if you are not sure about which forehand grip to use and wonder what the difference brings. And provided you can stand this guy’s cheesy attitude (!), go through this last optional video….

Hope you found this video selection useful and join me for further shot specific videos soon.