Your Strokes: Amber Park Forehand

Is “patting the dog” critical to developing a great forehand? One of the most debated and misunderstood aspects of the forehand is the angle of the racket face during  the backswing, especially in later stages of the backswing, as the racket comes down and moves into position to swing forward. If you read the internet message boards you’ll see that many self-styled experts argue that “patting the dog” is a critical position in this phase of the motion.  By that they mean turning the face of the racket down toward the court surface, as if you were “patting a dog” on its head with the strings of your racket.  Get it?                                                                                       How valid is that argument?  Should every player strive to “pat the dog”?  And if you should pat the dog, when should you pat the dog and for how long? These are questions that apply at every level of play.  But let’s address them in this article by looking at the forehand of a Southern California junior player, Amber Park. Don Brosseau, well-known teaching pro and Tennisplayer.net contributing writer, (Click Here for his articles), sent in some great high speed video of Amber’s forehand.  Don shot this video...