The Seven Modern
Topspin Forehands

Brett Hobden

In the first article in this series, I demonstrated that there really is no such thing as THE modern forehand. We established that there are actually seven different topspin variations that pro players hit on a regular basis. (Click Here.) Each of these forehands is situational and hit with a specific tactical purpose. When we look at the differences in the swings, we can see that each variation is a technical response to a tactical problem.

If you understand the different topspin forehands and how to use them, you develop the ability to swing aggressively and take a full rip at all your shots--but with a purpose, generating a specific forehand with a specific tactical goal.

In this article, we'll go into the different topspin forehands in more detail. For each one, we'll look at when and why pro players use them. We'll look at the differences in the trajectories and amount of spin. Then we'll look at the different finishes players use to produce them, and see how that varies depending on the grip and other factors. We'll also compare the pro and the club variations, and see how the different topspin shots can apply in your game.