Forehand

Forehand Techniques







FOREHAND TECHNIQUES (Listed in their order of importance)

  1. Watch the ball all the way to the strings (watch impact)
  2. Maintain a firm wrist through the entire stroke; backswing, hit, and follow-through (solid strokes)
  3. Turn TM2 to the proper o'clock position (turn sideways)
  4. Use full strokes; follow-through completely (complete strokes)
  5. React quickly; get your racket back and wait (early preparation using a two-step stroke)
  6. Hit the ball with an awareness of racket pitch at impact (open racket face at impact)
  7. Use the wrist to point the racket low on the backswing
  8. Recover quickly back to the ready position
  9. Check your grip after each and every shot
  10. Use low to high strokes (let the ball fall into your strings)

How to learn this?


1. Put the butt of the racquet on your right hip (if right-hander) and just rotate your body to see how the racquet moves forward and backward together with the body.

2. Have someone toss you a ball and you try to bump it with the racquet (still on your hip!) by just rotating your body backward and forward.

3. Hold the racquet away from the body at the comfortable distance and again try to hit the ball just by rotating your body.

4. Combine this feel with your arm movement and try to use mostly body rotation for power.






I'm On Your Side Tennis w/ Dan Brown Modern Forehand Lesson



Federer forehand - slow motion



Novak Djokovic - Slow Motion Forehand



James Blake - Slow Motion Forehand Side View



Carlos Moya - Topspin Forehand



Andy Murray - Forehand Training in Slow Motion



Andy Roddick - Slow Motion Forehand Side View



Novak Djokovic - Slow Motion Forehand



Roger Federer - Air Forehands



Ivan Ljubičić - Slow Motion Forehand



How to get a natural forehand swing for great tennis!




Tip on Forehand Groundstroke



Practising Tennis Forehand

Video Training (Basic)


Lesson 1 Warm Up (Videos)

Lesson 2 Forehand (Videos)

Lesson 3 Backhand (Videos)


Lesson 4 Volley (Videos)

Lesson 5 Serve Basic (Videos)



Warm Up

Tennis Warm Up Drills on Mini Court
Warm up your body and mind...




When you get on tennis court to start your practice it is recommended that you start with mini tennis. Playing in the short court warms up your joints (especially wrists), your muscles and your "brain". Yes, your brain must start working much faster than it works in ordinary daily activities.









Tracking the ball, coordinating your body, keeping balance, calculating the timing of the shot are only few of many operations that your brain needs to perform in a very short amount of time.
There are different purposes of each drill but they do have many things in common. You practice something challenging on a short court, you develop feel and touch and you are focused on the exercise. Your concentration is also »warming up« for the main part of the practice.


1. Serve & volley on mini court

Serve under hand and approach the net. No hard hitting, only touch and placement. Change serve after each point, play to 7 or 11.

Main purpose:

Practice approaching the net, play controlled volleys and overheads, develop touch for passing shots and lobs…


2. No Volleys on Mini Court
This is the opposite of the upper drill – you are not allowed to play a volley or an overhead. Serve starts with a drop from the net. Play to 7 or 11.

Main purpose:

Practice moving back and playing half volleys. Use lots of spin to attack in the short court. If you end up rallying from the service line test your patience…


3. Two Bounces on Mini Court
Play in both service boxes. You always have to hit the ball down into your court first. No volleys! Play to 7 or 11.

Main purpose:

Excellent drill for practicing coordination, top spin and footwork.


4. Cross and Alternate
Play in the diagonal (opposite) service boxes. You always have to alternate your strokes – one forehand and one backhand. If you play two forehands (or backhands) in a row you lose the point. Play one game to 7 in one direction (for example from deuce side) and one to 7 from advantage side.

Main purpose:

Great for footwork, coordination, ball control and tactics!


5. Volley at Your Court
Players must volley the ball into their court first. No bounce on the other side! Play to 7 or 11. Start with a feed down the middle.

Main purpose:

This tennis drill is excellent for improving your anticipation, reaction and touch when you have to play close to the net. It teaches you to quickly react to the ball and not let it fall down. Your reaction time at the net will thus improve.


6. Catch & Throw
One player plays with a racquet and the other has to catch the ball and throw it over. Two rules: ball MUST bounce once and wherever you catch the ball, from there you must throw. That means that you can't move closer to the net after you've caught the ball.

Main purpose:

This drill is very good for hand eye coordination which is the foundations of good tennis skills.

And it's fun too. ;) Play to 7 and switch.


7. Forehand Only (or Backhand...)
Two players play crosscourt and can use only forehand. (on the deuce side for righthanders)

You also cannot come to the net, the ball must bounce once.

Main purpose:

This tennis drill is very good for footwork and precision play. Tactics also comes into play.

Play to 7 and then swith to backhand crosscourt.




Tennis training video – “Warm-up 1”





Tennis training video – “Warm-up 2”





Tennis training video – “Nadal Warm-up 1”





Tennis training video – “Maria Sharapova Warm-up”





Tennis training video – “Nadal - Forehands Warm-up”





Tennis training video – “Nadal Warm-up 2”