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I would like to continue my exploration of the double bend forehand by looking at how top hitters maintain a very solid hitting structure, yet are still able to generate momentum into the ball, as well as make contact well in front of their bodies. (Click Here to see the previous articles.)
Video really helps us here because we need side angles and rear footage angles, slowed down, to see how these top players do this. I will show in this article how they use two motions – torso rotation and a pulling/lifting motion – to generate momentum into the ball and to make contact well in front of the body – without compromising the hitting structure.
I will also show how the sequencing of these events – how one movement following another – creates a chain of movements that lead to power and momentum.
When I first teach the double bend forehand, students frequently complain that it doesn’t feel "whippy" or "loose". Players are always looking for "racket head speed" and "whippiness" through the ball, in an effort to hit like an advanced player.
Almost inevitably this attempt results in a break down of the hitting structure. While the…