Making a poor forehand better.

[tcuk]

If there is one shot that establishes itself very quickly it's the forehand. It then becomes hard to change the shape or effectiveness if the shot has gotten off to a bad start, technically.

Have any coaches out there managed to turn a poor forehand into a good one? I'm talking about good junior level here. I find this a difficult thing to do, especially if a child has developed a mental block that he can't do it. In matches the kid is so twitchy on his forehand that once he loses his nerve he literally can't hit balls in.

Have any of you started right back at the beginning in an attempt to re-learn the shot?

Tennisplayer could do with a workshop for things like this, it would benefit most of us.

[uspta146749877]

Your strokes

If there is one shot that establishes itself very quickly it's the forehand. It then becomes hard to change the shape or effectiveness if the shot has gotten off to a bad start, technically.

Have any coaches out there managed to turn a poor forehand into a good one? I'm talking about good junior level here. I find this a difficult thing to do, especially if a child has developed a mental block that he can't do it. In matches the kid is so twitchy on his forehand that once he loses his nerve he literally can't hit balls in.

Have any of you started right back at the beginning in an attempt to re-learn the shot?

Tennisplayer could do with a workshop for things like this, it would benefit most of us.

Your stroke section of tennisplayer.net should help.
Please find it from a login page of tennisplayer.net
julian mielniczuk
usptapro 27873

[gmontjoy]

I am not a coach, and am definitely a newbie here, but I personally changed my forehand significantly over the past 6 months with the help of a good teaching professional. Essentially, I learned the forehand with an Eastern grip years ago and I was never comfortable with the shot--my backhand was always more consistent. In January I made the commitment to learn the "modern" forehand with a western grip and the change has been dramatic. My forehand is now a consistent, reliable shot for me and I win a great deal of points off that side. The change was difficult, not immediate, and required a lot of practice, but it is paying off now.

[carrerakent]

easy to change poor forehands

it is extremely easy to correct a player that has a poor forehand...at all levels. professionals are the least likely to accept change, so they are the most difficult to help improve, but i've taken 80+ year old women, 10 year old beginner girls, ..players of all levels and within 30 min to 1 hr. have them hitting a duplicatable extended, loose forehand (as opposed to a bent arm, double bend, wrist/hand controlled forehand).

teaching professionals typically do not understand why players have poor forehands, so therefore they can't fix them. players are unaware of what they are actually doing, so they typically can't fix them either.

if a person understands the "true" fundamentals of the tennis stroke, then and only then can poor strokes be fixed, instantly...even if they've been practiced poorly for decades. i take the "myths of tennis" from this website a few steps further with the help of my coach. if you want some help from me, you can email me at kmwood@earthlink.net

[tcuk]

You're very bold in your statements, Carrerakent. I've yet to see a poor forehand turned into a really good one. The shot establishes itself very quickly compared to other strokes and is hard to change. Even with talented juniors it's a challenge to turn failing forehands around.

To me, the forehand is a fascinating shot because it's what seperates players, especially these days. As a coach I've become very aware that my good juniors can't become top juniors or tour players without a bloody good forehand.

I understand technique well and have worked with good junior players for many years, but it's hard to turn around forehands that are weak. This site is great for pointing out stuff and making coaches more aware, but what about the nitty gritty, the day-to-day stuff: How coaches go about teaching good technique. There are a handful of good articles from world famous coaches on developing juniors but I think the website could go much further on the subject.

" John, if you're listening, take note!

[10splayer]

it is extremely easy to correct a player that has a poor forehand...at all levels. professionals are the least likely to accept change, so they are the most difficult to help improve, but i've taken 80+ year old women, 10 year old beginner girls, ..players of all levels and within 30 min to 1 hr. have them hitting a duplicatable extended, loose forehand (as opposed to a bent arm, double bend, wrist/hand controlled forehand).

teaching professionals typically do not understand why players have poor forehands, so therefore they can't fix them. players are unaware of what they are actually doing, so they typically can't fix them either.

if a person understands the "true" fundamentals of the tennis stroke, then and only then can poor strokes be fixed, instantly...even if they've been practiced poorly for decades. i take the "myths of tennis" from this website a few steps further with the help of my coach. if you want some help from me, you can email me at kmwood@earthlink.net

Wow, you're amazing.

[carrerakent]

no genius here

Stotty, World famous coaches are way over rated. I haven't seen a teaching system yet that is remotely going in the right direction. I guarantee those juniors or anyone else without a stellar forehand is too close to the ball on contact. I guarantee you get them further away and they will improve. I guarantee you get them to stop utilizing chest, shoulder, bicep, and forearm muscles to manipulate the racket and they will be able to have stellar forehands if they are any kind of athlete. Problem is...no coaches or this sites analysis has any clue how to get people to do what Federer does naturally. At age 3 Federer did what he is doing now. Noone taught him what the rest of us just wish we could do.

10splayer...no, i'm not amazing! i have just been fortunate enough to find a genius to teach me how to teach...what to look for. I played in college years ago but had a mediocre 4.0 forehand. Spent one day with this coach (ATP tour coach) and now I'm hitting pro caliber forehands. It's not rocket science, that's why I laugh at all of the detailed over analysis on this website. It's ridiculous and not duplicatable.

[johnyandell]

Wow--maybe you should cancel your subscription and form your own genius site! I'm sure in no time you'd develop multiple grand slam champions--or maybe your coach already has.

[hyperwarrior]

I'm very glad there's a thread about this issue...I've been in tennis for 14 years without intensive training and I had groups courses for the first 5 years. I agree that relearning a stroke is one of the biggest challenge for me.

I have the same forehand for 12-13 years and I've been trying to relearn the shot because it wasn't pure for my taste and thanks to tennisplayer.net for opening my eyes...I can't always afford private lessons and I must say that I learn the theory a lot more here than from a coach and it's like learning a secret. This site should be called tennis 101.

I can understand the theory pretty well but to apply it onto the court is not easy for me. I wish I got brainwashed and start it right from zero again with private lessons.

To break your old habit so you can learn the proper technique... pain in the a$$

[hyperwarrior]

If there is one shot that establishes itself very quickly it's the forehand. It then becomes hard to change the shape or effectiveness if the shot has gotten off to a bad start, technically.

Have any coaches out there managed to turn a poor forehand into a good one? I'm talking about good junior level here. I find this a difficult thing to do, especially if a child has developed a mental block that he can't do it. In matches the kid is so twitchy on his forehand that once he loses his nerve he literally can't hit balls in.

Have any of you started right back at the beginning in an attempt to re-learn the shot?

Tennisplayer could do with a workshop for things like this, it would benefit most of us.

You're a coach? I wish you were mine

[carrerakent]

complilation

john, i've said several times in these forums that this is a great site for what it provides in slow motion video, etc. This site helped me venture to what I had hoped...away from conventional teaching and seeing what is actually going on. the problem was I could not make the final jump to a truly modern professional game until I saw my coach warming up a pro player.

in him i saw only the stroke "genius" that we see in Federer. I asked him to coach me via video, email etc since he travels. he was able to help me understand the pieces that i have found no place else.

since my coach is in his 20s, i'm sure that he may very well coach more champions in his lifetime that you can imagine. your childish judgment of both him and me accentuate the narrow mindedness that keeps this website from being more...as many of your readers are asking it to be.

and yes, hopefully in time my coach and i will market his system so that more people can benefit from it. you can criticize what i say, but proof is in the pudding as they say. i've seen the proof, you haven't. therefore i'm not surprised at your or others skepticism. do yourself and the readers some benefit...realize that i keep paying for this site and recommending it to others, therefore i'm not trying to slam it, but make the site better as well as challenge new thinking. in type(text) we often offend when we don't mean to...

with my coaches system that i now employ with my students, i have never failed to have my students jaws dropping open at the power, spin, consistency and amazed at how "natural it feels."

btw, my coach has taken one player already from nowhere to the top 40 and his second tour player will be breaking into the top ranks soon. so keep your mouth shut where it doesn't belong. he has more success in his short career as a coach than anyone else you can find in history...i'm guessing.

[10splayer]

Stotty, World famous coaches are way over rated. I haven't seen a teaching system yet that is remotely going in the right direction. I guarantee those juniors or anyone else without a stellar forehand is too close to the ball on contact. I guarantee you get them further away and they will improve. I guarantee you get them to stop utilizing chest, shoulder, bicep, and forearm muscles to manipulate the racket and they will be able to have stellar forehands if they are any kind of athlete. Problem is...no coaches or this sites analysis has any clue how to get people to do what Federer does naturally. At age 3 Federer did what he is doing now. Noone taught him what the rest of us just wish we could do.

10splayer...no, i'm not amazing! i have just been fortunate enough to find a genius to teach me how to teach...what to look for. I played in college years ago

but had a mediocre 4.0 forehand. Spent one day with this coach (ATP tour coach) and now I'm hitting pro caliber forehands

. It's not rocket science, that's why I laugh at all of the detailed over analysis on this website. It's ridiculous and not duplicatable.

4.0 to world class caliber, no go ahead an admit it, you're amazing.

[johnyandell]

Uh, no I don't need to keep "my mouth shut". Maybe you actually feel you should have the power to silence those who disagree with you. Normally when people say things like that they are implying some type of resort to violence. But I'm sure you didn't mean it that way? Or did you?

Sounds like your coach might be doing some interesting work and have something to present to the world.

I'd like to get in touch with him. If he can present his ideas in a positive fashion he'd be welcome. Does he know though about the incredibly negative pr you are creating on his behalf?

[carrerakent]

forum is for us not you

john, this forum is for us paying customers to interact. i don't recall ever seeing a forum where the owner starts raining on people's parades. don't bother replying...i won't be reading your responses any longer. waste of time...btw...i don't try to shush people that disagree...just people that can't handle people that see fault in them and they can't take it...

[sejsel]

john, this forum is for us paying customers to interact. i don't recall ever seeing a forum where the owner starts raining on people's parades. don't bother replying...i won't be reading your responses any longer. waste of time...btw...i don't try to shush people that disagree...just people that can't handle people that see fault in them and they can't take it...

Please, do the rest of us a big favor, stop "interacting" and "parading" and start coaching, producing great champions, and unleash upon the world your almighty revolutionizing tennis-teaching system.

Really.

Seeing this way of interacting, as well as perceived "truths" about tennis and attempts to describe where should applied sports science go, doesn't bring smile on anyone's face.

For your own sake, one hopes that you do not apply this style of thinking and interacting with people on the tennis court, or in community of people affiliated in any way to tennis.