Here are 5 ideas and drills for making your forehands more powerful and effective.
1. Synchronize Your Body and Racquet
Drill: Grip your racquet with one hand and rest the fingers of your free hand on the tip of the racquet. Bring your racquet back away from the target in a slightly upward motion by coiling the body. Next, uncoil it by bringing the racquet forward making a loop or “C” and exposing your armpits. Do not release the tip of the racquet throughout the motion.
2. Keep Two Hands on the Racquet During the Wind Up
Drill: Take the racquet back by coiling with TWO hands on the racquet. Next, with ONE hand on the racquet, contact the ball as you swing up. Finish with TWO hands on the racquet in the follow-through around the body exposing your armpits.
Note: Not all players grab the racquet with the second hand during the follow-through in matches, but they definitely expose their armpits!
3. Keep your Head Still
Drill: Start with the chin on your front shoulder during coiling, and then after you hit the ball have the chin end up on your back shoulder. Don’t look at the trajectory of the ball for several seconds following contact.
4. Have a Long Contact Zone
Have the racquet strings face the target for as long as possible.
Drill: Practice by placing two markers in front of you, about ~40 cm (15 inches) apart. This will be your “contact zone”. Swing your racquet while keeping your strings facing towards your target. This way you can hit the ball early, mid-way or late throughout the contact zone and still have an effective shot.
5. Use Top Spin
Develop top spin by brushing the ball in a motion from below to above the ball. The spin creates a “sucking“ downward vacuum pressure below the ball, helping it drop down over the net.
Note: too much spin will send the ball down into the net before it gets over.
Below is a video that presents the above ideas.
Enjoy!
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