Your Strokes: Sam Forehand

I enjoy collaborating with other coaches, and especially ones who make extensive use of video in their own work. So when my friend Miles Bentley asked to watch me work on the court I suggested he bring one of his students.

Sam is going into high school next year and is playing tournaments. He plans to go out for tennis at a private Bay Area powerhouse high school in the fall, assuming that is possible by then. He’s already an accomplished player, but Miles wanted to get my opinion on his forehand, so they came to my private court in San Francisco.

When we videoed Sam, I didn’t see anything deeply, fundamentally wrong. But when you look frame by frame at high speed video, you see possible adjustments that could make a real difference.

I know there is a rage for Federer style outside backswings and for straight arm hitting. Sam didn’t have either of these but to me that isn’t some kind of fundamental deficiency.

These elements are actually not that common in elite players, even at the tour level. Brian Gordon is probably correct when he says that the game is going that way, including on the women’s…