In tennis, the forehand stroke involves swinging the racket with the palm side of the hand facing the ball. Right-handed players hit forehands on their right side, while lefties hit forehands to the left of their bodies. Due to the strong grip position, forehand strokes offer tennis players superior power and accuracy, provided of course the players follow a few key points regarding proper forehand technique.
Features
Striking a clean forehand begins with keeping your eyes on the ball. Observing the ball closely allows you to read any spin and to anticipate where it will contact the court. Once you’ve located the ball’s bounce point, position your body with your shoulders parallel to the net, your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees bent and your weight forward on your toes. Now turn your shoulders 90 degrees to pull back the racket, swing the racket forward with a locked wrist and hit through the ball. Shift your full weight forward at the point of contact to generate maximum power.
Out-Front Finish
The exact angle of your follow-through can drastically affect the forehand shot. One basic forehand technique, the out-front finish, concludes with you holding your racket up and out in front of your body. This kind of finish allows you to hit through the ball for extra power. Tennis stars like Tracy Austin and Lindsay Davenport mastered the out-front finish, helping them win numerous tournaments.
Downward Finish
Roger Federer and other professionals prefer a downward finish on forehand strokes, following through down and across their bodies as opposed to up and in front. Finishing downward, at the height of the waist or lower, drives the ball along the line of shot with exceptional force and excessive topspin, causing the ball to dip faster and kick higher. A downward follow-through may even feel more natural to many players, especially if they use extreme grips.
Reverse Finish
A reverse forehand finish requires you to swing the follow-through up and behind your head, whipping the racket forward and then up. The reverse finish can be particularly effective when you are on the run since it doesn’t require exact body positioning. The dramatic racket movement also generates tremendous topspin, making it an effective shot in most any circumstance. Pete Sampras popularized the reverse finish and Rafael Nadal has used it to climb to the top of the tennis rankings.
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