Your Strokes: Rohan Gupta Forehand

[johnyandell]

If would guess the extension is better. My views on youtube haven't changed. You can't say anything definitive. You could work on your stance--it looks slightly better but not really semi open yet. We need by frame by frame to really see the extension.

[eaglesburg]

If would guess the extension is better. My views on youtube haven't changed. You can't say anything definitive. You could work on your stance--it looks slightly better but not really semi open yet. We need by frame by frame to really see the extension.

I use this site for frame by frame YouTube.

http://rowvid.com

[johnyandell]

Good find on the frame by frame site. Yes! Two looks good!

[eaglesburg]

https://youtu.be/YCgy3NSiqWk

That is from days ago.

[eaglesburg]

How long should it take to make this stroke automatic even in matches? 3 months maybe?

[johnyandell]

Extension looks great!!! Get that turn now please. Semi open stance you aren't there yet.

Timing of how long to master? What do you believe? How well are you using your image keys? Can you stay in the process? It's less duration than how you manage that.

[eaglesburg]

Extension looks great!!! Get that turn now please. Semi open stance you aren't there yet.

Timing of how long to master? What do you believe? How well are you using your image keys? Can you stay in the process? It's less duration than how you manage that.

I spent about an hour a couple days ago working purely on extension. I did a lot of handfed stuff slowly moving back to the baseline. I made sure to catch the racket out in front each time. It was ingrained pretty well. Practiced it again next day also and able to maintain the new technique in rallies. Hitting through the ball more also naturally helped close up my stance especially during the handfed drills.

But yesterday I went back to my old forehand during a match.

However later yesterday it was fine in noncompetitive hitting. Today it was also great.

I believe that it should only take a few weeks at this rate. Every time I need to check my extension I just catch my racket out in front. The handfed stuff was the thing that helped me a lot. What do you mean by can you stay in the process?

Thanks to your tips in the article John!
For sure there is easier and more power and penetration and depth. Still good topspin. Cleaner contact and easier to control. I feel much improved on low balls. I will try to take a video tomorrow; I got that wall set up in my garage using green dot transition balls and it's working pretty well (thanks for the wall suggestion @don_budge!)

On a side note: another thing I have noticed is my grip often adjusts ( my thumb and fingers move a little bit closer together making space between my palm and the grip) during the swing. Making sure to not allow this to happen has improved the quality of my balls also. It feels more stable and clean and solid at contact.

[johnyandell]

Good report.

You need to improve the turn and also the stance. In competition the use of the shoulders makes the extension more a natural uncoiling driven by the body--less susceptible to contracting under pressure.

[don_budge]

The eaglesburg Wall...

I got that wall set up in my garage using green dot transition balls and it's working pretty well (thanks for the wall suggestion @don_budge!)

Good report.

You need to improve the turn and also the stance. In competition the use of the shoulders makes the extension more a natural uncoiling driven by the body--less susceptible to contracting under pressure.

Outstanding eaglesburg! Work on the closed and semi-closed stance when working against the wall. I like hitting against the wall with the green dot balls as well…it gives you a bit more time to execute. It slows things down.

Transferring the weight properly from the feet upwards is a huge source of power that you are neglecting with your extreme open stance. By properly engaging your feet you engage the left side of your body more efficiently (on the forehand side). I believe that John's comment supports this supposition.

A video of you hitting against the wall may be very telling as well. More telling than hitting the feed balls. Let's see how much control you have on the ball. One bounce…waist high…minimum 100 times in a row. Go to work!

[eaglesburg]

Outstanding eaglesburg! Work on the closed and semi-closed stance when working against the wall. I like hitting against the wall with the green dot balls as well…it gives you a bit more time to execute. It slows things down.

Transferring the weight properly from the feet upwards is a huge source of power that you are neglecting with your extreme open stance. By properly engaging your feet you engage the left side of your body more efficiently (on the forehand side). I believe that John's comment supports this supposition.

A video of you hitting against the wall may be very telling as well. More telling than hitting the feed balls. Let's see how much control you have on the ball. One bounce…waist high…minimum 100 times in a row. Go to work!

Not quite at a 100 in a row haha. Both because my stroke isn't good enough and my forearm isn't strong enough.

I took this video today.

https://youtu.be/WdGBMwfToPM

How is it?

Yesterday I had a lesson with my coach and he noticed the extra power, control, depth and also an improved ability to take the ball on the rise. The same things I noticed. I can honestly say that this is the biggest 1-2 week improvement I have ever had. It is amazing!

I am using Slazenger green dot balls and the felt is tearing off two balls already. Is that how all green dot balls are?

[stotty]

Just love the wall work...

Not quite at a 100 in a row haha. Both because my stroke isn't good enough and my forearm isn't strong enough.

I took this video today.

https://youtu.be/WdGBMwfToPM

How is it?

Yesterday I had a lesson with my coach and he noticed the extra power, control, depth and also an improved ability to take the ball on the rise. The same things I noticed. I can honestly say that this is the biggest 1-2 week improvement I have ever had. It is amazing!

I am using Slazenger green dot balls and the felt is tearing off two balls already. Is that how all green dot balls are?

Looks a lot better I must say. The stance is much stronger. I just love the wall work...absolutely love it...very dynamic. Keep doing that and you're going to get better.

Borg spent much of his early years practicing against a wall. It stood him in great stead. He became a wall himself...incredibly difficult to beat and as tough as old boots.

[eaglesburg]

The wall in just a few days improved my touch shots including volleys and drop shots drastically too. It especially improved my slices on both wings. I never imagined that this kind of improvement was possible. I am enjoying it-I know it can't last too long.

[don_budge]

Off the Wall…Michael Jackson

Outstanding eaglesburg! Work on the closed and semi-closed stance when working against the wall. I like hitting against the wall with the green dot balls as well…it gives you a bit more time to execute. It slows things down.

Transferring the weight properly from the feet upwards is a huge source of power that you are neglecting with your extreme open stance. By properly engaging your feet you engage the left side of your body more efficiently (on the forehand side). I believe that John's comment supports this supposition.

A video of you hitting against the wall may be very telling as well. More telling than hitting the feed balls. Let's see how much control you have on the ball. One bounce…waist high…minimum 100 times in a row. Go to work!

Not quite at a 100 in a row haha. Both because my stroke isn't good enough and my forearm isn't strong enough.

I took this video today.

https://youtu.be/WdGBMwfToPM

How is it?

Yesterday I had a lesson with my coach and he noticed the extra power, control, depth and also an improved ability to take the ball on the rise. The same things I noticed. I can honestly say that this is the biggest 1-2 week improvement I have ever had. It is amazing!

I am using Slazenger green dot balls and the felt is tearing off two balls already. Is that how all green dot balls are?

Quoting from ITF "Biomechanics of Advanced Tennis", Bruce Elliot, et al.

Groundstrokes use Ground Reaction Forces and Trunk Rotation. The square stance uses both, the open stance only the latter.


Quote:
"Like in the serve, the linear momentum during the groundstrokes begins with a Ground Force...studies have shown that players shift their weight from back-foot to the front-foot prior to impact as they push-off with the back foot. This weight transfer and push-off with the back-foot is primarily used to generate horizontal linear momentum in the direction of the shot."


It seems to me that extreme push off with the rear foot (and the body lifting up) could be a consequence of extreme horizontal linear momentum being generated.

They go on to say that there is not enough research on the whole subject.

Absolutely wonderful on the improvisation on the wall in the garage. This is where huge strides are made…when the student learns to initiate action on their own initiative perhaps utilizing good advice. Marvellous.


Off the Wall…Michael Jackson 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqS5pODuBTk

Now you can begin to chip away at that huge slab of granite that you are like Michelangelo to arrive at the inner tennis you.

You must begin by learning how to hit slightly closed stance forehands as this is the proper way to develop a forehand. The quote by gzhpcu says a mouthful…particularly with respect to your forehand.

"Groundstrokes use Ground Reaction Forces and Trunk Rotation. The square stance uses both, the open stance only the latter."

You are only utilizing trunk rotation and the ground reaction forces are being totally neglected. So how much potential energy are you under utilizing? It's a good question. To say nothing of the question of balance. With each forehand that I hit against the wall I take three little steps before I initiate the step towards the ball…cha cha cha. With these three little steps I refine my position on the ball to incrementally get just a bit better position on the ball in order the stroke has its optimum energy flow in the stroke.

Its going to seem a bit strange at first but you have already seen how quickly things can happen when you are working against the wall. Work against the wall is an infinitesimal proposition in my book. There are always discoveries to be made as well as good conditioning exercise…watching the ball exercise…the list goes on and on.

With your left foot splayed out to the left like that…how much potential energy is left out there with it? By stepping towards the ball with that left foot…the timing of the swing can be so much more effortless with that weight behind your swing instead of left dangling out there in nowhere land. Tennis is a game of energy and balance and by hitting in the manner that you are you are encouraging off balanced swings…more often.

Balance? What is balance in relationship to the forehand swing? Take an open stance like you hit and ask your coach to push you gently in the middle of your chest and see how much energy it takes to make you fall backwards. Now take a square or closed stance, sit down into your ass and lean so that your weight is into your front foot (chest over the left foot) and now ask your coach to push against your left shoulder…he can't move you. From this position you are as solid as a rock. This is the position that you want to learn to swing from…from a position of balance.

Put a piece of 8x11 paper up on that wall and aim at that. Aiming while swinging is an interesting action. You will find that by stepping towards your target that you are aiming while in motion. After you perfect this technique then you will be so much more effective at hitting open stances as you will better understand and have a better feeling for proper weight distribution and weight transfer during the swinging motion.

[eaglesburg]

Absolutely wonderful on the improvisation on the wall in the garage. This is where huge strides are made…when the student learns to initiate action on their own initiative perhaps utilizing good advice. Marvellous.


Off the Wall…Michael Jackson 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqS5pODuBTk

Now you can begin to chip away at that huge slab of granite that you are like Michelangelo to arrive at the inner tennis you.

You must begin by learning how to hit slightly closed stance forehands as this is the proper way to develop a forehand. The quote by gzhpcu says a mouthful…particularly with respect to your forehand.

"Groundstrokes use Ground Reaction Forces and Trunk Rotation. The square stance uses both, the open stance only the latter."

You are only utilizing trunk rotation and the ground reaction forces are being totally neglected. So how much potential energy are you under utilizing? It's a good question. To say nothing of the question of balance. With each forehand that I hit against the wall I take three little steps before I initiate the step towards the ball…cha cha cha. With these three little steps I refine my position on the ball to incrementally get just a bit better position on the ball in order the stroke has its optimum energy flow in the stroke.

Its going to seem a bit strange at first but you have already seen how quickly things can happen when you are working against the wall. Work against the wall is an infinitesimal proposition in my book. There are always discoveries to be made as well as good conditioning exercise…watching the ball exercise…the list goes on and on.

With your left foot splayed out to the left like that…how much potential energy is left out there with it? By stepping towards the ball with that left foot…the timing of the swing can be so much more effortless with that weight behind your swing instead of left dangling out there in nowhere land. Tennis is a game of energy and balance and by hitting in the manner that you are you are encouraging off balanced swings…more often.

Balance? What is balance in relationship to the forehand swing? Take an open stance like you hit and ask your coach to push you gently in the middle of your chest and see how much energy it takes to make you fall backwards. Now take a square or closed stance, sit down into your ass and lean so that your weight is into your front foot (chest over the left foot) and now ask your coach to push against your left shoulder…he can't move you. From this position you are as solid as a rock. This is the position that you want to learn to swing from…from a position of balance.

Put a piece of 8x11 paper up on that wall and aim at that. Aiming while swinging is an interesting action. You will find that by stepping towards your target that you are aiming while in motion. After you perfect this technique then you will be so much more effective at hitting open stances as you will better understand and have a better feeling for proper weight distribution and weight transfer during the swinging motion.

I already naturally close up my stance on low balls and sometimes short balls. So it's not like I never use it.
Just wondering but what is wrong with just transferring weight forward with the semi open stance. I think that the semi open stance already allows for more rotational power than the square stance. And I am still stepping forward to transfer my weight into the forehand. So I feel like the semi open stance offers the most power. Could you better explain why you prefer the square stance? '
Regarding balance...if you push me form the side while I am in a fully open stance it will be much more stable than the square stance. So it all depends where the push is coming from in terms of balance.

[don_budge]

Explanation…Part 1 The placement of the feet

Could you better explain why you prefer the square stance? '

So why is it that the position of the feet is so important? Golfers, unlike tennis players, always begin their swings from stationary positions. Each golfer spends years learning to correctly build their stance in order that they can build a swing around it. Shaping their swings. With this in mind...remember that tennis is "golf on the run".

Every golfer up until this point has chosen to build their golf swing around a rather neutral stance...except of course perhaps "Happy Gilmore". Golfers will, however, adjust their stance accordingly from slightly closed to slightly open depending upon how they will shape a particular shot. But the default position is plus or minus...neutral. This is the position to correctly teach tennis players to swing their tennis racquets on the forehand side...the default position ought to be the neutral or slightly closed position. Like Federer...you cannot argue with this guy.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/roger_federer_09/rf_forehand/rf_fh_center/rf_fh_center.html?RFFHCenterNeutralStanceFront.mov

I am going to pass along a very vital tip...from none other than Ben Hogan...the golfing icon. I have a tape of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead playing a match on an old TV series called “Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf”. These two golfing legends play a match at the Houston Country Club and afterwards both Snead and Gene Sarazan both exclaim that they have never seen a finer round of golf played than the one just completed by Hogan...he was flawless. At the conclusion of the match Sarazan asks both golfers for their comments on the most important part of the golf swing and this is what Hogan had to say.

“The most important thing of the golf swing to me, is the movement of the lower body from the top of the swing (“get in position” position). First of all, it starts down below with your knees and your hips. At the top of the swing you move the lower part of your body, not your shoulders...letting your shoulder, arms and hands bring you into position to hit. This is the first movement there (Hogan demonstrates that as he turns his hips from the top of his swing his hands come down into position without any movement from his hands) then you release at the bottom of the swing.”

After watching your videos and reading the preceding comments I felt compelled to comment on the importance of the action of the lower body in the swing...whether it be a tennis swing, a golf swing or swinging a baseball bat. There are certain fundamentals that one should be strongly advised to observe when transferring the weight of the body to most efficiently transfer the energy into the racquet head and subsequently into the ball. In order to make this most fundamental move to the ball...your feet must be in the proper position.

My contention is that any forehand that is shaped around open or semi open stances are going to have certain characteristics that are going to infringe on the maximum potential of the swing later on down the line. Forehands that are shaped around open and semi open stances tend to be too dependent upon arm motion without having the strong base underneath it from which to make maximum use of the power of the lower body.

This is fundamentally speaking of course. Tennis is a game of offense and defense so of course one must learn to swing from different stances but the default position ought to be the closed or neutral stance. Especially for beginners or fledglings.

I'm explaining...