Appreciate feedback

[bowt]

Hey all,

one of the girls from my program.

she is phenomenal in person the best kid to coach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5gDdOwiBc&feature=youtu.be

her forehand in slow-motion looks awkward. Left hand wont get out of the way? or some issue with rotation. Also think her unit-turn could be better with the feet.

what are your suggestions on how to improve?

appreciate the feedback,

R

[GeoffWilliams]

Reminds me of the Guy Forget/Serena foot lift.

[10splayer]

Hey all,

one of the girls from my program.

she is phenomenal in person the best kid to coach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5gDdOwiBc&feature=youtu.be

her forehand in slow-motion looks awkward. Left hand wont get out of the way? or some issue with rotation. Also think her unit-turn could be better with the feet.

what are your suggestions on how to improve?

appreciate the feedback,

R

Two things...

First I would show her how to pivot on her left leg..If you look at the angle of her left knee (after the step) it points to the side fence fthru out the stroke which is not allowing her left hip to rotate properly. Have her step and turn the left foot out a bit, (towards the right net post) and turn on it.

The second thing is the use of her left arm (i think you mentioned this) moving "back" to the hitting arm. (scissoring) Part of this is due to the lack of proper front side rotation, but it may be a good idea to have her catch the racquet over her left side, until she learns to "clear" that off arm.

[stotty]

Good points from 10splayer.

I'm not so keen on her palm pointing outwards (at the viewer) on the left arm stretch. It kind of makes the left arm swim away rather than peel away...and will make wide balls slightly awkward to execute. It's less clean than palm down in my book.

[10splayer]

Good points from 10splayer.

I'm not so keen on her palm pointing outwards (at the viewer) on the left arm stretch. It kind of makes the left arm swim away rather than peel away...and will make wide balls slightly awkward to execute. It's less clean than palm down in my book.

Hmm, I wonder what the effect that palm position has, if any?

[GeoffWilliams]

The rear leg moving up and forwards, stops her from transferring her weight into the shot and rotating her hips.

[stotty]

Hmm, I wonder what the effect that palm position has, if any?

When you next play, try it. Run out to hit a wide ball and judge the effect yourself. Let me know your findings...

[10splayer]

The rear leg moving up and forwards, stops her from transferring her weight into the shot and rotating her hips.

What do you mean she's not transferring her weight? Of course she is.. Her weight IS on the left foot. The problem is that when the left foot hits the ground, the left hip DOESNT rotate. She's not pivoting.

[10splayer]

When you next play, try it. Run out to hit a wide ball and judge the effect yourself. Let me know your findings...

Ill give it a shot, STotty.

[10splayer]

Hey all,

one of the girls from my program.

she is phenomenal in person the best kid to coach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5gDdOwiBc&feature=youtu.be

her forehand in slow-motion looks awkward. Left hand wont get out of the way? or some issue with rotation. Also think her unit-turn could be better with the feet.

what are your suggestions on how to improve?

appreciate the feedback,

R

You might want to look at DON B's timing and release of the racquet in "Classic Lessons". I love that article and the exercises. I personally think that many of them are great with young ones, in that it teaches them how to use momentum...That is, the kinesthetic feel of fluid, continuous movement in the loop once the hands break apart. It would really help your little one, in that, there are stops and starts in her backswing..

[bowt]

when i try to pivot on my left foot I cant but my hips definitely rotate better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmtkSzhB8GI

look at federers first forehand the leg stays the same but idk he rotates better with hips

I think its something to do with hip rotation but unsure how to teach or correct it to develop a better feeling.

in terms of release of the racket and a continuous motion I somewhat agree. I teach players to time the set position when the ball bounces. Movement withe the body and turn.

I have said to her catch the racket and she will do it during the time im saying that but when shes not thinking about it it reverts back. I don't think catching the racket is developing a better feeling.

[don_budge]

A two-handed sport…the two-handed forehand

You know...that the challenge of teaching the game of tennis is extremely complex. Every student is different. How do you reach them? How do you get them to engage with you...as well as you engaging with them? This word engagement has taken on a new meaning for me ever since that certain someone brought up that term..."connectivity". And me...always trying to connect those infernal three little dots. It could drive you mad sometimes...but then you are saved...by the white light... from deep inside the Gold Mine.

Tennis, like golf is a two-handed sport. It's amazing how involved both sides of the body are in each and every shot. This child simply has not developed enough to realize this or understand it. You tell her…she appears to be listening. But somehow it doesn't register…it doesn't resonate in the gold mine. Yet.

She has not yet connected the dots…on the forehand side as there is something lacking at this stage of her mental/physical development most likely somewhere in the gold mine…in the brain.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2463&highlight=pancho+segura+handed+forehand

Once upon a time, I had a student who was so abysmally disconnected with her body on the forehand side it wasn't funny. I started with the orange balls and for a couple of hours she just kept spraying them in all directions. Most notably were her high trajectory rockets…balls were banging into the roof of our facility with so much velocity it was scary. Scary in the sense of "where do I start?".

Strangely enough her two hand backhand was quite alright. Nothing remarkably wrong in fact. So I decided that I would borrow from the left to give to the right. That is exactly how we proceeded. You will notice in my initial post in this thread that I reference, there was once an article that explained the details of the Pancho Segura two hand forehand. It was a great article that explained the grips and his unusual way of switching his hand in order to play the game with this unorthodox method.

To make a long story short (you can read the thread if you are inclined) the student is playing a rather nice game of classic looking tennis now after a year and some months. She has been weened off of both two handed strokes and plays a decent forehand and a pretty looking one handed backhand. Her forehand will always require work as it is the least natural stroke but from time to time I get her to go back and swing two handed to get her engaged with all of the necessary body parts.

You might find some interesting video here…Monica Seles for example.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_woman/monica_seles/monica_seles_strokecat.html

Your student has a bit of a "brain fart" going on with that rear foot and the left hand. I've seen that move with the left hand before…it is a funny one. But it will correct itself with a two-handed forehand trial. The hands are afterall connected to the shoulders and when they rotate the hands should follow. I think it would go away on it's own but you may be a bit more preemptive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGTbqT-im8

Throw in the Bob Brett volley and retreat drill. There is something about moving the student forwards and backwards that teaches them something about weight control and transfer not to mention balance. I write a bit more in depth in the current "Let's look at a forehand" thread. No need in repeating myself. Although I don't mind. I may have even referenced this drill to you in your other posting. I am repeating myself. It's a lot of fun for both the student and the teacher. Keep repeating…"step to the ball" on both the volley and the forehand…don't forget to work the backhand as well!

I don't think catching the racket is developing a better feeling.

You are quite right in that you are trying to develop feeling…the feeling of an engaged body and mind.

[stotty]

when i try to pivot on my left foot I cant but my hips definitely rotate better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmtkSzhB8GI

look at federers first forehand the leg stays the same but idk he rotates better with hips

I think its something to do with hip rotation but unsure how to teach or correct it to develop a better feeling.

I am not quite sure what you mean in that first sentence..."I cant but my hips definitely rotate better."...

I still think 10splayer is correct here about the foot thing. The girls left foot is pointing directly at the side fence. She would ideally have the front foot pointing forwards more...like the clip you posted of Federer. Her foot position is more set up for a closed stance when it should be set up for the neutral stance. You have to believe this must be inhibiting her hip rotation...makes it less smooth.

[10splayer]

when i try to pivot on my left foot I cant but my hips definitely rotate better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmtkSzhB8GI

look at federers first forehand the leg stays the same but idk he rotates better with hips

I think its something to do with hip rotation but unsure how to teach or correct it to develop a better feeling.

in terms of release of the racket and a continuous motion I somewhat agree. I teach players to time the set position when the ball bounces. Movement withe the body and turn.

I have said to her catch the racket and she will do it during the time im saying that but when shes not thinking about it it reverts back. I don't think catching the racket is developing a better feeling.

I don't know what else to tell you my friend. What I'm describing is simple pivoting...have her turn the left foot out a bit when she steps, and roll the back ankle up to the toe..Encourage her to turn her belly button towards you (feeder) at impact..

As per your second point..Her set position is good...Unfortunately it kind of unravels from there..She drops the racquet WAY too early, stalls it, and then starts it up again in the forward swing. It's defeating the purpose of a loop backswing..The drils in Don's article help a lot in this regard..that is, when the loop is broken.

As far as the left arm usage, and whether or not to catch..I agree, ultimately it doesn't matter. Except in a case like this, where it's going the wrong way..Again the "set" position is good..the left arm is across, straight, and relatively parallel. It unravels from there, though..(much of it because the lack torso rotation) It doesn't clear, and bend. "Catching" the racquet, encourages the arm to "move" left and stay ahead of the hitting arm..She may even start to "open" up her body lines a bit, as that move (from straight and across to bent and retracted) is very powerful and encourages rotation. Worth a try.

[bowt]

thanks I will try her left foot pointing more on a diagonal at the net post

agree with the loop being broken and not continuous