Daniil Medvedev Forehand

Analyzed by John Yandell

Yes, Daniil Medmedev won the U.S. Open. But does anyone really enjoy watching him hit the ball? If he was the only player you could watch, I might stop watching pro tennis.

We put up a little inconclusive You Tube video about his forehand in the Forum a few months ago. (Click Here.) But what You Tube video isn't inconclusive?

But now we have some great high speed footage that allows us to create a comprehensive picture of his forehand. It's not pretty. It violates some of the key metrics that other great players share and that we have documented over the years. (Click Here to see a more comprehensive portrait this month in the Interactive Forum.)

But I think it's important to understand the forehand of the player who is currently at or close to the top of the game. My conclusion is that talent and determination are more important in his success than technique.

Grip

If we look at Daniil's grip it's conservative compared to most elite pro players. About as conservative as the great Roger Federer.

His index knuckle is probably on the edge between bevel 3 and bevel 4. His heel pad is about the same or maybe slightly higher.

Definitely more conservative than Djokovic or Nadal. Way more conservative than a player like Mateo Berrittini.

That grip means his preferred contact height is going to be between waist level and mid chest at the highest. Grip wise and contact height wise a great model for everyone else at all the lower levels, but...

Preparation

Let's look at his preparation. Like all top players, he splits into a wide base and then starts with what looks like a strong unit turn. Both hands on the racket. He also has another "modern" element - he points the racket tip forward toward the opponent.

But when his hands separate, he never extends his left arm fully across the body. Instead his left elbow stays substantially bent.

This means his shoulder turn, while good, is usually about 90 degrees to the net. As we have seen time and time again, when the left arm stretches out parallel to the baseline and perpendicular to the side line, it pushes the shoulder turn another 10 or 20 degrees past perpendicular. That means substantial additional body coil.

A related element. Unlike the majority of players Daniil sets up in fully open stances or close to it on most balls. This is another factor that limits his turn.

Backswing

And then there is that backswing. It goes up to the top of his head and sometimes significantly above head level. How does that work?

There is a lot of talk about backswings these days. Biomechanical research by Brian Gordon shows that a much lower, outside backswing maximizes the role of the upper arm and shoulder in generating power, speed, and spin.

Well, we know Danill isn't studying research, so what about his backswing? If we count frames on a few Roger Federer forehands we find that the time from the ball bounce to contact is 1/10 of a second or less.

Shockingly Medvedev is about 3 or 4 times longer from the bounce of the ball to contact more than 1/3 of a second. How significant when we know the time between the rackets in pro tennis is around a second, plus or minus.

The difference is probably partially mitigated by the fact that Daniil takes the ball much closer to his body, while Roger's contact is far more in front. This has to do with the hitting arm structures.

Famously we know Roger is the pure prototype of the straight arm forehand. Daniil hits with a double bend and as the footage shows, a cramped double bend. The contact point is at most at the front edge of the leg and sometimes behind that.

With all that it's not a surprise that his spin levels are around 2000rpm. That 50 percent or more less than many top players. (Click Here to see the numbers from Jim Fawcette's recent study of pro spin levels.)

Extension and Followthrough

It's no surprise then than Medvedev has far less extension on his forward swing than other top players. Usually pro players reach a forward extension point with spacing of 2 feet or more between the racket hand and the shoulder.

With Medvedev is about a foot or less with his elbow bent at 90 degrees or more. This means his followthrough is much closer to his head as the racket decelerates and moves backward.

You couldn't call it over the shoulder. It's more like around the neck..

The timing of the contact probably also explains why he hits so many reverse finishes with his racket coming back to his right side.

Much has been made of his lean to his left with the torso. But our video showed this was on only a small percentage of forehands. Why does he do it? To get out of his own way after the hit when he is especially cramped? Your guess is as good as mine.

Conclusion

So there you have it. If Medvedev had asked me to film him when he was a junior, which he didn't, I probably would have tried to correct many or all of the elements addressed above. If that had happened would it have improved his forehand? Or is his forehand perfect for him for the game he plays? Your thoughts in the Forum please!