Role Of The Wrist In Tennis - Part 1 - The Forehand

[@joelhammrac]

This is truly fantastic advice. I am critical of close to 100% of online tennis instruction, and this might be the first time I have witnessed a flawless analysis. Bravo! You have gained a new fan. 👍

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Joel, thank you 👍👍

[@林威廷-i7l]

the best video for tennis players

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Ernest, 👍🙏

[@2ndAveScents]

I’ve been watching tennis instructionals on KZbin since 2014. You are by far the best, hands down. Straight to the meat and bones of the topic with no fat. Tons of great information from someone who is clearly passionate enough to address the minutiae without clouding your message with unnecessary details. I’ve never wasted a second of my life while watching your videos. Thank you brother, wish you all the best.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I appreciate it Daniel Thank you 🙏

[@robertrenk7074]

Thank you such useful information.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Robert, my pleasure

[@lemondrank]

i love how you break down all the wrist movements at the beginning of this video...was constantly referencing it while watching the other parts of this series. it really helped me to give a name to the wrist movements that happen during any given shot...kinda like an ahah moment of realizing when i hit a bad forehand its prolly because i was using an ulnar deviation movement when i should be keeping the wrist extended. or that the serve is a slight combination of radial deviation and wrist extension as youre letting the racquet drop and move upward. thank you for the 'scientific' explanations :D

[@stevenmckelvey4210]

Nick thanks a bunch for this informative, insider information you share with us

[@edugurian]

Nick is one of the best tennis coach for sure! Excellent explanation about the role of the wrist on forehand. Waiting for explanation about the role of backhand´s. Thanks!!!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Edu, thanks

[@Dubinski2382]

Second. Defining the movement terminology at the beginning was brilliant. So important and so well visualized. I'm more impressed with each video.

[@ignacioambort7438]

thumbs up. this guy did his homework

[@pats300zx]

Another great video Nick. So informative and precise compared to other channels. Really looking forward to this series.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Patrick, thank you. I appreciate it

[@andreacook3767]

Really like that you were specific and clear about this topic - it's one that teaching pros often disagree about. I think that if the lag goes properly and the wrist is passive like you said the player can find their comfort level him or herself, but you have given great parameters for what a player should try to do and feel

[@CB4956]

a passive wrist is not the best selection of words here.( I think stable would be better)..however I love this guy,one of the best

[@ignacioambort7438]

stabilization of the wrist comes from the forearm muscles. No from the joints. So passive is ok. Still good for you to check the videos im a coach also.

[@ignacioambort7438]

@@bournejason66 it depends on which forehand, but a little of deviation is naturally flowing as well of some flexion after the contact

[@tehatte]

@@bournejason66 I think I watched some slomo videos of Federer’s FH where his racket head moved up at the ball right before contact but that small radial deviation seems to be produced by his forearm rotation while his wrist is still locked in the extended position.

[@debbypajerowski5690]

Game changing! Thank you!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@klaw03]

Great advice, wish I saw your video sooner! For a while, I experimented with forcing wrist extension and flexion through my forehand. Gave me extra power and I could control it. However, I tried doing this for an extended amount of time in a tennis tournament and finished with a TFCC injury, which I still have today. Don't force your wrists, it's not worth it!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Kevin, what’s TFCC?

[@klaw03]

​@@IntuitiveTennis Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex - Basically it's the cartilage on the pinky side of the wrist. It's what Del Potro had issues with

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Kevin, argh that awful man. Thankfully I never had pain there, but I can imagine it’s excruciating.

[@klaw03]

​@@IntuitiveTennis Thankfully it's not that bad anymore! Just have to play with a brace on for a few more months

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Kevin, glad to hear that you’re pain free

[@omarsultanov362]

Important topic. Great analysis! I'd just call it "fixed wrist" instead of a "passive wrist" but it's not that important given tonns of absolutely amazing insight which hopefully would save thousands of people from injuries and frustrations. 👍👏😊

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Omar, thank you and I agree.

[@catalinsimescu9872]

Interesting topic ,very well explained. Thank you and waiting for more quality videos from you. All the best.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Catalin, many thanks my friend

[@MrDarius2002]

Fantastic video. I have been getting serious about my tennis for a couple of years and the wrist action on the forehand has bamboozled me that whole time. This video brought so much clarity and answers all the questions I had about the role the wrist plays. Thank you Nikola and IntuitiveTennis for the fantastic content!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

My pleasure Neil

[@jonathanchen1026]

I think I’m misusing the wrist at contact for spin and power but continued use of wrist starts to have soreness and pain, so I need to correct this... also it’s not 100% reliable and I’m less consistent with this method

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Be careful Jon

[@observer1111]

This is super fair and helpful ‼☝ 👍👍👍

[@themrstroke]

Superb instruction. You so correctly emphasize that pretty much anything we are concerned about other than having a relaxed passive wrist extension at contact is probably making things to complicated.

[@shirin8402]

You're so GOOD, definitely! I'm indeed much obliged to you for your support. It's so clear, to the point, so helpful! Please do accept my tons of thanks for helping in wrist role!

[@ruggerosale]

Excellent video again Nick! Could you just add a few thoughts on Supination and Pronation on the Forehand please? I had the impression that you at least supinate the wrist ( eastern and semi-western ) during the takeback? Thanks in advance and looking forward to the next wrist videos 👍

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Ruggero, Thanks As mentioned in the video all forehands should have wrist extension in the forward phase. Some forehands will have minor supination in the forward phase depending on the racquet position on the drop. There are vast differences on the pro tours how the racquet drop is performed and that’s a story for another day. Pronation might occur, but it’s after contact and it’s nothing more than personal preference. This has no effect on the stroke, unless it’s forced resulting in a shorter, choppier swing.

[@alexabney7913]

If you close your stance you can hit the topspin lob by hitting through and dragging the ball up the string bed so the crosses do all the spin work. Its easiest to do when the ball comes with some power. I keep my arm straight and use eastern grip tho so idk of that works for other kinds of players

[@sirpetrov3945]

What a great lesson ! I'm a very passionate new tennis fan, I already watched few of your videos and I want to thank you for that amazing content ! :)

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you Sir Petrov 🙏🙏

[@donho4109]

Excellent video, as always!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Don, thank you

[@jeblunde1]

Brilliant video - just what I needed to fix a problem on the FH. I wondered why I was good at short angles and lobs but couldn’t hit anything else with consistency! Thanks Nick.

[@pl5778]

this series really deserves more view. this is great stuff.

[@Dan1elAndrade]

I always thought I had to use my wrist to add a bit of spin! Could you tell me how can I add a *bit* of topspin into my balls to avoid the ball going out? Perhaps raising the racquet a little bit more after contact?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I’ll cover spin soon...

[@assimnaodamais]

Another fantastic video for the already fantastic collection of the best instruction available. It does not need all the fanfare and deception that other self called experts provide. Simple. Accurate and incredible helpful. I do hope people grasp the dimension of having such great lessons. Thank you again and again

[@Dubinski2382]

Mauricio Castro Agree. He's got a special talent. He knows how to convey the information everyone else can't seem to make sense of. And he defined his buzz words! Brilliant. Thank you!

[@matijam9999]

But player has to squeeze racquet a little bit at contact, right? For control, right?

[@jobphan4755]

Useful

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Job, 🙏 thank you

[@krishnaraju9242]

Top class instructions . thanks !

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Krishna, thank you 👍👍

[@kjfoehr]

Thanks, good info. What about the swinging volley? It looks like Krygios flexes his wrist at contact when hitting them.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

kjfoehr, send me the link and I’ll take a look

[@Fernwald84]

Very thorough treatment of the forehand wrist topic, Nick! I wonder if, with the Western forehand, there is actually wrist deviation right at ball contact, unlike forehands with the semi-Western or Eastern grips. I've briefly experimented with the Western forehand and I find it hurts my wrist because of the seeming necessity of rotating it right at ball contact. Also, will you be treating the use of the wrist in the serve?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

George, on the western grip the wrist is passive at contact and it gets activated in the same place as the eastern and semi-western grip, which is when the tip of the racquet is pointing towards the sky assuming the incoming ball is at a normal height. The only difference on the western grip is that the wrist is less extended at contact and therefore high balls are a little easier to handle. That’s why you see so many young juniors with western grips.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

George, and yes the serve is Part 4 of the series. Next up is the backhand.

[@Fernwald84]

@@IntuitiveTennis Thank, Nick. So I gather that the only difference with the Western forehand is that the ball is taken further back ("later"), but the wrist mechanics are basically the same.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

George, I don’t think it’s further back. The wrist is more neutral at contact bc of the grip. That is the major difference. Take a look at Sock, Djokovic, less extension in the wrist at contact. The hand is more underneath the racquet. Here’s one of my older videos where I discuss this topic in-depth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpyZiZarqaiZjtk

[@jasonbigg8341]

Awesome as always, thanks mate.

[@yussepig6629]

What about high deep balls (eg above head or shoulder)? Any wrist needed ?

[@Jdish88]

Nick, how much tightness in the wrist and hand is appropriate? I understand you want the wrist passive. If you locked the hand and wrist the racket wouldn’t lag, right? But too loose and the wrist would go into flexion on the drop.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Don’t think about the wrist Justin. Naturally it’s going to be correct by feel and muscle memory. I got a video coming out on this in two weeks...

[@t1mmytiger]

Excellent instruction

[@idcharles3739]

I understand your comments that control is harder with wrist extension on the forehand, however, it's often easier for a club player to hit hard enough to get to the back of the court if they do use wrist extension. And many club players use wrist extension very easily to get their power - even (or especially) the older ladies. I also think you should point out that almost all Pro forehand shots involve wrist extension and ALL the fastest forehands (see KZbin videos of the fastest forehands) use massive forehand extension, such as monfils and kyrgios.

[@krunalpatel4829]

Love your videos👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank u

[@jalany135]

Learned a lot from your videos sir. Love it ❤️

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Glad you find the content helpful

[@ruggierojerolli]

Hello Nikola. Indeed we all now can be convinced that you are 100% correct in the "passive role of the wrist" in the topspin forehand throughout your brilliant demonstration. Please ¿Which one is the video where you also emphasize this precise topic showing a Nadal slow motion forehand where is very clear that "passive" wrist?. Thank you.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you ruggerio Here’s my Nadal video kzbin.info/www/bejne/sF7dZGNpir-Gn7c

[@zafar78600]

I understand the wrist is extended. But is it ulnar or radial deviated?

[@bassmann666]

You All say this is ok, but i am confused!! in rallys when i hit the ball with topspin i use the wrist lag to get much more acceleration, what about that Nick?

[@sanjaykietme1]

please put slow motion forehand with back court level view and side view, i am learning forehand basics.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJzWo6aXnt2Ggbs

[@sanjaykietme1]

@@IntuitiveTennis thanks for the reply, can you please share the link of beginner forehand.

[@Jesse-h7n]

What about hitting slice do you use your wrist?

[@Jesse-h7n]

Also what about Backhand and wrist?

[@txmpesv26]

When your wrist is laid back on contact , how will the windshield wiper happen?

[@maxprince4060]

Hey Nick, I have a question. For some reason my wrist goes in a Ulnar Deviation at the moment of contact, It's like a mix between extension and ulnar deviation because they're happening at the same time on my forehand. Is it OK to hit forehand like that, or should I be trying to force my wrist to just have an extension? I have tried to just have an extension but my wrist keep automatically wanting to go into that mix wrist position. Is it a problem with my forearm rotation or any other parts of the body? Thank you. Also you're one of the best online tennis instructors/coaches I've seen. Thank you.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you Max, I can’t give advice out of context. I’d have to see it

[@maxprince4060]

@@IntuitiveTennis Hey Nick, no need for advice anymore. Turns out when I was doing the take back on my forehand I was forcing the racquet to drop and make the strings face the ball immediately, which caused my wrist to go into ulnar deviation. The fix was to naturally let the unit turn happen and my strings would face the ball naturally at the point of contact. Also, I gotta say, your response was pretty quick. You have very good at interacting with your community.

[@lordbyron3603]

This is good information. I took snap shots of each positions. If the wrist is used for control, where does the power come from? In observing my own stroke, I have an active wrist flexion LOL. My style of hitting is of the second type of hitting you demonstrated. However, I sometimes keep my wrist steady when a ball jams me (bounces 6 inches from my feet).

[@humanentity2214]

What do you think about medvedev forehand, he seems to be slapping the ball with the wrist, I might be wrong

[@IntuitiveTennis]

No wrist on medvedev FH

[@K4R3N]

Man I have been doing it wrong for a long time! Thank you coach Nik!👍

[@wangrobbie6867]

So Classic

[@TAMANCoLTD]

I shouldve watched this. I already got my wrist injury

[@THEGOAT-gw2xi]

❤

[@vervastar]

I have the radial rotation after I hit almost every shot and I’m not sure how to fix it. It’s like once I hit the ball my racquet just goes straight up instead of having the top of the racquet facing the other side of the net. It seems like something hard to learn to fix. Any tips? Thank you!

[@direwolf525]

There is a wrist movement on contact.. but you have to keep the wrist loose in preparation... dont lock your wrist from the start

[@omarsultanov362]

Pardon for meddling Dire Wolf but it seems Nick covered both options: with the ready/upright (but not the locked for sure...😃) wrist & with the completely relaxed one making it "passive" at the moment of a contact with the ball. I didn't get the impression of a "locked" wrist advice. Best regards 😊

[@direwolf525]

@@bournejason66 Other pro coach don't teach this...

[@liwei9136]

It's true that followthrough has no effect on the ball, but it can tell how the body hit the ball. I watched in slow mo and found that you keep your wrist in extension way too long than any top players in the world after the contact point, so you were pushing not brushing the ball, thus lack of spin? Open to discussion, thanks anyway.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Li, this is not a lesson on the finish or flat vs topspin forehands. This is a lesson on the role of the wrist. There is not a single top player who uses the wrist actively and this includes players with extreme spin (Sock, Nadal). Lessons on the above mentioned items and slow motion footage of my forehand can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWrQnmhugrughqs kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWW1eIGIpsuca5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJzWo6aXnt2Ggbs and to clear up the so called “pushing and brushing” check this out kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep_TmaeuorNnmKc

[@liwei9136]

@@IntuitiveTennis Subscription confirmed, take it! XD

[@eventhorizon908]

This part HAS nothing to do with tennis: from elbow to fingertips. It only holds the racket. If someone tells you to do anything with wrist, run like hell. This is famous Asian (Vietnamese, etc) style of medically damaging "teaching" (play): they start by teaching how to move the wrist to "make ball spin". This is NOT how tennis is played. You do NOT teach "the tail to wag the dog". You start teaching tennis from other end: leg, torso. 99% of tennis is about leg and torso. Whoever mentions any "wrist' in tennis, they are chess players and never played tennis in their life. Run like hell from people who teach "wrist". It is like teaching "pound your fists on table as hard as you can if you want to win in chess". Hint: spin of the ball is achieved by 1) leg, and 2) proper torso and 3) shoulder positioning. Wrist has NOTHING to do with spin. Sounds paradoxically, but professional (and medically correct) strokes are just counter-intuitive to average tennis player. You might understand what I am talking about in 10 to 50 years, but it will be too late to re-learn. Take a lesson from professionals, dude. But even 99% professionals will not be able to explain to you the correct way, even if they play at 8.0 level. So, when you say "we use the wrist" - this is incorrect. We never use wrist in tennis. "Wrist" does not exist in tennis. It only holds the raquet. I did not even watch your video because of what you wrote in title. "Pronation" and "supination" are only residual effects, like a lithmus test, to indicate that you executed the previous steps (moves) correctly. We do not actively use wrist, "pronation", "supination", etc. Those are passive things in tennis. Do not teach the tail to wag the dog. What seems to you visually, is most often achieved in opposite way in tennis, counter to your beginner intuition. Learn about the Kinetic Chain. It is the main and only thing that drives any stroke. Notice how you named yourself: Intuitive tennis. The professional tennis stroke mechanics are COUNTER-intuitive. You are teaching good amateur intuitive (very harmful to joints) tennis. Professional tennis is counter-intuitive, medically not harmful, and very efficient (effortless).

[@theorrb1846]

EventHorizon I agree, i personally dont think about the wrist at all it just comes naturally but I just saw a video of Djokovic who obviously has a pretty good forehand and he was asked how you can generate more spin and he Said something to the gist of using your wrist to brush more over the ball. Again I personally dont do this and dont actually care anymore because everyone says something different but i can see where people get this from.

[@smokinjoe4684]

Rafa locks his wrist basically right away doesn't he?

[@DM-bx1zv]

Awesome instruction. Thank you for posting.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Doug, 👍

[@CB4956]

Passive is a very confusing word