Finish the point with the high midcourt tennis forehand!

In this video I'm showing you how to generate MASSIVE power and topspin to put away sitter forehands in the tennis midcourt! Use your legs like the pros to attack this shot and finish points. Use this shot against any opponents but especially against players who don't do anything special and just get the ball back!
If you’re interested in having your tennis strokes analyzed, click here: www.meikebabel.com/stroke-ana... to book your analysis!
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[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Learn how to attack high forehands in mid court that we all "should" put away (but often times don't!).

[@nandkumardoctor]

So much powerful shot with such smile on face never seen before with anyone. Big Salute.

[@adambird9949]

Can’t wait to try this with my Slinger. Looks like it could be my new fave shot.

[@socrs]

I have trouble with this particular shot on the forehand. From the backhand midcourt I can crush it by leaning in and over the ball naturally like breaking down a door. Oddly enough when I was a beginner hitting flat was much more successful at this from the forehand at midcourt, but now with a top spin style I’m unable to generate much power from the forehand on these higher mid court balls. My solve for now is to put it away with a forehand slice type motion, but will continue to work on it. Sometimes the top spin style hits too thin and weak for higher mid court balls for me

[@nafezabdulla9749]

Fantastic tips,very clear explanations.thank you

[@maxibarra6939]

Meike, thanks!! I'm watching all your videos. Simply The Best. Max from Argentina

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Gracias!

[@EventHorizon618]

Earlier, I spent an hour on court practising the high midcourt tennis forehand as you showed in your video. Previously I was having trouble with this shot but your guidance has helped me make a great improvement. Specific improvements for me are to use a semi-open stance instead of closed and to use top spin instead of hitting down on the ball. Thank you.

[@edreay1595]

Great technical and descriptive video. Thanks!

[@icnua-kimbongin8487]

Hi coach Meiki I am from south Korea your lesson is super huge helpful ! I couldn't have been done without you😂

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you! 😃

[@tomcooper6108]

Great stuff!

[@kesmala1361]

just found your channel ! thank you Meike for sharing your knowledge and great coaching tips. absolutely one of the best in the YT universe ! have subscribed and doing my part to get you over 1000 quickly. hope you will continue sharing your great insights and instructional videos.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you so much! And yes, I'm only getting started so stay tuned!

[@pontusschroder8361]

Very good! this video was just what I needed. I have struggled with this kind stroke

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Glad it helped

[@Widmer09]

This is a difficult shot to aggressively hit at 4.0 or lower levels, particularly for the people who don't have an extreme grip. It is easy to float these high mid-court balls long. I have an eastern grip (similar to yours). The weakness of an eastern grip is ability to hit the ball at high contact points. I don't have a confidence putting these short balls away. I usually just slice it deep to the corner (BH or FH slice) and come to the net for a volley (old school ;) I searched YT trying to find old clips of Sampras & Graf hitting this shot. Maybe aiming lower than I think might help. You mentioned adding more top spin, but I noticed that, on really high shots, you actually hit it more across your body (imparting some side spin on the ball). Any suggestion will be appreciated. I just found your channel and just subscribed. Your backhand slice is so smooth!

[@AlfonsoFaustino]

Awesome! I made the mistake of hitting above my shoulder, and I had so many errors; and, I also hit down. I tried your method from this video, and I had great success - I still need more practice with your method, but I’m way better doing your method. I especially found your footwork method really important for this type of shot as well as my other ground stroke shots. Thank you! /s/ Alfonso Faustino

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you!

[@AlfonsoFaustino]

I wish I could take lessons from you in person. Glad you’re here on video.

[@SubbuVaik]

Great videos Meike. You teach all the right things but to implement on the court you need to remember all these steps. Hopefully some day. Will start at least a few steps. Especially in the thick of things of a point, remembering all these is not automatic. You have to be totally focus

[@bacsidon]

Very useful video. Thank you!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kenlee5506]

Very helpful. Will do the drill today. Thanks.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Let me know how it goes!

[@random.tennis]

thanks for the great tips!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Sure thing!

[@BrunoCoutant]

A complete training video on this so important shot. Thank you.

[@NunoMa92]

Thank you

[@oregoneyes6673]

Great video!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you

[@LetsBuildThatApp]

Whenever I can successfully hit one of these shots I feel like I'm unloading everything I have onto the ball, its an amazing feeling once you get the timing down.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Totally agree! Even doing the video I felt pretty good hitting those. That's why I like working with the ball machine, you can get a ton of repetitions in.

[@user-be5qg7mr1s]

This helped me with high midcourt balls last night. A shot that happens quite alot in tennis. Many videos don't emphasize the load and open stance as true source of power. Thank you

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Fantastic! That’s why I’m making these videos! To help players get better and win more matches :)

[@user-be5qg7mr1s]

@@MeikeBabelTennis question about the backhand slice...if I want more power do I get my raquet turn back more? and squeeze down on contact? OR do you suggest Ash bartys takeback?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@user-be5qg7mr1s the best way to create power is to load properly with your legs. On the slice, I wouldn't recommend doing anything with how hard you grip your racket. It's all about turning and coiling properly and then transferring your body weight into the shot. Yes, Ash Barty's take-back is perfect (what isn't perfect that she's doing???) Of course, you also need the proper grip. A slice tutorial is actually next on my list of videos to make.

[@user-be5qg7mr1s]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Thanks Meike! I heard different viewpoints on the grip. I find my slices are better when I don't squeeze the handle. Having a good turn/Coil sounds like the answer here. look forward to your slice tutorial!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@user-be5qg7mr1s Yes, different coaches teach differently. I find that if I start messing around with peoples' grips (or mine for that matter) and grip pressure I'm restricting fluid movement and, for me, the slice especially is a really smooth, flowy shot.

[@propgee]

I will try and give feedback

[@ronnytheroth1901]

Very informative

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Glad you think so! Feel free to subscribe to. my channel and recommend it to your tennis friends :-)

[@quy-le]

Very good advice - just found this video

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nathanmiller6051]

Thanks 🙏👍 appreciate 🎾

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

You’re welcome 😊

[@luciustarquiniuspriscus1408]

Interesting, others say since you are closer to the net and hitting a high ball you don't need as much top spin as the geometry is more in your favor (that is, you can hit pointing more into the court and still have enough net clearance). Clearly Thiem is in the "more top spin" camp.

[@ronnytheroth1901]

Best video for mid court balls.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you so much!

[@SuperTwohands]

Good video! Mind if I what machine you are using and the settings for this drill?

[@TennisByT-lb9cz]

This is a great video. My question is what you do with a similar ball to the backhand side, especially when you have a one-handed backhand? Struggling with the footwork and defaulting to slice (which I'm not angry about), but would love to have another option.

[@123Rumpi]

Hey Meike. Great Video. Can you tell me the settings for the spinshot which gets me those midcourt balls? Best, Marian

[@GeneralRock114]

Fantastic!!! I haven’t tried it on the court, but I can see how it would work. My problem has been the approach to the ball, but I can visualize how this solves that. How about a video from the two handed side. I’m guess you would have to take the ball earlier. I have the same issue from that side with the approach. Thanks.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I'll have to find a really good two-hander to demonstrate. If I do it, I fear I would not call it teaching material since I'm a one hander.

[@GeneralRock114]

@@MeikeBabelTennis ok. Thanks.

[@sashazanjani]

This is my best shot. I am average player but this is something I can do better than people I play against.

[@ankitkoul6110]

Beautiful courts! Where are these Meike!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

In Lakewood, CO

[@stephenericwalsh]

Don’t go punching people. Also good advice.

[@anmolmaitra78]

Hi Meike. Great video. Thank you so much. Doesn’t the follow through change on this shot? Follow through will be around the biceps right? Also do we use semi-open stance for high balls for the double handed backhand as well?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, it's probably around biceps more. However, there still is a lot if individuality in finishes. Medvedev for instance still finishes around his neck! You can use the semi open for backhands as well but you can also close it. Thats why most players try to use their forehand because it's so much more powerful.

[@anmolmaitra78]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Thank you so much

[@MusicaMichael]

Hello Meike, 3 questions: (1) what grip are you using?, (2) on these chest high balls, is the spin you make a combination of top and side spin? (3) can you say where your contact point is in relation to your left foot? Is it even with the left foot, or in front and, if in front, by about how much?

[@bijano7320]

Does the pro you showed drop his racquet in the prep because he knows he’ll be elevated at contact? He jumps into the air so if he didn’t drop the racquet he’s be hitting the ball in an upswing vs a lateral stroke.

[@patriciourdinez2468]

Can’t be done with closed stance?

[@bournejason66]

From the cover of this video, it seems Thiem is using full western grip? Is that right? And if I see my opponent uses a western grip, I should try to hit more flat than top spin as that grip is more shoulder high friendly, correct?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

He's probably not quite all the way under the grip with index finger inside and heel pad. Look at Karen Khachanov, that's a full Western. However, it's an extreme enough grip that low balls (especially short slices) will not be easy to hit for this type of forehand.

[@hafadaze9046]

That’s y nadal has problems with roger because Rogers flat fore hand maybe a little topspin was a counter to nadals extreme topspin forehand. That’s why he mostly aims Rogers bh

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, it's tough to get under a flat ball if you have extreme grips!

[@patrickweston3293]

Great drill for my under 12 players, for whom every ball is a high ball! 😂 (and for me too)

[@BrunoCoutant]

Punching ball perhaps instead of people in your analogy? 😎🙃🤣

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

YEah maybe :-)

[@bournejason66]

It looks like we should strike this type of balls in the no men’s land. When should we move from baseline to no men’s land? Is it after we move the opponent to the side or after we see the ball is short? In Thiem’s example he’s already inside the no man’s land. I was told there’s a reason it’s called no men’s land and hence my question above. Thanks 🙏 in advance. 👍👏

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, those will be the balls that are short and in no-man's land (don't stay there after you hit the ball though, either come in behind the ball or recover behind the baseline). Yes, Thiem is already there because it's just a fed ball drill. Ideally, you would see that you pulled your opponent off the court and you can expect a shorter, weaker ball. That's when you move up to really be aggressive.

[@bournejason66]

@@MeikeBabelTennis thanks for the explanation. I guess it’s part of the shot selection and points construction.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@bournejason66 Yes, absolutely.

[@gmnboss]

Jump into the shot

[@teamreal2607]

Don't like when they draw pickleball lines in tennis court.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Neither do i

[@Rafale11]

Looks like your courts have been invaded by pickle ballers.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes :(