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Jannik Sinner Forehand
Analysis from Dr. Brian Gordon
Sinner is known to produce a very big forehand. The question is: how does he do it and are the elements a good model for developing players?
Before jumping into the core mechanical aspects, it is worth noting that his body frame is built for racquet speed. A previous article (Height in Pro Tennis Click Here) made the point that long lean body segments are conducive to producing racquet speed.
The rationale is that the long segments imply long muscles which physiologists indicate are better for producing speed of contraction due to increased in-series contractile units (sarcomeres). There are also biomechanical advantages given appropriate technique.
Is his technique appropriate? In some ways he is a hybrid to the stroke models I’ve defined in previous articles. The most obvious attribute of this stroke is the bent elbow during the forward swing and at contact.
Ball-park measurement indicates his elbow bend averages about 130 degrees (180 is straight). This value varies based on the relationship between stance and contact height: more bent (~= 120 degrees) in more open stances and higher contacts; less bent (~= 140 degrees) in more closed stances and lower contacts.
This bend compromises some of the biomechanical advantage of his long segments in producing forward racquet speed. To compensate he uses aggressive upper torso rotation as part of a unitary body rotation (not sequenced with the pelvis) with modest independent acceleration of the arm.
Vertical racquet speed is produced primarily through shoulder internal rotation enhanced by the bent elbow flip to roll mechanism discussed in a previous article (Understanding Professional Forehands). This mechanism produces a lateral (to his left) skew in the hand path around contact but his elbow is straight enough to make this manageable if not beneficial at some contact heights.
So far it seems I’m describing a typical “ATP Classical” forehand. Where it varies from that model is his backswing. Rather than the more typical functional shoulder driven backswing or a hybrid, Sinner utilizes a positional elbow driven backswing. These backswing types were previously described (Understanding Professional Forehands Click Here).
His backswing ends at the exact (and variable by situation) elbow angle he will carry through the forward swing. A notable attribute of this backswing is the racquet orientation (often pointing along the baseline to the right with hitting side of the racquet face pointing toward the back fence). This orientation facilitates the bent arm flip mechanics though I note it would be a disaster for the flip mechanics of a straight arm forehand (Type III).
I actually like Sinners forehand and it is hard to argue with the output and results. The merging of the positional backswing (Type III) with bent arm forward swing (Classical) is great and something I build in my players (that can’t hit a straight arm – which most can’t). His anthropometric attributes and muscle physiology can’t be taught unfortunately. Still, for the vast majority of players the key elements of this stroke are far more attainable than the key elements of a straight(er) arm stroke.
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