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FUNDAMENTALS
What does Fundamentals mean in tennis terms?
All good players will have things in common when it comes to good technique and that is included on the Forehand, Backhand, Serve and the Volleys
These common body mechanics will help the players to get power without injuring themselves through bad technique.
(Definition: Body Mechanics is the study of proper body movement to prevent and correct posture problems, reduce stress and enhance physical capabilities)
So all players look different when they play for instance the forehand, but if you study the movements of each players forehand you will find common traits that each player does (shoulder turn, loading in the legs etc)
FUNDEMENTALS OF THE FOREHAND
If you were to film the top 20 ATP male players forehands and studied each one you would find common similarities between most if not all of the 20 players.
Thats what many coaches/trainers/instructors have done over the years and thats how people find what is the most effective way to hit a forehand.
1.SHOULDER TURN/HIP TURN
The easiest way to generate pace/power on the Forehand is through rotation
The shoulder turn (also known as unit turn) at the start of the preparation will get the side abs stretching and when the side abs uncoil forwards later in the swing that will give you power.
Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Agassi all with their shoulders turned sideways in the preparation
Each players FH technique is different yet they all have the shoulder/hip turn
2.USING THE LEGS TO GET INTO POSITION AND FOR POWER
Regardless of the player's technique each player will use their legs properly to firstly position themselves and secondly to help generate power on the FH.
Djokovic, Federer, Agassi and Gonzalez all using their legs in the hip loading phase of the FH
Again all their shapes look different yet they all are using the legs for extra power
3.THE USE OF THE NON HITTING ARM
The use of the non hitting arm is often overlooked by many players.
The role of the non hitting arm is
1.Help at the start of the takeback to get the shoulder turn
2.Streching the non hitting arm across the body in the back position to create the sideways on pose
3.Sweeping and pulling the non hitting arm away from the contact point to help rotate the shoulders forwards
Agassi, Djokovic and Nadal all using their non hitting arm to help with balance and starting the forward rotation of the shoulders
4.CONTACT POINT IN FRONT OF BODY
Why is it important to make contact with the ball in front of the body?
Imagine that the ball at contact is pushing your racket backwards and you made contact on side of your body, the only thing helping to push that force would be your arm.
Now imagine the ball pushing your racket backwards but you make contact in front of the body with the arm extended (not straight otherwise can develop elbow/shoulder problems) then all your body would be fighting the balls force
Roger Federer making contact out in front of the body. Notice that the arm is extended but not locked straight
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal making contact out in front on the Forehand
Djokovic's elbow is much closer and more bent than both Nadal and Federer but he still hits the ball in front
5.THE FINISH (FOLLOW THRU)
The follow thru is often overlooked but is a major fundemental on any players Forehand.
The follow thru serves 2 main purposes
1.It allows you to manipulate the outcome of the shot (hit thru the ball and the shot is flatter, hit upwards and you will get more spin etc
2.It helps to protect against injury by allowing the muscles to slow down slowly rather than suddenly
Roger Federer's, Novak Djokovic's and Rafael Nadal's finish on the Forehand. Their follow thru will vary depending on which shot they want to hit but they will always have a follow thru
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