As with other sports such as golf in which technique is critical, the "correct" forehand in tennis is subject to debate. There are old school and new school forehands, although some experts argue there is not much difference between the two. There are "revolutionary" theories about the correct forehand techniques. Certain fundamentals associated with the forehand have been updated to match racquet changes and biomechanical science findings.
Equipment
As All-About-Tennis.com explains, the evolution of the forehand coincides with the development of advanced tennis racquets, which have made it easier to impart more topspin. You simply couldn't put as much spin on the ball with the wooden racquets of the past. In addition to topspin, new racquet designs give players more power and control on forehand strokes. The change in racquets has also altered some of the techniques that were used in the 20th century.
Grip
The traditional tennis grip is the eastern grip, where you "shake hands" with the racquet to position your hand correctly. It's an easy grip to learn, popular with recreational players, and it lends itself to forearm strokes that can be hit with or without topspin. However, tennis pros prefer the western or semi-western grip because it allows them to generate more topspin on their forehands.
Stroke
Traditional forehands were hit using mostly the movement of the hand, along with a transfer of body weight toward your front foot. Gradually, players began to incorporate more of the body into the shot, aided by the changes in racquet design that allowed for more spin and power. Bjorn Borg is credited with making the most dramatic changes to the modern forehand stroke. His game was marked by power from the baseline and included a massive amount of spin. To launch those forehand smashes, Borg put almost his entire body into the stroke, rotating his shoulders and torso to power it.
Unconventional Wisdom
Although the correct forearm technique has evolved considerably in recent years, some people are trying to take it further. On the Revolutionary Tennis website, the author emphasizes "the natural use of leveraging ability during the forward swing." In highly technical detail, the author explains that a forearm stoke should take the form of a windshield wiper, and says that top pros such as Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick are using the technique. As with ever-evolving theories of the golf swing, the "correct" forehand remains a work in progress in 2011.
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