Forehand slice

[hockeyscout]

Anyone have links to this (articles, threads)? Who has the best forehand slice on the tour?

[bottle]

Bill Tilden. Of course that assumes that he is still alive. Would provide links but am having trouble with a plugin. Anyway, there are three of them, last three entries under "forehands."

[gzhpcu]

Anyone have links to this (articles, threads)? Who has the best forehand slice on the tour?

It is mostly used in extremis, but here is a Federer video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ORPjla4-U

[don_budge]

Slice forehand...from the Federer Feathery

It is mostly used in extremis, but here is a Federer video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ORPjla4-U

I saw that shot. I remember thinking why doesn't he use it more often. I do this all of the time...in the fore court I approach normally with underspin. From that position in the backswing there are options till the last second.

See this John Yandel Interactive Forum on the Federer Feathery. I remember really enjoying the artistry of his drop shot and there was some good discussion about the subtle nature of his grip change.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2005

[gzhpcu]

Don,
Maybe we just need players to start hitting forehand slices now and then. Sometime back you saw almost solely backhand topspin, now the backhand slice is back in the repertoire... Seems like Federer is coming more to the net to terminate points, hope this trend continues...

[stotty]

Connors

I seem to remember Connors hitting across the face of the ball with his forehand approach...it used to bend.

[bottle]

Segura, too?

[stotty]

Segura coached Connors

Segura, too?

Then he probably taught it to Connors.

[don_budge]

True slice and Sidespin...Federer vs. Connors

I seem to remember Connors hitting across the face of the ball with his forehand approach...it used to bend.

Here's a very nice link of a single shot that produces true slice...much as the Roger Federer shot that was in the link that gzhpzu supplied us. Notice the angle of the racquet head as it descends down and through the ball. This stroke is merely an amplification of the standard issue of a sound volley stroke. An excellent example of true underspin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFcamvUEulQ

The above video looks like a generic version of the "real thing" ala Federer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ORPjla4-U

Again I refer you to the shot from John's Interactive Forum...one of my favorites of all time. It was inspiring to write about. The Brilliant Disguise of the Federer Featherer.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2005

Don,
Maybe we just need players to start hitting forehand slices now and then. Sometime back you saw almost solely backhand topspin, now the backhand slice is back in the repertoire... Seems like Federer is coming more to the net to terminate points, hope this trend continues...

So much that relates to the modern game of tennis is subject to the engineering and the massive influence of technology. But if you perhaps are open minded to entertain some of the thoughts that I theorized about in the "Jack Kramer explains Various Grips" thread you begin to realize that I am not just whistling Dixie.

Quicker courts encourage this kind of shot technique as the ball tends to lay down nicely making it a tough ball to tee off on by the strong gripped ATP prototype forehand that is so prevalent in professional tennis. The sand laced Plexipave courts discourage use of this shot because the underspin will actually cause this ball to sit up begging to be pounded into next week...or at least into one of the two corners.

Connors sidespin was not true underspin but could fall under the category of "slice". His grip was classic Eastern and the construction of this grip coupled with the flat trajectory of his swing encouraged a side spinning ball which ran away from an opponents forehand when he hit it from the lefty side of the court down the line. He did in fact come across the ball and hit it with a flatter approach to stroking the ball than with true underspin. Both shots have their moments in any given match...we just don't see it any longer.

A nice topic of discussion that coaches should begin to familiarize themselves with...just in case there is any truth to the rumor that the courts are going to gradually be speeded up. I have taught my beginners underspin first...I have them volleying and work them backwards to the baseline. I teach them to hit both underspin and overspin in the middle of the court...in "no man's land".

In the finals at Indian Wells Federer approached the net once with a ball to the backhand side of center of the court. His approach was hit with moderate pace but was very deep in the court and Djokovic totally misplayed it...he flubbed it. Djokovic tried to run around his backhand and the ball may have had just a tad sidespin which caused it to veer a bit into the body of Novak. After exchanging thirty balls with overspin, when an opponent all of a sudden changes the pace with such a ball it throws off the rhythm for the passing shot. This is of course the intention of the attacking player. It allows him to get the drop on the defender.

Good volleyers can impart true slice or underspin on practically any given ball played out of the air. I love to practice this when I am volleying balls to students.

[worldsbesttenniscoach]

No player on the ATP today has a consistently good forehand slice. It is a lost art. But what is the name of that French player, not that long ago, whom people called the magician? He would slice all balls that came to his 2-fisted forehand.

On the women's WTA now, there is a European player, somewhat highly ranked, who hits many slice forehands. (I forget her name.) Those forehands have too much flourish & followthrough for my taste, but it is nice to see someone who tries different things & has some success.

The great Chinese Tapei Taiwan player, & currently one of the top world's doubles players, Hsieh Su-Wei, hits some incredible 2-fisted slice forehands.

[klacr]

No player on the ATP today has a consistently good forehand slice. It is a lost art. But what is the name of that French player, not that long ago, whom people called the magician? He would slice all balls that came to his 2-fisted forehand.

On the women's WTA now, there is a European player, somewhat highly ranked, who hits many slice forehands. (I forget her name.) Those forehands have too much flourish & followthrough for my taste, but it is nice to see someone who tries different things & has some success.

The great Chinese Tapei Taiwan player, & currently one of the top world's doubles players, Hsieh Su-Wei, hits some incredible 2-fisted slice forehands.

The male player you are thinking of is "The Magician" Fabrice Santoro.

The female player you are thinking of is Monica Niculescu.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton