Inconsistant Forehand

Question

It's so frustrating. I guess i'm a 4.5, 5.0 player. I have a good serve, a decent two hander, and I move really well on the court. But my forehand is just a mess.

Some days, i get a really good feel for it and play very well. Other days, it just completely falls apart. Balls go sailing, the stroke itself feels wrong, i use my wrist too much. Its just a huge pain to deal with.

Maybe im overthinking it. Im trying to stay loose so i can whip through the ball, because stiffness used to be a problem. But im also trying to find room to brush up on the ball as i hit it to i can get enough topspin. I tend to either hit too flat or too much spin so that it doesnt go over the net. My footwork on the forehand side isnt great either.

I just dont know how to fix it. I hit with pros at a local club, i use the ball machine, but it just keeps going back to its inconsistant ways. help?

Answer 1

no lessos is fine, you can get video instructions off the interent and detailed instructions. but some tips are try holding your raquet semi-western grip so you have more topspin which makes your shots consistent just keep practising that and it should work for you....

Good luck

Answer 2

get under the ball... im a junior i play 5 out of 7 days of the week, and i go to tournaments a lot....(you can check me up on usta.com if youd like) but anyways you need more topspin maybe try getting your tension a little bit higher..well my tension is at 62 usually...really i  start LOWi know it sounds basic, but that is usually the problem with me and my coach says to get under the ball. follow through at your shoulders..work on drills to help your footwork like shuffling 8 times around one court, going the way your forehand would go...anyways best of luck and remember to get under the ball..look at nadals forehand PERFECT example

Answer 3

I have this problem too from time to time, and it's usually for one of two reasons:

#1 - Watch the ball, not the court.  It seems simple, but if you pull your head up to look at your opponent or your target you can often s***w up contact with the ball.  If you ever watch a video of the pro's in slow motion, they are always focused on the ball until well after they have hit it.  When a ball is coming towards you, focus and try to see the seams rotating or even read the brand label.

#2 - Hit through the ball and REACH towards your target.  If you do not reach, you will hit the ball with a bent elbow.  This results in a wristy shot that often lacks depth and/or consistency.

Every single time I shank a forehand I stop and think about which of these two things I forgot to do.  It's always one of them.  Following these tips have made my forhand my biggest weapon on the court.

Answer 4

Ok, a couple of things for you here!

I don't know what grip you use but you should have a proper forehand grip - any where from an eastern grip to a semi western grip.

These will help you generate more natural topspin for added control.

So, we need to rule out lessons (no problem), once you have your grip sorted you just need to hit balls to inprove and groove your muscle memory and timing.

This can be done with friends, hitting against a wall (very good practise) and on your own.  Stand at one end of the court and just drop and hit balls to the other end of the court.

This exercise is great as you get to hit the balls on "your terms" and under a lot less pressure.

Seriously, by following these tips you will see MASSIVE improvements pretty quickly.

Check out the web page below for the forehand FRENZY

Answer 5

how's your finish? do you pull up your arm behind your head? or do you cross from the bottom right and finish on the other side up? it depends on what you're used to, but if you do that pulling up thing or pulling back (i do it quite a bit) and if you're having an off day it messes up timing and stroke efficiency pretty badly, because the swing mechanics are incorrect.

you can try getting rhythm by hitting from around the service box first.. check the stroke, shortened swing, mind your strike zone and practice spin/flat/slice fh... just to get the feel for it. once you got the groove and timing... then you can move back and lengthen your swing accordingly.. i do this everytime before i start swinging away from the baseline, it helps quite a bit.. also it's more beneficial if you practice the fh stance as well.. doesn't matter if you hit open or closed stance.. just make it consistent. try to hit from the same area (ie comfortable strike zone), and be in the same position everytime you hit a shot. If you mind those things in practice and spend a few minutes on it, by the time you get serious it'll come automatically..

these are just basic drills i learned, intense baseline rallying is another story.. but good luck