Making Forehand Adjustments

[@2muchdeano]

I’m a coach and am very impressed with your coaching on all your vids. You guys know what your doing! Keep up the great work!

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks mate. I appreciate the support!

[@marcorenato1814]

This was what I needed for my forehand. Like your student I pat the dog and hit hard and fast forehands but when recording myself I saw a lack of wrist extension, pulling from the shoulder etc. Wrist and forearm pain made me look for a fix and glad I found it!

[@gutembergsczcepanik5370]

If someone wonders about buying a video analysis: I did my first VA last week and it was a great personalized review, very useful information. We analyzed my stroke problem and Tom advised me on the strategy and next steps towards an improvement (which will be more than a correction), knowing your problems allow you to get your own solutions, not a fit-for-all method. 100% recommended. I'll definitely do others/follow-up on feedback.

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks mate. I look forward to continue to help you on your journey.

[@mayabergom]

This is great stuff. I love the idea that once you get the sidearm throwing motion down, you can regulate how much you throw the arm into the ball. Gonna practice that.

[@mayabergom]

Update: practiced that. It went fantastic. Many thanks.

[@dtn8260]

Hi Tom! Just wanted to let you know how your video has helped me tremendously with my forehand. I recently came back to tennis after grad school and injured my bicep with my forehand. After about 4 years of essentially no tennis, I thought my strokes were the same. But in fact, I realized that I was hitting way too late, my arm was way too tense from gripping the racket, and I was using way too much of my biceps (which eventually caused my injury). I tried numerous things to fix my late/tense swing but I was still putting a ton of stress on my biceps...which caused pain after 1-2 hours of play. Then I stumbled upon your video because I was searching for something to help me with this issue. I went out and played about 5 sets this morning with my friends using what I learned from your videos regarding the throwing motion. I was surprised how much more natural it felt. After 4 hours of playing, I was so happy that my biceps were not hurting and how I was able to play much longer. My timing is still a little off since this was the first day I was trying this motion, but I will continue to practice to improve. But certainly my forehand feels more natural now. Thank you, Tom! You're videos are very informative and I intend to check out all your other videos as well to see what else I can pick up!

[@manmy016]

After spending 12 months trying to reach the pat the dog position… this analysis is spot on. When I stopped thinking about the dog, and just cocked the wrist keeping my racquet head up and just throwing my arm at the ball from there, it was night and day better

[@ngotofamily]

Thanks so much for your simple but effective instruction. I didn't realize that you volunteer teaching kids tennis at the church. It's a pleasure to meet you today.

[@fingersm]

Another fantastic video coach!

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks!!

[@fingersm]

TPA tennis amazied that I figured this out on my own. Fluke

[@rqnhan5858]

big fan of your channel. very simple and intuitive explanation. you should post more frequently!

[@TomAllsopp]

Thank you. I’ve been posting more lately.

[@robertgarica]

I understand now why you so vehemently reject the "pat the dog" technique. In the end the objective is the same, to enter the "slot" and create wrist lag. However, by referencing this position as a visual "checkpoint" the player must achieve, it actually has the opposite effect by impeding the wrist. Instead it should be merely considered a transitional point, as you suggested in this video, that need not be visualized or even thought about. I too was having trouble going from "pat the dog" to the supinated position, even though I could perform the latter independently and complete the second half of the swing. Perhaps it is simply not biomechanically meant to be. So thank you for this golden nugget, as it has allowed me to perform a full forehand stroke with supination. I now too reject "pat the dog." I'm more of a cat person anyway.

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks. Not sure I have to add anything to that!!

[@dadmaxx8641]

I'd love to see a video on kill shots. Basically you've forced a short paceless ball from your opponent that you should put away (forehand) almost 100% of the time. I sometimes overhit these or even hit them into the net.

[@haricsl]

Best video yet, very good. Just need to send you a video of my swing 🙈

[@TomAllsopp]

Do it!!

[@kkkkkkkkkkk3333]

This is a greate tip and video! I will try throwing a ball. and I wanna know how to stop hitting late😭 plz upload the video explaining that..Thank you all of your jobs🙏

[@brodieboy3]

Great explanation of the problem .. what the FH motion should be (side arm throw, etc.) and also a great explanation of your teaching philosophy and how best to communicate the foregoing to the student. Just brilliant stuff per normal. Thx TPA BTW - my only comment is that the student seems to be rotating across the ball on every shot rather than hitting thru the ball. Of course - sometimes you want to do this - it helps with topspin and maybe even a bit of sidespin, but Fed and Nadal and Warwinka and Djoker and all the pros have penetrating shots because they are usually hitting thru the contact point to the target as opposed to just coming 'across the ball' at the contact point. Obviously - it's a matter of degree - he is coming thru the ball to some extent, but you can see from his rotation after the shot that his stroke is more circular than linear and I'm thinking he'd want to work on 'throwing' the racket a bit more to the target before naturally wrapping around his body. You're the expert, so maybe I've got it all wrong, but that was my observation .. with the caveat that we're talking about a very good player to begin with - a guy that has a good FH - just needing a few tweaks to make it even better. Apologize if I'm wrong in my analysis but I'm learning from you and seeing tons of improvement in my own game just from shadow strokes in my great room and hitting on the wall and then carrying the muscle memory out to the court. The good thing is that once you start to feel it .. it actually seems easier, because it feels so natural and therefore repeatable. It's just coil and uncoil with a loose arm and wrist and the good stuff happens pretty naturally and easily and again shadow strokes allow you to feel the weight of the racket head because of the natural whip/ acceleration of the racket head when you are doing it right.

[@pooper7632]

100% agree, great analysis as i have the same problem and almost exact same fh as this guy

[@spartyutube2020]

Exactly what I need

[@TooleyPeter]

Excellent as usual.

[@albertozabeo77]

Wonderful. Time to make try It.

[@jamesa7997]

Great video. When you go into the supinate phase should you open your face slightly before you pronate. I've had a closed racquet face through out my swing and I feel that I have to swing vertical to overcome the racquet face and it feels unstable because my wrist doesn't lay back

[@lkppppppp]

Wow...learned a little today...excellent..how would u deal with straight arm contact player that pulls from the shoulder

[@lkppppppp]

I meant I learned a lot.

[@karadale5219]

Just a quick note: supination ( the forearm rolling back) is not done actively! It happens as a result of the body’s momentum created by leg drive, torso rotation. Rather than any active muscle contractions in the forearm it should be just the opposite: keep them as relaxed as possible so that the forearm easily rotates back.

[@TomAllsopp]

You’re almost right. But not in this case. You cannot effectively supinate without the correct kinetic chain leading up to that moment. However, you can absolutely control and manipulate the supination of the arm, and Chris needs to do that because relaxing just won’t get it done for him.

[@karadale5219]

TPA tennis if the racket head is above and behind your hand at the beginning of the forward swing and you’re loose enough, with the momentum of the swing your forearm has no other option than supinate. It’s actually impossible not to supinate if you’re not tight in the arm.

[@TomAllsopp]

Kara Dale correct. But you’re talking about it, and I have to get him to do it. And so far, in real life, I’m the only one that’s achieved it.

[@karadale5219]

Sure, Tom. Just wanted to add my opinion. You’re doing a great job. I’ve been following your content since I came across your kick serve no nonsense video a few years ago.

[@TomAllsopp]

Kara Dale thanks. Much appreciated. And you make some good points. It’s just difficult to know what actually works unless you’re on court asking them to do things and seeing how they respond.

[@flowtennispro]

Excellent

[@bbpatil9313]

Very gud information in tennis

[@GermanShephard123]

Man your channel and knowledge is amazing! I've done yoga and martial arts, basketball, etc...Started Tennis a year ago and when i started watching your videos, i was already experimenting with some of the things you talk about, but for you to go into details and explain it, has helped me stick to it and work on it. Amazing channel bro!!!!

[@TomAllsopp]

Thanks so much!

[@GermanShephard123]

@@TomAllsopp i would love to send you a video for analysis. Is that still possible?

[@willfletch5871]

Hi. Great lesson. I do however find my racket face opening as I use an easterrn forehand grip. Is it me or is there an adjustment that I can make.

[@cavalcantemagno]

Coach, great video! Do you think it helps to have a head heavy raquet in order do get your arm in supination?

[@TomAllsopp]

It doesn’t help me. Feel like I can throw a light racket easier.

[@1114gabby]

That's an interesting question. I'm curious what weight the pros are playing with. I'm pretty sure from close up observations that many are using a smaller head...esp doubles players.

[@TomAllsopp]

@@1114gabby most pros use heavy rackets. Heavier than stock. I’d use a heavy one if I could move it around effortlessly.

[@evenaicantfigurethisout]

What's the rationale for keeping the arm bent? Is it because it's easier to supinate with a bent arm than with a straight one?

[@TomAllsopp]

Yes, and if you can’t play shots with a bent arm you can’t adjust

[@alexdaudsyah4981]

Tom, can you simplify even more and describe how "supination" happens in the forehand video? I think I know what "supination" means, it means to rotate your hands and turn the palm face up. How is your pupil doing "supination" then "pronation" when he rolls his wrist during follow through?

[@TomAllsopp]

Turn you right forearm clockwise to supinate.

[@alexdaudsyah4981]

@@TomAllsopp Okay, understand now. Rotate forearm clockwise (supinate) and throw the arm, then finish rotation of forearm by going counter clockwise (pronate) to finish?

[@TomAllsopp]

Alex Daudsyah throwing the arm IS the supination.

[@pupstart]

@@TomAllsoppTom if your turn forearm clockwise how do you insure to keep the racquet face from opening up?

[@transklutz]

"Throw my arm at the ball". I think that could also work on the 1HBH.

[@TomAllsopp]

Yes, can be similar to throwing a frisbee, but not all backhands should be like this. Learn also to tighten it up to handle difficult shots

[@mkkkai]

I definitely spent months patting dogs and it screwed up my forehand. I 100% these things shouldn't be taught to be done consciously - it happens naturally during the stroke.

[@adamromero]

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