Two Forehands

John Yandell

In the first two articles in this series we looked at the real fundamentals underlying all good forehands. Good preparation (Click Here) and good extension in the forward swing. (Click Here)

The internet world is obsessed with the question: what is the modern forehand and do I have it? What are the secrets I need to get it? Do I have an ATP backswing? Do I pat the dog? Do I lag and snap? Do I have a straight arm at contact? Do I finish with a lasso over my head?

To me, a modern forehand is a forehand that has the best possible fundamentals as modeled by the best modern players. The technical advances in modern stroke production, the variety of grips and the new strings have produced a bewildering number of variations at the pro level. Forehands can reach 100 mph and 3000 rpm in spin and higher.

But the increases in racket speed to generate these new levels of power are all based on fundamentals, fundamentals that have evolved to new levels of efficiency across the variations.