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 like this guy in the first video. I use to slice my back hand and that worked fine in singles because of placement but in doubles, the other guy at the net had too much time to see the shot and move in to volley it back. I therefore wanted to hit my backhand harder while keeping it in court. I started working on the magic topspin backhand !

The first video gives you the 4 basic key points of a topspin backhand:

1. The grip
2. The back swing
3. The contact
4. The finish

This next video decomposes the backhand movement more precisely into 5 key steps:

1. Initiate the turn
2. Elbow and hand position
3. Dropped racket position
4. Contact position
5. Stretching the chest

This older gentleman is great (you might even relate more with him…). He explains the movement in great details and gives you his best tips for an effortless one-handed topspin backhand:

• Good grip
• Rubber band effect
• Release the forearm and the wrist
• Loose shoulders

The next video explains the most common faults:

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

This last video has good slow motion shots of a non-professional player

And finally, for advanced coaching, how to get more power on your backhand….

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