Step #2: Start with the Racket Back
The second step is to start with the tennis racket back and your body turned
sideways. This is where you will work on
developing the proper forward swing to the contact point. With your body turned sideways, you will
first rotate your around to face the net.
The hitting arm position does not change when this happens. The practice drill will have you rotating
back to the hitting position and then swinging through like you did in the
first video.
Step #3: Pivot and Take the Racket Back
The third step will have you starting from the ready position, pivoting and
then taking the tennis racquet back. There
is no extra movement here. Do not loop
the tennis racket back. You will start with shadowing the correct technique and
then move to hitting the tennis ball from the ready position. Remember that the pivot and shoulder turn is
how the racquet starts to come back. It’s
only after the shoulder turn that you take the non hitting hand off the tennis
racquet and bring it straight back.
Step #4: Add the Loop
In this step you will add the backswing loop to the motion. The loop is not 100% necessary but most
modern forehands have one. So you will probably
want one too. The key is to be sure to
maintain the same hitting arm position from the beginning of the loop until
after contact with the tennis ball.
Step #5: Swing with the Full Motion
The final step is to put everything together in to a fundamentally sound
tennis forehand shot. From the ready
position you will pivot and turn the shoulders, then take the racquet back at
shoulder level. From this position you
can drop the racket down, creating the loop, and then swing forward to your
contact point. This will make the “C”
shape or the Nike “Swoosh”, as some people call it.
The fifth and final step of the forehand progressions is to start in the
ready position and take your racket back at shoulder level, then use all the
mechanics we have discussed in the previous videos to put together a “real”
forehand shot.
From the ready position, what you are going to do is pivot and turn your
shoulders, then take the racket back at shoulder level the rest of the way
using your arms. When you do this, you’ll be at the position we started in on
Progression #4. From there, you can drop the racket down and then swing forward
to your contact point. By doing this, you will develop that full loop, that “C”
shape that we talked about in the forehand fundamentals section of the site. After contact, remember to follow through and
“read your watch”.
Next - The Windshield Wiper Tennis Forehand Technique
