Interactive Forum June: Ayesha Forehand

[johnyandell]

Ayesha Forehand

Ayesha and her dad Amar have been subscribers for many years. He sent me this incredible piece of video. His daughter's forehand--created using Tennisplayer video and instruction.

First of all, note the high speed shutter and the clear frames. But mainly look at Ayesha's forehand.

Amar asked me to compare her forehand to Roger. OK. Compact outside ATP backswing, great turn, straight arm with contact WAY in front. Great extension. Relaxed, fluid, powerful looking. Just my thoughts.

Someone must have a construction criticism out there somewhere right?

[johnyandell]

Quicktime version

Ayesha Forehand

[GeoffWilliams]

If she snaps backwards, more, it will increase her frame speed. The snap back now is non existent, so it limits her frame speed/rpm possibility. Snap back.

[10splayer]

Geoff,

What is snap back?

[stotty]

Ayesha Forehand
Someone must have a construction criticism out there somewhere right?

Keep the head still...?

[GeoffWilliams]

Geoff,

What is snap back?

John says this happens as the pros pull forward, the frame snaps back, creating vicious rpm speed, but I say, it's a deliberate technique, at least when first learned, snapping back against the wrist on purpose, and that it doesn't happen naturally without a lot of focus.

[bobbyswift]

Love her forehand. My only worry is contact. If viewed from the back I think it would be perfectly situated to her side with shoulder away from core. But from the side it might be slightly too far out in front. I teach a pro player with similar contact point. Her belief is she is too close to the ball so she plays ball more in front. Which when seen from rear is hard to explain because like this player it is definitely off to her side. My player feels it is like a boxer landing a punch overextended and force is less than what they would hope for. But again love her technique.

[hockeyscout]

How old is she? 12 or 13?

[10splayer]

John says this happens as the pros pull forward, the frame snaps back, creating vicious rpm speed, but I say, it's a deliberate technique, at least when first learned, snapping back against the wrist on purpose, and that it doesn't happen naturally without a lot of focus.

That's what i thought you meant...Look at it in the quicktime version and you will see that she does that. In fact, from the position of the pull, tip pointed up and towards the right rear corner, it's obvious there is going to be a tremendous backward rotation and lag..or "snap back". In fact, the amount of "flip" and the short duration in which it occurs, screams huge RHS.

At this stage, I would literally not tell her a thing...It's pretty mint..

[klacr]

Evaluating a stroke, let's start from the ground up. Look at those feet. It appears she has time but insists on hitting fairly open. That 3rd forehand in the sequence is a bit extreme.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

That's what i thought you meant...Look at it in the quicktime version and you will see that she does that. In fact, from the position of the pull, tip pointed up and towards the right rear corner, it's obvious there is going to be a tremendous backward rotation and lag..or "snap back". In fact, the amount of "flip" and the short duration in which it occurs, screams huge RHS.

At this stage, I would literally not tell her a thing...It's pretty mint..

I agree. She has a nice internally rotated shoulder position on preparation, she externally rotates her shoulder in preparation to contact, and she internally rotates her shoulder into and through contact. She does not have the violent flip of Federer or Nadal, but she will only get better.

[stotty]

Love her forehand. My only worry is contact. If viewed from the back I think it would be perfectly situated to her side with shoulder away from core. But from the side it might be slightly too far out in front. I teach a pro player with similar contact point. Her belief is she is too close to the ball so she plays ball more in front. Which when seen from rear is hard to explain because like this player it is definitely off to her side. My player feels it is like a boxer landing a punch overextended and force is less than what they would hope for. But again love her technique.

I think Bobby may have a good point here. The contact does look a tad too far in front when you freeze frame it. I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts on this?

Then again when you freeze frame Federer on a side view, his contact is well in front also.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/rogerfederer/rogerfederer_forehand/rogerfederer_fh_center/rogerfederer_fh_center.html?FedererFHCenterCourtLevelSide1.mov

[johnyandell]

Two really interesting points--the head and the contact. See I knew there was a reason I put this up...

[ClassicStrokes]

I wonder if the dad might share his thoughts?

[10splayer]

I think Bobby may have a good point here. The contact does look a tad too far in front when you freeze frame it. I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts on this?

Then again when you freeze frame Federer on a side view, his contact is well in front also.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelSide1.mov

He might have a point...but with a straight arm (as she has) the contact is further away (laterally) and more in front..Doesn't look too off to me with this arm configure.

I think with all straight arm forehands, the real test is if theyre able to meet there contact point requirements under pressure. That's where the difficulty lies. I just think she's doing so many things well here technically, id leave it alone and just hit thousands of balls under all conditions.