Forehand yipps

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Forehand yipps

by Willo
(South Africa)

I am intermediate to advanced. I was coached quite a bit a a junior and had a killer forehand.

I stopped playing for about 7 years and when I came back my forehand left me. My problem is one of consistency and I think I know the solution but probably need someone else to tell me.

My symptoms are Shanks, and hitting the balls way over the base line. My cross court forehand also goes straight into the net about knee high.

If my opponent hits a dolly to my forehand I usually hit it under the net or more often way over the base line. If my opponent hits a firm shot to my forehand I am able to hit it back with nice spin and interest. I have great trouble playing pushers (but don't we all).

I think it must be a timing and weight transfer issue.

It's so frustrating to have reached a certain level and to now play like a donkey.

Any idea? Have I given those of you out there prepared to make a diagnosis enough information?

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Forehand yipps

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Feb 21, 2010
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Have the same problem(s)
by: Anonymous

I have no idea on how to help with this but I sure recognize the problem and look forward to the answers

Feb 22, 2010
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Creating pace
by: Joe

It seems your problem comes when you have to create your pace. To create pace, you have to do one or two things. First, you can increase you swing speed. As you suggest, this can cause timing problems. The only other way to create pace is to flatten the stroke in order to put energy into the ball. This could cause the problems you describe. A flat stroke could put the ball in the net. It also produces less topspin causing the ball to go long.

Feb 22, 2010
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SHANKS
by: Gregor

It sounds like your timing issues could be caused by a couple of things.Pulling off the ball causing the shanks and making sure you get your front arm (shoulder)across your body-this keeps your body closed until you are ready to rotate your shoulders.

Feb 22, 2010
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Sad Story (not really)
by: Anonymous

Maybe u could... I really don't know what to do but it sure is kind of a sad story to me!

Feb 22, 2010
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Practice
by: Jun Banaag

Whenever I go on leave and don't play tennis for a few months, my forehand gets lousy but after a few day of practice, I have it again. Seven years is quite long but practice sessions will bring it back, believe me. Good luck!

Feb 22, 2010
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Relax & speed up your footwork! (part 1)
by: Martijn Hemelaar

Hi Willo,

A frustrating problem, but it's not that difficult to solve. What to do:

1. Don't squeeze your racket as much as you're doing now! Your arm and hand should be as relaxed as possible! An early preparation (taking back the racket) helps to stay more relaxed!

2. Step into every ball, no open or half open stance. Turn in! This requires fast footwork, with small steps.

3. Keep watching (the logo at) the ball until after it leaves your racket.

4. On each impact you should move through the ball. So after a shot you should be half a meter in front of where you started the shot (but keep your right leg behind until after the shot, don't turn to fast). Especially on a slow incoming ball you need to go through the ball more yourself!

Now start practicing this playing mini-tennis (RELAXED!), and work your way back to the baseline!

Don't worry, try this and your forehand is back to normal very soon! Good luck and have fun!

Best regards,

Martijn Hemelaar (tenniscoach)
The Netherlands

Feb 22, 2010
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hmm, where to start
by: Paul Drayton

I'm a stickler for footwork - your feet set you up to hit the ball at the proper contact point which is about a foot in front of your front foot on a forehand.

If you're not getting enough power it's probably because you're using your arm for power instead of your lower body and trunk. The arm is for control, not power.

Anyway, I could go on and on... here's an excerpt from an article on my site Zen Tennis Lessons:

"This is why I don?t believe you can be a good tennis player without good footwork. If your lower body doesn?t position your upper body to hit in your power zone, you?re never going to be consistent, powerful, etc.

And this is why I stress footwork in my lessons. This may be a personal bias, but I see too many juniors and even experienced adults spraying the ball all over the court because they aren?t setup to hit the shot to start with.

If you?re contacting the ball 6 inches from your belly button one shot, behind your front foot the next shot and then 2 feet away from you reaching down to the ground the next shot, it?s no wonder you?re not consistent and powerful. I have to hold my tongue when I see this going on in a match and then the player looks at their racket in amazement and then takes a practice swing duplicating the bad feet and contact point. As if that will fix it. Sorry, not going to happen.

In terms of your tennis lesson, consider whether you are being taught correct contact point and how to make it happen consistently by using your lower body (footwork) to set you up for the shot. Good movement on the tennis court rarely happens by itself, it has to be taught.

Footwork is all but a forgotten art in the lower levels of tennis, but I have a strong suspicion there is a lot of attention paid to it in the upper echelons of the professional tennis world. If that wasn?t the case, then why are the world?s top tennis players all excellent movers and masters of footwork? You will find players in the top 20 who have stokes as good as the top 10, but they don?t move as well."

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Feb 22, 2010
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Submitted by: Paul Drayton

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I'm a stickler for footwork - your feet set you up to hit the ball at the proper contact point which is about a foot in front of your front foot on a forehand. If you're not getting enough power it's probably because you're using your arm for power instead of your lower body and trunk. The arm is for control, not power. Anyway, I could go on and on... here's an excerpt from an article on my site <a href="http://www.zentennislessons.com/">Zen Tennis Lessons</a>: "This is why I don?t believe you can be a good tennis player without good footwork. If your lower body doesn?t position your upper body to hit in your power zone, you?re never going to be consistent, powerful, etc. And this is why I stress footwork in my lessons. This may be a personal bias, but I see too many juniors and even experienced adults spraying the ball all over the court because they aren?t setup to hit the shot to start with. If you?re contacting the ball 6 inches from your belly button one shot, behind your front foot the next shot and then 2 feet away from you reaching down to the ground the next shot, it?s no wonder you?re not consistent and powerful. I have to hold my tongue when I see this going on in a match and then the player looks at their racket in amazement and then takes a practice swing duplicating the bad feet and contact point. As if that will fix it. Sorry, not going to happen. In terms of your tennis lesson, consider whether you are being taught correct contact point and how to make it happen consistently by using your lower body (footwork) to set you up for the shot. Good movement on the tennis court rarely happens by itself, it has to be taught. Footwork is all but a forgotten art in the lower levels of tennis, but I have a strong suspicion there is a lot of attention paid to it in the upper echelons of the professional tennis world. If that wasn?t the case, then why are the world?s top tennis players all excellent movers and masters of footwork? You will find players in the top 20 who have stokes as good as the top 10, but they don?t move as well."

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Feb 22, 2010
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Practice
by: Anonymous

Get a basket of balls and practice feeding them to yourself and hitting with spin high over the net. This might help with no-pace balls. First emphasize spin and control rather then power. Stay relaxed, watch the ball and don't rush.

Feb 22, 2010
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forehand
by: Anonymous

hello. from the sound of your mistakes it seems to me that you could have a severe western grip. if you do then you need to make sure and hit the ball from low to high even more than usual because of the severe western grip. if not then it is more than likely has to do with catching the ball at the wrong spot. so take a basket of balls and drop hit at different spots from your body until you find the right spot that feels the best and practice that position over and over and just concentrate on that spot when your being fed the ball.

Feb 22, 2010
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Learn from one of the best. You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
by: Larry Buhrman

I think the best advice that you have received so far is the one regarding practice with a basket of balls hitting them up high over the net with spin, which I assume means topspin. This will pay off in the long run for sure and will give you a more consistant forehand. To take this a step further, I would study all of Tomaz' videos and articles along with some of the other expert teaching pros to make sure you are not only learning correct grips, technique, footwork, etc., but to insure that you won't be wasting a lot of time. I have studied Tomaz' approach to teaching tennis and have played tennis my entire life and have given hundreds of tennis lessons myself, and I will honestly tell you that if you can't learn from him you should probably consider
another sport. He starts off with simple things and gradually builds on them very logically and makes it so easy and fun as you progress. I have never met Tomaz and I have nothing to gain by recommending him to you, other than trying to hook you up with an excellent teacher. This is why I happened to be on his blog as I continue to learn from him.
Larry Buhrman

Feb 23, 2010
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Forehand Error
by: Tunde

All tennis shots apart from overhead and high volley should be hit from low to high arm movement. Even if the ball is slightly above the net level, you still need to hit the ball from low to high swing motion. Be careful, do not golf the ball. Drive the ball by aiming at 6 O' clock contact and push out by elongating your lower arm.
If the ball is going beyond the base line, add spin by pronating your wrist i.e turn the wrist as if you are unscrewing a bulb.
Remember, forearm extension gives pace/depth and wrist pronation gives topspin, and topspin makes ball drops faster before it gets to the baseline.

Feb 25, 2010
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Learning tennis
by: Larry Buhrman

Hi Willo,
You have had a lot of coaching as a junior, but none of us know what you were taught. But the fact that you had a lot of coaching you probably understand that tennis is a very complicated sport that requires a lot more information from you in the form of a video or sequential pictures of you actually hitting a forehand. We need to see your grip and visualize you actually playing tennis. You need to see a sequential demonstration
of how to properly hit a forehand along with explanations from someone who really knows tennis.
There are many "proper" ways to hit a forehand although most of us are into the modern "wind-
shield wiper" topspin forehand, but understand that there are many talented players who also slice and sidespin their forehands. As some have explained, it is very important to understand and to use good footwork. Depending upon what kind of shot has been hit to you can change the way you need to use your feet, your legs, your hips, your torso, your shoulders, your back, your arms, your wrist, your hand, your grip, your timing, etc., etc., etc. Trying to learn tennis from our responses is fun, interesting, and callenging, but
ultimately it's an exercise in futility. You need to take some lessons if you have access to a teacher. If you don't you can learn from books and video. I have learned a lot from TennisMindGame and Yellowfuzzyballs on the internet. It's going to take a lot of study and practice. Good luck and have fun mastering the great sport of tennis.
Larry Buhrman

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Feb 25, 2010
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Submitted by: Larry Buhrman

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Hi Willo, You have had a lot of coaching as a junior, but none of us know what you were taught. But the fact that you had a lot of coaching you probably understand that tennis is a very complicated sport that requires a lot more information from you in the form of a video or sequential pictures of you actually hitting a forehand. We need to see your grip and visualize you actually playing tennis. You need to see a sequential demonstration of how to properly hit a forehand along with explanations from someone who really knows tennis. There are many "proper" ways to hit a forehand although most of us are into the modern "wind- shield wiper" topspin forehand, but understand that there are many talented players who also slice and sidespin their forehands. As some have explained, it is very important to understand and to use good footwork. Depending upon what kind of shot has been hit to you can change the way you need to use your feet, your legs, your hips, your torso, your shoulders, your back, your arms, your wrist, your hand, your grip, your timing, etc., etc., etc. Trying to learn tennis from our responses is fun, interesting, and callenging, but ultimately it's an exercise in futility. You need to take some lessons if you have access to a teacher. If you don't you can learn from books and video. I have learned a lot from TennisMindGame and Yellowfuzzyballs on the internet. It's going to take a lot of study and practice. Good luck and have fun mastering the great sport of tennis. Larry Buhrman

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Mar 29, 2010
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Strenght
by: Yogesh

I think what is happening is that you are getting very late at contact and that you are just BRUSHING the ball (brushing is not topspin!). You are staying with the ball! Since you did not play for seven years, you must have lost strength. I think you haven't done any weight training or something that helped you maintain strength. So you should develop some strength and your timing shall improve. And yes, you need to stay relaxed when playing. Hope this has helped.

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Forehand yipps

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Forehand yipps