January 2019: Kyle Edmund Forehand

[johnyandell]

Kyle Edmund Forehand

Let's continue our overview of pro forehands, this month with Kyle Edmund. Edmund has been in the top 20 and is still young by modern standards, turning 24 this month. Once again we see the range and variety in the way top player combine core elements.

Kyle is way under on his grip. But watch the way he uses his left arm. He makes a unit turn but compared to other players he drops the left hand off the racket earlier, sometimes way earlier. The left arm never fully stretches.

He does have great extension on his drives and of course with that grip, a radical wiper. I think he is leaving power on the table though. What do you guys think?

[stotty]

I see what John means about Kyle's left arm. It reminds me a bit of Berdych's forehand in that regard. I've stood right next to that forehand and if he's leaving any power on the table that would be amazing. He hits it so bloody hard as it is!

[klacr]

Edmund reminds me of Jim Courier. More so in his fair complexion and the way he slaps at that ball. Left hand does leave the racquet early a la Berdych but the backswing and grip are much more pronounced and extreme.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[jimbok]

The left hand does its job. Looks like an early loading unit turn -- the inverted racquet finish and legs at the "finish" tells me a lot about racquet accelerating & plowing through.

[chuahman]

When you compare rf fh model leaching unit turn with left arm on throat has a lot of benefits. His leg arm does not track effectively and missed out on coiling and balance. Understand he uses a light racquet, would he have better unit turn with heavier racquet... 12 oz??

[chuahman]

Apologies for typo ... teaching unit turn and left arm does not track

[stotty]

Kyle Edmund Forehand

Let’s continue our overview of pro forehands, this month with Kyle Edmund. Edmund has been in the top 20 and is still young by modern standards, turning 24 this month. Once again we see the range and variety in the way top player combine core elements.

Kyle is way under on his grip. But watch the way he uses his left arm. He makes a unit turn but compared to other players he drops the left hand off the racket earlier, sometimes way earlier. The left arm never fully stretches.

He does have great extension on his drives and of course with that grip, a radical wiper. I think he is leaving power on the table though. What do you guys think?

I am curious as to your 'power on the table' comment. I don't like the early release of the left arm, particularly when he's one the move and he see-saws it. But when it comes to power?...have you seen the kid live? He hits the ball frighteningly hard. Where is he leaving any? Maybe he could drive up with his legs a tad more, but what else? Just curious.

[johnyandell]

Yes have seen him in person. I filmed him! As you know I am big on that full shoulder coil and correlate that with the stretch of the left arm. So yeah he is losing something in my opinion or at minimum could get his power with less effort.

[stotty]

Yes have seen him in person. I filmed him! As you know I am big on that full shoulder coil and correlate that with the stretch of the left arm. So yeah he is losing something in my opinion or at minimum could get his power with less effort.

Yes, of course, you filmed him! What was I thinking! Power with less effort would be useful to any player. It would be interesting to see him coil a bit more and see what happened. If I bump into him, which is most unlikely, I'll mention it.

[johnyandell]

Do that! There must be a reason all the top players to that left arm stretch...

[andersonjc]

I suspect that he could gain even more power by rotating his shoulders past parallel with the baseline only after contact, rather than before. If you look at him, his shoulders are 45 degrees to the baseline at contact, rather than parallel, and this bleeds significant power. With the snap he gets, and keeping the force contained by not over-rotating before the ball is struck, he would extend more through the swing and increase power and spin. Probably another 10 - 15 mph if that's even believable. I believe it is.

[don_budge]

Kyle Edmund Forehand

Let’s continue our overview of pro forehands, this month with Kyle Edmund. Edmund has been in the top 20 and is still young by modern standards, turning 24 this month. Once again we see the range and variety in the way top player combine core elements.

Kyle is way under on his grip. But watch the way he uses his left arm. He makes a unit turn but compared to other players he drops the left hand off the racket earlier, sometimes way earlier. The left arm never fully stretches.

He does have great extension on his drives and of course with that grip, a radical wiper. I think he is leaving power on the table though. What do you guys think?

Power on the table? This guy crushes it. It looks to me as if he is hitting it as hard as anybody. The left hand? It does appear that many players make that move you talk a lot about...extending the left hand. But that might just be a function of turning the shoulders and the racquet as a unit. I wonder if that is absolutely necessary if the player can make the move back to the ball with the same motion...as if his hand was extended. Does it matter? I'm curious.

Having said that I would like to see this fellows backhand and service motion. He might be leaving something on the table with these two strokes. Not to mention his net and approach play...which probably only exists in his imagination.

He really does pound the forehand though. It will be interesting to see what he does with Tomas Berdych in the first round of the Aussie Open. He looks to have a half way decent chance to meet Señor Nadal in the round of sixteen. He is projected there on the basis of his seeding. But we all know how that goes...the best laid plans of mice and men and all of that.

[lovati4]

The role of the left (non-dominant ) arm is an interesting topic.
Modern forehand is a very complicated motion especially in terms of body rotation. Shoulders rotate a little more than 90° during unit turn. Then they rotate back to the point of contact and further. Player's arms go along.
During the whole motion players have to keep balance as best as they can. Left hand is for balance. In running arms let runner keep his (her) balance. In this sense left arm does not have to be completely straight at any point. But it probably needs to go in a semicircle to balance the body during the whole stroke.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/phantom/Roger_Federer_HD_HS/index.html?dir=Forehand/RF_FH_Center&stroke=RFFHCenterOpenStanceFront3_250fps.mp4