An Interview With John Yandell
Part 2

Paul Fein

Should every player at every level hit the Nadal forehand?

Why has the forehand become one of the big debates in coaching today?

Because people like to talk about what the top pros do. If the top pros are doing something that seems different or new, the lemmings want to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak.

Some coaches are shameless enough to say, "I will teach you the secret of Nadal's forehand. And if you want to be a top player, you have to hit like Nadal."

I'm not going to mention any names, but I've seen coaches actually claim that they have players that they've trained in this method, but then you look at the video of them, it's not what Nadal is really doing. I know one pretty well-known coach who is touting this as the only way that everyone, men and women, should be taught, including senior players. That could be right, but I don't think so.

I believe the forehand has more variability than any other stroke in tennis.

Absolutely. For starters, you have six different grip structures. And that can be combined with two hitting arm structures. And that can be combined with four stances. And that can be combined with tremendous variability in hand-and-arm rotation and in body rotation.

Want to study the rest of this article?

Click Here to Subscribe!

Paul Fein has observed, served, and written about the tennis world from several vantage points during his eclectic career. As a journalist, Fein has covered the great events, such as the US Open, Wimbledon, and the Davis and Fed Cups, and also written about the leading players, issues, and trends. His articles have appeared in sports and tennis publications in 30 countries and received more than 40 writing awards. Fein has authored three previous tennis books—Tennis Confidential, Tennis Confidential II, and You Can Quote Me on That—which were all ranked No. 1 among tennis books on Amazon for more than six months. In 1991, he received Tennis Week magazine's "International Tennis Writer of the Year" award.

Fein is also a longtime member of the United States Professional Tennis Association, with an Elite rating. He's served as head pro at the Candlewood Racquet Club, an indoor-outdoor facility in Brookfield, Conn., coached the girls' tennis team at The MacDuffie School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and for the past 25 years, taught tennis to children and adults for the Chicopee, Massachusetts, public parks and recreation program. In 2003, he received the New England Professional Tennis Association (NEPTA) "Western Pro of the Year" award, and in 2014, its "Senior Player of the Year" award.

The Fein Points of Tennis was named a Silver Winner in the Adventure, Sports, and Recreation category in the Foreword Reviews 2021 INDIES Book of the Year competition.

Click Here to order!

Tennisplayer subscribers living in the United States can order an autographed copy of "The Fein Points of Tennis" directly from me for $35 -- $30 plus $5 for shipping -- by sending a personal check or bank money order, payable to "Paul Fein."

My postal address is Paul Fein, 39 Beekman Drive, Agawam, MA 01001-2608. I will send them the book within 24 to 48 hours of receiving payment.

The Fein Points of Tennis

"The Fein Points of Tennis: Technique and Tactics to Unleash Your Talent is an awesome compendium because of its breadth, depth, and quality. Paul Fein is a highly knowledgeable USPTA teaching pro (Elite rating), but what makes this book exceptionally authoritative are his insightful interviews with renowned coaches Pat Cash, Gene Mayer, Patrick Mouratoglou, Nick Bollettieri, David Macpherson, Harold Solomon, Toni Nadal, and Rick Macci. This oversized, 510-page instruction book is unique because, in addition to excellent coverage of technique and tactics, it also includes comprehensive chapters on very important but seldom-covered topics such as balance, grip firmness, the geometry of tennis, analytics, running speed, defense, playing in the wind, sidespin, and the strike zone. All things considered, I strongly recommend The Fein Points of Tennis for coaches, teaching pros, and serious players."

— John Yandell, the Editor and Founder of Tennisplayer.net, the world’s most visited website for tennis instruction and video analysis of world-class players.

If you want to give feedback to Paul on this article or his book, email him at: lincjeff1@comcast.net

Tennisplayer Forum
 forum
Let's Talk About this Article!

Share Your Thoughts with our Subscribers and Authors!

Click Here