Tomas Berdych�s Forehand

What makes Tomas Berdych’s forehand so effective – and so “different”? Could there be a bigger contrast in technique than the forehands of Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych, as demonstrated in the 2010 Wimbledon final? Look at the key components in the stroke: grip, stance, hitting arm configuration, torso rotation, finish, shot trajectory, and spin. Berdych and Nadal probably define the polar extremes in the modern game. (Click Here for a full analysis of Rafa’s forehand.) Over the years, we have studied all these elements closely in articles on Tennisplayer. We’ve looked at the prevalence of the open stance variations and the more extreme semi-western grips. We’ve seen how these factors have also naturally facilitated radically increased torso rotation in the forward swing. (Click Here.) We also analyzed the increasing prevalence of exotic finishes. We’ve seen how the windshield wiper has become ubiquitous, even for players with more conservative grips like Roger Federer. We’ve also seen how the reverse finish, a concept developed by Robert Lansdorp, has also become more and more prevalent, used regularly by Nadal, and situationally by virtually all top players. Berdych is capable of wiper and reverse finishes when needed. We’ve also seen how many of…