Interactive Forum May 2022: Carlos Alcaraz Forehand

[jthb1021]

Novak does that as well…shoot I do that on my forehand. When you use a semi western grip or beyond it feels very natural to have the tip of the racquet forward. Yes, typically players have the double bend, but don’t probably 85-90% of players on tour use a double bend. Setting a straight arm structure out of that preparation wouldn’t be hard. I know if I wanted to with two weeks on the ball machine I could make mine straight.
In the photo look how long the left hand stays on the frame…that’s the piece of his forehand that’s different. He is still holding onto it when the racquet is past his back shoulder! The example where it drops off early he’s playing a ridiculous reverse running forehand…everyone would use more of a return of serve preparation for that ball.
i tinkered with holding onto the racquet to my back shoulder in my junior program today and there was no way I could get a full left arm stretch in. No time!! The role of the left arm was completely rotational. I never truly went after a ball but I definitely felt an easier access to a heavier ball than my usual hand separation slightly past mid chest. I will say it created a different tempo or rhythm to the stroke. I liked it and could see potential for a “game day” turn but would be awful for 95% of my clients. I’ll stick with my slightly beyond Johnny Mac grip for the bulk of my rally work hahahaha!

[johnyandell]

jthb,
I don't think we should abandon the left arm stretch quite yet...

[jthb1021]

I don’t either! But if you hold on that long you don’t have the time for the prominent left arm stretch. The left arm has the same role it just doesn’t stretch out the same way.

[jimlosaltos]

Novak does that as well…shoot I do that on my forehand. When you use a semi western grip or beyond it feels very natural to have the tip of the racquet forward. Yes, typically players have the double bend, but don’t probably 85-90% of players on tour use a double bend. Setting a straight arm structure out of that preparation wouldn’t be hard. I know if I wanted to with two weeks on the ball machine I could make mine straight.
In the photo look how long the left hand stays on the frame…that’s the piece of his forehand that’s different. He is still holding onto it when the racquet is past his back shoulder! The example where it drops off early he’s playing a ridiculous reverse running forehand…everyone would use more of a return of serve preparation for that ball.
i tinkered with holding onto the racquet to my back shoulder in my junior program today and there was no way I could get a full left arm stretch in. No time!! The role of the left arm was completely rotational. I never truly went after a ball but I definitely felt an easier access to a heavier ball than my usual hand separation slightly past mid chest. I will say it created a different tempo or rhythm to the stroke. I liked it and could see potential for a “game day” turn but would be awful for 95% of my clients. I’ll stick with my slightly beyond Johnny Mac grip for the bulk of my rally work hahahaha!

If you want a visual "Palette Refresher", here's his-Fedness in glorious slomo
Straight arm all the way out <g>

https://twitter.com/fedrermoment/status/1522199132542226434

[seano]

John -

You picked a good month to feature Alcatraz's forehand.

[chuahman]

Very relevant points with left hand remaining on racquet for stretch and disguise for drop shot. As the left arm remains very brief, Alcatraz has excellent timing of ball for spacing. Does he lose the benefit of spacing?

In consideration of straight arm contact certainly encourages early contact and power, would it result in creating too much stress on elbow as Tsitsipas has had op on elbow early on his career. Novak's elbow intervention was in his early thirties?

[johnyandell]

Seano,
Hope he beats Zverev

chua,
Good question... no idea! It's impossible in my view to definitively corelate technique and injury...

[stroke]

When he played Nadal, 6 games in, TennisTV shotspot showed their forehand numbers thus far. Alcaraz was hitting his average forehand 10 mph's faster with 240 more rpm's on his forehand vs Nadal's.

[jimlosaltos]

When he played Nadal, 6 games in, TennisTV shotspot showed their forehand numbers thus far. Alcaraz was hitting his average forehand 10 mph's faster with 240 more rpm's on his forehand vs Nadal's.

Wow.

[doctorhl]

As Jimlo Saltos mentioned, somebody please find some footage of someone loaded for the topspin fh, then camera picking up last minute grip change for a drop shot. It has to be a one handed “centrifical-chunk”grip change for most pros (unless the off hand stays on racket long enough to allow a loose racket hand grip change as perhaps Alcatraz may be doing).

[stroke]

https://youtu.be/LnmlPpyETUU

It looks like he does his forehand grip change after his off hand separates, which prolongs the grip change until the last possible instance, for disguise. As you said, it appears to be a one handed loose grip feel grip change.

[jimlosaltos]

https://youtu.be/LnmlPpyETUU

It looks like he does his forehand grip change after his off hand separates, which prolongs the grip change until the last possible instance, for disguise. As you said, it appears to be a one handed loose grip feel grip change.

Thank you stroke, and doctorhl. Very helpful, to me at least.

The other thing that stands out to me (a weekend hacker but long time fan/observer) is something very basic that many of you teach, but often is ignored in the pros -- he hits his drop shots high with lots of margin (unless it is a net-to-net face off). He also gives himself lots of margin in his targets (the Miami graphic I posted earlier). If one can be successful with drop shots having that much margin, surely they'd work at all levels.

Heck, as I used to say about Alexandr Dolgopolov's drop shots, I've seen lobs in USTA matches that were lower than his drop shots <g>.

But, then we see Ons Jabeur and Stef Tsitsipas try to trickle low balls off the net tape (Ons with more success than Stef).

Helps, of course, to have Carlos' power off the ground to back people up.

[jimlosaltos]

John -

You picked a good month to feature Alcatraz's forehand.

Genius timing

[arturohernandez]

Hi Everyone, I have been off the board for a while but Carlitos has me excited about tennis once again. The key feature is the simplicity of his forehand. It is back and forward. No extra motion, no wasted energy. Delpo's forehand always struck me a simple as well.

Meanwhile, a lot of people keep equating a longer take back with a bigger stroke. Until it is not, because there is no time to hit in front when the ball is springing off your opponent's racket at 100 mph and you have seconds to hit it back.

Alcaraz looks to be the favorite at the French Open to me. I just don't see any of the old guys hanging with him for five sets. And the younger guys cannot hang period.

I remember seeing Nadal at 19 and thinking: Wow!!!

He is the new modern player. There are no weaknesses. Or at least no one has discovered them yet.

The question is who the next big Carlitos killer will be given his dominance. My money was on Shapo but talent does not alleviate his hot headedness.

So, anyone spot Carlitos's new rival. Maybe Korda?

[jimlosaltos]

Hi Everyone, I have been off the board for a while but Carlitos has me excited about tennis once again. The key feature is the simplicity of his forehand. It is back and forward. No extra motion, no wasted energy. Delpo's forehand always struck me a simple as well.

Meanwhile, a lot of people keep equating a longer take back with a bigger stroke. Until it is not, because there is no time to hit in front when the ball is springing off your opponent's racket at 100 mph and you have seconds to hit it back.

Alcaraz looks to be the favorite at the French Open to me. I just don't see any of the old guys hanging with him for five sets. And the younger guys cannot hang period.

I remember seeing Nadal at 19 and thinking: Wow!!!

He is the new modern player. There are no weaknesses. Or at least no one has discovered them yet.

The question is who the next big Carlitos killer will be given his dominance. My money was on Shapo but talent does not alleviate his hot headedness.

So, anyone spot Carlitos's new rival. Maybe Korda?

Here are the initial H2Hs between the potentially three of the best players born in the 00s:

Auger vs Alcaraz 1:0
Auger vs. #Sinner 1:0
Alcaraz vs. Sinner 1:0 (2:0)

Yet, FAA has gone from next 'slam winner to almost an after thought of late. A growth spurt seems to have him struggling to fit his new frame?

And, well, Seb Korda who you mention did beat "Charles", as he apparently calls himself, and on clay. In fairness, Alcaraz had just won in Miami on hard courts and didn't have much time on clay before their match.

When Korda beat Alcaraz and when de Minaur had match points before losing, they both had similar tactics (despite their quite different tool set and games).

Both played Alcaraz as if he was Nadal despite being right handed. That is, take him wide on the ad court (his forehand, Rafa's backhand), then go flat to the backhand. I am NOT contending that tactic is "proven" to work with him, after only two matches. But it has done better than playing way back and rallying (Zverev), playing him as if he was Fed ( Rafa). I'll also add that David Ferrer in describing 14 yo Alcaraz, I believe it was, said "He can't be hurt by flattening the ball out", so that's one expert vote that this is wrong.

Seb also came to the net more than anyone else I've seen play Alcaraz.

One possible issue (from an admittedly small sample size) is that Alcaraz -- when he returns from further back -- seems to move laterally to his service return in the deuce court, not diagonally. Problem with attacking the backhand after pulling him wide is that Alcaraz is tremendous fast when recovering to his backhand, and can hit that backhand a ton. Not much latitude for error in attacking there.

I want to see Medvedev play Alcaraz on hard courts. That might expose some things -- of one or the other


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