Scott Murphy: Forehand Preparation

JC Ferrero prepares for the next shot with a balanced ready hop. One universal problem I see when people come to my teaching court or camps is poor preparation on the forehand groundstroke. If this fundamental element is incomplete or poor it is likely the stroke will never reach its potential. Using pictures of some of the world's great pros as examples, let's examine the elements of sound forehand preparation. Good preparation for any stroke starts with effective use of the eyes. Firstly, by using your eyes, you'll know when to make an all-important ready hop. Just before your opponent strikes the ball it's crucial to make a balanced ready hop. You want to try to time the landing of the hop so the feet touch the ground just as your opponent hits the ball. This will set your leg muscles to move one way or the other; knowing when to ready hop means you'll respond more quickly and accurately because you're assessing physical cues your opponent may be giving you just ahead of the ball leaving his racket. Watch Agassi prepare with torso rotation first. The left arm extends across the body. Using your eyes effectively is also critical...