Donald Young’s Forehand

How much is Donald’s forehand holding him back?

I remember hearing about Donald Young while watching the U.S. Open, when John McEnroe first mentioned hitting with a young kid with great hands, similar to his own.

So I started to follow Donald’s junior career, and saw he was beating much older players.  At the age of 13, he won a sectional title in the 18s, beating several players who would go on to play big time college tennis.

A whirlwind of hype would follow.  Donald signed deals with IMG and Nike, then won a junior title at the Australian Open at the age of 15.  Was he was destined to be the next great American tennis champion? 

Donald started receiving wildcards into ATP events, but his momentum quickly stalled.  He failed to win a set in any of those early matches.  His crafty and steady game had infuriated inconsistent juniors. But it didn’t have much impact on veterans on the tour.  He seemed to lack the firepower to succeed against grown men.  

Compare Donald’s backswing to the two largest on the tour.

This year his results have improved.  He has won matches in ATP events, done well in several…