Problem with my forehand (video included)

[nikae]

Hi, and sorry for kinda bad English

I am new to tennis, and strangely everything is going good except my forehand. Heres some video of me hitting some

side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB3SK8U6Ubo
rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejl0S3XpT-Y
you can go to www.keepvid.com and paste the youtube link there and download the video, and then watch it in frame by frame.

My worst problem is control...
I started playing tennis this summer (and I play it every day), so as biginner, should I hit my forehand with more closed stance?

On the pictures I uploaded you can see where is my wrist and racket positioned just before downward and forward (later upward) motion begins. Can that create control problems? Lot of times I hit the ball too hard or to soft.

As a side note, I use power level 5 racket stringed at 27kg (on the videos I posted, I had racket stringed on 29kg).

[johnyandell]

No left arm stretch in the preparation. Suggest you look at the Preparation article in Advanced Tennis under Your Forehand and the Modern Forehand.

[tcuk]

John is right. The first thing that stands out is the poor use of the non-hitting arm. The swing is actually fine. It has good shape and repeats well. Your stance is very varied and a little too open on some shots. Try to use a semi-open more often, and use a neutral stance when the ball is down the court.

For a man who hasn't been playing long you are doing extremely well, keep it up.

[uspta990770809]

Penn star balls

John is right. The first thing that stands out is the poor use of the non-hitting arm. The swing is actually fine. It has good shape and repeats well. Your stance is very varied and a little too open on some shots. Try to use a semi-open more often, and use a neutral stance when the ball is down the court.

For a man who hasn't been playing long you are doing extremely well, keep it up.

I agree. You are doing really well. But that court looks really fast. Get some Pennstars or Quickstart balls and give yourself a chance to feel the ball on the racket face a little more.

don

[carrerakent]

read of ball and distance

his swing does look pretty good considering... absolutely get more shoulder turn to create your prep. use the left hand on the throat of the racket to initiate your shoulder turn.

but what needs to come first?

[airforce1]

I agree that things look pretty good for your time of play.

My suggestion is that you focus more on your timing of the ball with your swing. I like the way you accelerate into and across the ball, along with your open stance, but it could very well be too aggressive for your current experience level. If you can ease up just a little and focus more on the timing, you will probably get more control and very possibly more resulting power as well thru cleaner contact.

Remember, it is very hard to add loads of pace to a easy ball, especially if you have not been playing long.

[nikae]

Thanks for the replys guys. I have been working on streching out my left arm and its slowly becoming my second nature.

Yes, I should really contrecate on making cleaner shots, I hit a lot of balls off centar or even worse (with handle etc.)

Its hard to improve from just playing every day, paying someone to toss you the balls, like on the video I posted, costs a lot around here.

I'll work on improving and post new videos if I see some improvement.

[carrerakent]

Thanks for the replys guys. I have been working on streching out my left arm and its slowly becoming my second nature.

Yes, I should really contrecate on making cleaner shots, I hit a lot of balls off centar or even worse (with handle etc.)

Its hard to improve from just playing every day, paying someone to toss you the balls, like on the video I posted, costs a lot around here.

I'll work on improving and post new videos if I see some improvement.

Nikae, if you notice in all of the video shots you do not hit the ball with good location or power when it is in close to your body. many people on here think that doesn't matter, but the fact that you hit the balls that are further away from you much better is proof that you are able to naturally extend your energy into the ball more consistently when the ball is further from you.


please be careful of trying to work on things that are not in sequence or not related to the next step. don't worry about hitting cleaner or taking some pace off. those things aren't related to improving your accuracy, timing, or power. you will hit cleaner when you get the distance down. when you get the distance then you can focus on shoulder turn and length of backswing to establish YOUR timing.


it takes much much more practice and more strength to hit a ball with your arm bent into your body. your videos are proof of that since you are a beginner simply adapting to where the ball was hit.

you need to learn how to recognize where the ball is going to be when it reaches you and how to establish the right distance from it. only then can you establish good timing, shoulder turn, everything else people are telling you. those are good things but they have to follow the other steps first.

if you want to email me i will teach you (no charge) how to recognize the ball better and adjust to it so that you don't have to spend the absurd 10,000 hr rule to master something. kmwood@earthlink.net

good luck and above all have fun. you are doing great!

[nikae]

No left arm stretch in the preparation. Suggest you look at the Preparation article in Advanced Tennis under Your Forehand and the Modern Forehand.

Hmm, I tought its all fine as far as I turn my shoulders so that they are at least 90* to the base line (like they apear to be on that picture).

So, with straightning the left arm, I will get more shoulder rotation or maybe better timing?

(maybe my question is alredy answered in preparation article, but sometimes I have hard time understanding English since its not my first language)

EDIT: just leting you know that my stroke has changed a litle bit, I'll add new videos asap.

[chokomakashi]

hello Nikae

hello Nikae how are you doing?

great post and great picture and great swing.. you doing well....


if you get confuse with stroke or technique.. always go back to basic and make it simple....if you have problem....I am not saying you have to use my way.... this may worth to try...

if open stance give you problem when you play or you feel you get less power, or you feel you pull the shot (means from center you hit more to right side when you play) or having hard time hitting down the line...
Then Just step into the ball... it is easierst way to cure the problem... You can watch Dominik Harbaty.. he step into the ball whenever he has chance

If big swing... loop give you problem? like you feel you hit the ball late? or you feel you hit more frame.. or feel too much spin then you can shorten up and through the ball.... may help.....

Again.. this is just tip i use... but NO NEED TO USE it =) good luck to you....

[nikae]

Thanks man, i do try hard really, but its a problem when you got noone to explain you even some basics, so I have to learn over the internet.

I'm still waiting for my question to be answered though. Wich was :
"So, with straightning the left arm, I will get more shoulder rotation or maybe better timing?"

If someone clasified could find some time for me, it would be nice, i got much more questions :/

[nikae]

looks like this forum is kinda dead.

[johnyandell]

Not sure if you received my response to your pvt message. If you want me to respond please post under the section of questions for me.

[nikae]

Not sure if you received my response to your pvt message. If you want me to respond please post under the section of questions for me.

I didnt get pvt message, ok thanks.

[synergy]

Forget all that, just look at the way you have the racquet at the completion of the backswing. The tip of your racquet is pointing to the side fence. You must keep the backswing on the right of your body so the tip points more towards the back fence at the completion of your backswing.