Intermediate Tennis Lesson | How to Hit the Perfect Forehand in 3 Steps
The forehand is extremely important. It is the most crucial shot after the serve and the return. That's why dedicating time to master the forehand is key. In today's tennis lesson, Coach Leon is here to guide you through the process of achieving the perfect forehand in a few simple steps with his student Constance.
Drill 1 - Net Skims
A shadow swing exercise to fix the forehand technique. Here, the goal is to delicately skim the net with the racket, emphasising a steep swing path. We're paying close attention to the wrist movement as well, laying the foundation for a brushing motion that we'll incorporate later in the lesson. The key takeaway here is that a 'too horizontal' swing path might lead to thicker contact with the net or even hinder the completion of the swing. So, starting from the racket's throat, drop the head, and execute a nice, steep swing path to gracefully brush the top of the net.
Drill 2 - Drop and roll
Moving on to our second drill, we're now taking Constance from the shadow swings to actually making contact with the ball. At this point, we're gradually progressing to a full swing, and she's using half of the racket to simplify the exercise and for added control. The focus remains on emulating that same steep swing path from the previous drill, with a keen emphasis on brushing up the back of the ball and executing a smooth wrist roll.
However, I did observe a slight tendency for Constance to shift her weight onto her back foot during the shot, which can compromise the overall power of the shot. We made an initial attempt to address this habit, and while it still needs refinement, there was noticeable improvement.
Drill 3 - From the Service Line
Now, let's delve into the next phase of our forehand refinement journey with Constance. We made a transition to a full grip and a complete range of motion swing, all the while keeping a keen focus on the technical pointers from the earlier drills. Initially, we approached this at a moderate pace, ensuring that Constance could grasp the small changes in her new swing. Once comfortable, we kicked it up a notch, increasing the acceleration of the swing. It's noteworthy that the faster you accelerate the racket through the shot, the more topspin you can generate, granted the technique is performed correctly.
Why the emphasis on topspin, you might wonder? Well, topspin isn't just a fancy term - it's a game-changer in tennis. It's the secret sauce that makes the ball dip down and into the court. This spin allows players to unleash maximum force while still ensuring the ball finds its way within the lines. It's a strategy essential for excelling on the court and tapping into your full potential.
Drill 4 - Reduced Backswing
We're now addressing the backswing that's just a tad too extensive. By slightly reducing the backswing, we aim to secure a more consistent point of contact, positioned in front of her body. This adjustment not only facilitates more power into her shots but also allows for effective engagement of the wrist to allow for more topspin effect.
To guide Constance through this correction, I've strategically placed a basket behind her, serving as a tangible marker for where the backswing should stop. This physical object acts as a practical barrier, preventing any tendency to overswing and providing a clear visual cue for a controlled backswing.
Moreover, I've placed significant emphasis on cultivating a more substantial finish. The objective is clear: less swing before contact and an extended follow through after the point of contact. This refined balance in the swing dynamics will not only contribute to enhanced consistency but also pave the way for a forehand that seamlessly combines power and topspin.
Drill 5 - Exaggerate the Topspin
Now you can see me demonstrating some forehands from the baseline. In this particular drill, I'm encouraging her to exaggerate the topspin by intentionally hitting before the service line. Admittedly, this tactic isn't something you'd strategically employ in a match since hitting shorter provides the opponent with a better chance to counterattack. However, this intentional deviation from the norm serves a valuable purpose - reinforcing the steeper swing path we've been working on.
Drill 6 - Let it rip
In the finale drill of our session, I have asked Constance to put all the pieces together and swing freely. Shifting gears, I'm now feeding from the other side of the court, making it more realistic to a rally ball. This adjustment not only adds a layer of complexity but also demands a simultaneous focus on footwork and positioning, replicating the dynamic challenges of a real match.
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Thanks a lot. I recognise myself in all of this.
Pleasure 👍
Always loved your content! Glad you're back!!
Thanks so much. Weekly uploads on Tuesdays. And aiming to do more in between, when I can. Appreciate you tuning in 👍
Great to see the channel back! Looking forward to more excellent drills.
Thank you so much 👍
It's great that you're back, your content is fantastic, clear, concise and concrete, keep it up. Greetings
Appreciate the kind words. Weekly uploads on Tuesdays! Have an awesome day 👍
Clear, simple and efficient 🙂 Thanks for sharing 👍 Keep on the good work
My pleasure. Thanks for tuning in 👍
Wow, great drills!
Thank you! 👍
Great video!!
Thank you!
Great instruction!
Thank you! My pleasure
@@SupremeTennis Wow, I played a round robin 3 set doubles match tonight and I have never played better. I won 6-3, 6-0, 6-0. My serves were the best I have ever hit. My opponents were saying how hard the kick serve was to return. THANKS!
@paulbedigian this is great to read!! Keep up the good work!
You are back
I am! Thank you for the comment 👍
Where are these courts and how much do you pay?
Paddingtons sports club. It is a private members club in west London. Membership is about £700 per year.
What level is she? Intermediate? does she play tournaments, seems like she has a good natural swing
She is a strong intermediate player. Competes a little too. On her way to advanced in the near future 👍
I played more football transitioned into tennis but I play with LTA, beat an intermediate group but don’t think they are really intermediate. Been playing 3 years, if I can get to intermediate level I would be happy, too old to try advanced Tbh
@anandbala1 never too old! You can get there! 👍
I find this common with female players...Sloane Stevens have seen times were she looks like that. Mistake I find with some junior coaches, they try to change the forehand to a pat the dog thing for girls and that msy disrupt their natural swing rhythm.
👍
Western grip.
Yep. What do you use on the forehand?
Paddington?
Yep. Have you played here before?
@@SupremeTennis No sadly not but it seems an excellent club. Saw quite a lot of high level matches played there when Londontennistube filmed and uploaded to U tube.
Constance is not making any mistakes, you’re making the mistake; you’re trying to teach a Lefteye dominant person how to hit from a right-eye dominant perspective. 😇
Interesting! Please elaborate..
@@SupremeTennis I won’t elaborate without giving away trade secrets; watch the video carefully and you’ll notice she’s left eye dominant. You yourself are right eye dominant so if the ball gets passed your nose 👃 YOU engage it comfortably. Constance loses it behind her nose because she’s attempting to keep it within the confines of her left eye 👁 inner periphery.
@@SupremeTennis You have to reverse-engineer ROGER-FEDERER playing and apply proper Left-eye dominant training, which will be interesting because you get to maybe train the next-champion, or at the least, like a champion!! 😇😇
@@SupremeTennis Anna Kalinskaya is also left-eye dominant, in case she needs a more relatable frame - - HAPPY HUNTING!! 😇
I saw Patrick Mouratoglou first talk about this. Whilst I see your point.. I’m not sure this is the only reason behind her mistakes in the first part of this video. It’s a combination of many things, that potentially being one of them. Constance did much better towards the end of the lesson. Which she demonstrated in the final clips here.