How To Get More Power on Your Forehand

[@mayabergom]

That's an amazing breakdown. And yes, having Vince's forehand I can attest to how good it is. It truly does not look like he is trying and the ball just explodes.

[@thurlestonetennis2447]

So similar to a golf swing; hips open first, torso stays back, then arm gets pulled forward and slingshots the club/racquet. Good point about lead shoulder being in front of trail at impact, so few of us ever achieve that. Thanks for the advice.

[@jeanb.3493]

Great video! Imo, the main difference between the two is that Vince creates lag because he has a rotational pull on the racket, whereas AJ has a more linear one. Vince rotates over 90 degrees around the center of his hips, using his left side to counter his right sided allowing for max acceleration - which is very different from over rotating the whole body into the shot, as you mention. Whereas AJ, rotates around 30-40 degrees, and has a lot of sideways motion as well, making it much harder to accelerate through the shot, and very difficult to create rotational lag.

[@gabrielalcocer8051]

I like his stroke, driven by shoulder rotation and the arm is along for the ride. The key not here is the left shoulder and elbow are simultaneously turning the right shoulder as well, axis is the spine, then subtle control with the hand but mostly relaxed.

[@MrCat852]

Hi Tom, @6:10, I agree with you that you are sensible coach wholeheartedly 😂🎉. Last week when I first tried idea of lag and snap, my success rate was probably 10%. The other 90% went long or I just went back to my old form of forehand because I was struggling to find the right hitting point or right timing . It's especially difficult when I need to move to reach the hitting position or when the ball was quick. It will require a lot of practice. But bearing in mind your top of the class explanation, I believe I will reach there soon. Thanks again.🙏🙏🙏

[@johnlyndsay]

Glad I found you… these videos are golden 🤩

[@themrstroke]

I really like your analysis here of Vince. He does have a Berenttini type forehand as you astutely point out. And to me, Berenttini has a Fognini type forehand. No one has more seemingly effortless power than Fognini. As for Vince, that snappy wrist gadget you demonstrated, with Vince I expect the snappy wrist would have a very late click, just before contact. It w ould be like a very late click and click.

[@SquatLife]

Great point "I don't want him to think about the forehand because he hits it so well." Funny how thinking about your strokes can slow them down and make them too mechanical. How does one improve their strokes without overthinking them? Great vids. Keep up the great work.

[@ContrarianBarbarian]

I think more supination during the uncoiling will help with AJ's forehand. A bigger change would require keeping the elbow more bent throughout the stroke to increase the whippiness and racket head speed.

[@TomAllsopp]

I agree!

[@1985markush]

excellent video!

[@kellygraves8146]

both great players. one other point, 2nd player seems to rotate slightly off axis and to the left. I see it because I do it also. I find this body movement makes it much harder to hit the sweet spot. they can do it, but average person struggles.

[@insighttennisacademy9421]

Hi Tom, Great analysis:) I think grippressure is of great importance here. I would try these three things with him I think: 1. hitting with 4 fingers on the grip, 2. cathing & releasing the racket in the left hand while following through (releasing helps with grippressure), 3. let him play on full courts with soft balls (orange maybe) to learn to accelarate. Looking forward if you find them interesting and would like to try this with him:)?

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks mate. I don’t disagree about grip pressure but I don’t really like the idea of the little finger hanging off the racket. I feel like a lot of people think this is the solution to being loose but it just causes instability. I have a bunch of players hanging fingers off the racket at different stages (nitzan for one example) and it never seems to help IMO.

[@themrstroke]

@@TomAllsopp I certainly agree with that. I think that little finger hanging of slighty is a bad idea. I have experimented with that and I think the inherent instability just encourages a tighter grip. And players going with the trend of playing with a smaller grip(too small), same problem. Look at someone like Verdasco, huge forehand and lag. His whole hand is on the grip, no where close to the Nadal butt of grip in palm.

[@themrstroke]

Great point about Verdasco. Jack Sock, huge lag and looseness in his forehand, and he is nowhere close to the heel of his hand hanging off the grip either.

[@watcher687]

One whips the racket the other one doesn’t. The one who doesn’t, swings the whole arm and the racket as a concrete block which can only be so fast. Agree, Tom?

[@ianbuick8946]

9:19: When contact and timing is clean & perfect, power is clearly shown.

[@pupstart]

Tom this is super interesting and helpful! I have exactly AJ issue in fact the ball comes off my racquet almost identical to AJ’s ball. I play competively but can’t seem to get thst ‘loose’ super relaxed wrist from leading with my body. I do imagine throwing a stone but is there anything else I can think about to relax my wrist?

[@themrstroke]

Tom has a instruction piece on this site where he demonstrates a product call "snappy wrist". It gives one immediate feedback on this wrist lag, in fact if one does not relax the wrist and lag, it will not "click". AJ would not be getting the "click" imo.

[@haricsl]

Very good/interesting video - I would lay money I have a forehand like AJs (feels a bit stiff and pushy). On my good days, I feel my wrist is a bit looser and suddenly I get more spin as well (I have a tendency to crowd the ball which doesn’t help promote an in to out swing which naturally helps encourage a bit more wrist lag for me at least). I also like and relate to your point on if the other guy is hitting it hard then you might revert to a more stiffer/tenser type of swing just to get it back). My main swing thoughts are footwork (leave decent space), then use body to initiate and keep wrist loose. Although like Mike Tyson said “everyone has a game plan until you get punched in the face” (same as if you play someone who hits it fukin hard!)😊

[@aacosta96]

Instead of the racket lag… doesn’t the snap also come from your forearm muscles? First guys forearm is pointing up, then pronating through the contact. Second forearm is pretty much at 90 degrees and stays around that 90 degrees through contact.

[@TomAllsopp]

Yes. The arm supinating creates the lag. I believe that's what you're talking about

[@aacosta96]

@@TomAllsopp yups! Pronation I think, palms up, thumbs out, palms down, thumbs turning in.. supination is palms down, thumbs in, turning out

[@FairwayJack]

he hits it big bc he impacts at 3 to 12:30 O'clock with ascending blow

[@ericthranduillvargaspenafl4011]

Genius

[@owaisahmed5448]

Did you ever ask Vince if he activates the wrist on his forehand?

[@relaxandwinintennis2550]

External shoulder rotation

[@AFenderson]

I dont understand why leaving the right leg behind generates more torque, i would think it limits the power by not letting everything come thru

[@TomAllsopp]

Because if everything rotates together at the same speed there is no acceleration

[@AFenderson]

@@TomAllsopp Got it, but i also hear that you don't want to start your uncoiling without the racquet.. then i do consistently hear that you should stop your torso from rotating when it faces forward to enable acceleration of the racquet.. that latter part sounds consistent.. so maybe turn at the same time as your racquet *until* you're facing forward, then let the racquet accelerate through contact? I'm just trying to visualize the chain properly in a dynamic sequence.

[@relaxandwinintennis2550]

Almost no wrist , the straighter the arm into contact, less wrist action is involved

[@TomAllsopp]

I don’t understand what this means. Doesn’t sound right.

[@TomAllsopp]

There are some straight-arm players with a lot of wrist and lag... Nadal for one.

[@themrstroke]

@@TomAllsopp an Fed