Should I Shorten The Backswing On My Forehand? 🎾 Tennis Lesson

[@tr1ckster726]

Ok try this, use Federer’s grip, hit 10 topspin forehands, go out into the parking lot and collect all 10 balls that you just launched over the fence.

[@Playyourcourt]

Brett McMillen lol the Eastern forehand can be a fickle beast 🤣

[@gmnboss]

Lol

[@andrewlubbers3198]

Personally, I love the short backswing, especially using it on my flatter eastern forehand. I go into the net quite frequently, so it is a big help especially on faster courts.

[@lalameinc]

I agree with you and basically as the saying goes everything in moderation is better. Too long or too short a back swing can present issues unless you are Federer. I like the idea of getting the racquet back early so you can generate the power with a longer back swing that stays on the same side of your body. Thanks!

[@Playyourcourt]

Glen Schneer solid assessment of the instruction. Appreciate the feedback as always Glen!

[@WestCoastAce27]

Agree. You could walk up to almost any tennis player under NTRP 5.0, say ‘work on your unit turn’ and immediately improve their game.

[@CaocaoX]

Federer uses a more eastern/semi western grip, so the swing path is completely different. The early drop of the racket is more comfortable with a closer stand compares to the open stand, because you need you body momentum to move forward to help the racket to pull back and open up.

[@TeamTennisfr]

Totally agree ! After tons of videos "how to make Federer's forehand", we're going maybe to "Why you should not copy Federer's forehand" !

[@Playyourcourt]

Hey TT, thanks for watching and the feedback. I believe the specific techniques that we emulate is dependent upon skill level. There's just entirely too many players copying really advanced technique (and timing) that often results in poor stroke production and injuries. That's not to say there aren't advanced players (predominantly juniors) that can adopt advanced principles to improve their game. Curious who would you have your juniors copy off the forehand wing?

[@aninjame]

so ive been spending so much time on my backhand over the last few months my forehand wasn't getting any attention. i lost my smooth loop and swing. i remembered 2 weeks ago how good a forehand shot can been with a good takeback and loop.

[@Playyourcourt]

aninjame Tennis is definitely a ying and yang sport. One day your forehand is your best friend so you work on something else and then you go back to your beloved forehand and suddenly you’ve lost your pet elephant lol. We’ve been there. Hope the instruction helped and your back cracking those forehands. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@claudioprado389]

If you ask me should I shorten my backswing? my answer would be, yes and no, in some shots i will shorten it and in other shots I ain't, and that are the assesment you have to do during the play. The ball never is the same during play, sometimes it's short and low , sometimes is high and deep, or fast or slow, and you have to make assessments to see what technique you will use in the stroke. Sometimes it's convenient to shorten the backswing , on the return of serve or against a very fast and deep ball. So that you have to master all these variables according to the game situations.

[@Playyourcourt]

Claudio Prado totally agree, regardless of the technique it cannot be a one size fits all. Accomplished players must have the ability to adapt due to time constraints or even excess time. Thanks for watching Claudio, we appreciate the feedback!

[@speedymr]

Why racquet pass body position is issue?? WTA players hit like that and tons of power, 80 mph. Swiatek, Osaka. So what you are telling doesn't make sense sir.

[@xmli1715]

I like your videos which helped me to better understand tennis. your idea is great for short swing. but I must point out I noticed your shoulder turn at beginning must point to the net 90 degree and that is what Fed did. If you try this you will feel more comfortable as Fed did and get new understanding on Fed):

[@Playyourcourt]

XM Li That’s a fair assessment. Ultimately I was hitting the ball with much more of an open stance and although I assure you there’s plenty of coil, it certainly doesn’t emulate the coil and non-dominant hand of Federer’s. But that was kinda the point. Having played and coached at a high level adopting the early racquet drop on the side of the body was extremely difficult. The concern is that there’s a lot of adult athletes trying to copy the Fed forehand and it’s worth pondering, should they? With improved timing and a proper take back it is significantly easier to produce pace and spin off of a more traditional forehand. Few players are also playing at a speed that makes the early drop necessary. The early drop may work for some and more power to them, we simply wanted to give some insights to just how difficult the early drop can be. Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed our content! Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@IKTGWIW]

Maybe that's why we don't see any other ATP player using Federer's short drop backswing.

[@bmtspain6839]

i can not agree with anything you say about roger his forehand !! you try to copy him but you forgot the 3 most important points to copy him 1. roger has much more shoulder turn ( very important ) 2. roger his elbow is further away then yours ( very important ) 3. roger straighten his arm before his shoulderturn starts ( very important ) and by that his arm is almost everytime pointing at 6 oclock so how can you say he is having a short backswing ??

[@Playyourcourt]

Want to meet new players & play more tennis? Try PlayYourCourt for free here: bit.ly/2HjZ0Gj Want more power and spin on your forehand? Grab our Forehand Mastery Course for free here: bit.ly/37mXTR6 Want to work with Scott & Nate? Check out upcoming live events and workshops here: bit.ly/36UGkXV

[@twinwankel]

I have Fed's forehand and I can generate tremendous power from it but I have to be absolutely loose with the arm. Also, you have to drive through the ball with a slight low to high swing path and finish across your body. Other finishes, like wiper or buggy whip, offer no advantages. Also, as the Fed footage shows, you have to jump on balls that gets above the waist. If you don't jump, the stroke will not generate as much power. The stroke is particularly powerful on neutral stance where it has a longer horizontal path so that's why his inside-out game is so good. And I use a semi-western grip so it doesn't require an eastern grip. In your imitation of Fed's stroke, you are simply not loose enough. It's really like having the racket just dangle on your arm. That's how loose you have to be. I agree you don't need Fed's forehand to be a good player but when you play at very high levels of competition, the big swing is a big albatross.

[@iagreewithyou112]

Post a video of your game.

[@tenmad899]

I disagree with this video. Your emulation with Roger’s forehand is totally off. 1-your left shoulder doesn’t turn enough at the back swing.2-your racket head is pointing at the back fence unlike Roger is pointing to the side. 3-at contact, your forearm is not extended fully into the court. 4-your swing path is more vertical than lateral(Rogers). It is because of these reasons why Roger’s forehand doesn’t work for you, but you cannot conclude that Rogers forehand wouldn’t work with other people

[@Playyourcourt]

tenmad899 Appreciate the dialogue and assessment but I’m afraid you may have missed the point. . Ultimately I was hitting the ball with much more of an open stance and although I assure you there’s plenty of coil, it certainly doesn’t emulate the coil and non-dominant hand of Federer’s. But that was kinda the point. Having played and coached at a high level adopting the early racquet drop on the side of the body was extremely difficult. The concern is that there’s a lot of adult athletes trying to copy the Fed forehand and it’s worth pondering, should they? With improved timing and a proper take back it is significantly easier to produce pace and spin off of a more traditional forehand. Few players are also playing at a speed that makes the early drop necessary. The early drop may work for some and more power to them, we simply wanted to give some insights to just how difficult the early drop can be. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@tenmad899]

PlayYourCourt.com Thanks for your reply. The topic of this video was “ should you shorten your backswing for your forehand?” If I were you, I would say you should and you should not. If you can do all this(left shoulder turn, racket tip point to the side, contact point way front, straight arm, etc...)then you should, otherwise, you shouldn’t. Then I will talk about the pros and cons of shorten backswing. Just my $0.02

[@degrad9]

This is exactly the topic I was looking for! But what if my arm is completely extended during both backswing & swing? I recently noticed this after I recorded my regular practice match. I think I execute the unit turn/body rotation properly, but my forehand still feels weak and inconsistent. Probably a result of trying too hard to copy Thiem's forehand with his typical racket takeback...

[@iagreewithyou112]

Stop trying to copy others and just do what feels natural to you. Thank me later

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks for the question, Thiem forehand is extremely difficult to emulate. As a phenomenal athlete with fantastic timing you can afford to take a bigger swing. But even he struggles on fast surfaces and has recently adopted a shorter stroke for the grass and hard court season. We have instruction coming out soon that details how to achieve the “next gen” forehand as an adult athlete. I think it will help a ton, stay tuned! Thanks for watching

[@yakzivz1104]

Also it is a possibility that Federer might have changed his forehand due to an undisclosed injury. No I don't know for sure but it is possible that he tweaked his shoulder or something, forcing him to change his forehand.

[@Playyourcourt]

It's certainly possible but most elite players fine tune mechanics at some point in their careers without a injury prompting the change. Never know though...perhaps your right. Thanks for watching!

[@yakzivz1104]

@@Playyourcourt Have you done a video on Nadal or Djokovic's forehand yet?

[@sebastiansantos5561]

Which forehand backswing do you prefer for today's game: Delpo's or Ferrer¿?

[@groovejusmood]

got wrist pain from trying out Fed forehand, back to more traditional long swing now

[@PeterDMayr]

Good ideo. We need to know all string /racket info.

[@CJZM7777]

I disagree with most of this. Federer uses both a small loop AND a longer loop when he has time. I think for most rec players and advanced players, it is important to work on a small loop because when you have time, you will instinctively take a bigger swing. A small loop where the hands stay in front of the shoulder line is easier to time, quicker to contact and provides plenty of spin and power IF it is driven from core rotation of the hips and shoulders.

[@Playyourcourt]

We don’t disagree with your assessment at all but I’m afraid you may have misinterpreted the material or heck maybe we weren’t clear. Every accomplished player has to change the size of their swing due to time restrictions 100%. The loop wasn’t the focus here however, we were simply talking about the early racquet drop on the side of the body. Every other aspect of Federer’s swing closes resembles other ATP players except when the racquet enters the slot. Most players are better off with a full stroke assuming they stay in D alignment then emulating Federer’s racquet drop. The concern is that there’s a lot of adult athletes trying to copy the Fed forehand and it’s worth pondering, should they? With improved timing and a proper take back it is significantly easier to produce pace and spin off of a more traditional forehand. Few players are also playing at a speed that makes the early drop necessary. The early drop may work for some and more power to them, we simply wanted to give some insights to just how difficult the early drop can be (even for an experienced player and coach) Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@SquidDesign]

It's like you read my mind... wondering this all week

[@Playyourcourt]

Glad we could help out! Thanks for watching.

[@alexk6275]

Wonder what you guys think of the Mischa Zverev forehand?

[@Playyourcourt]

Alex K Mischa is obviously a very talented player and although his forehand is by no means his strength it gets the job done as formidable net rusher. We wouldn’t advise recreational players copy it however. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@alexk6275]

@@Playyourcourt thanks! I had to do a double take first time I saw it live!

[@Playyourcourt]

Alex K you and I both! Lol

[@GarlicGingerScallion]

I have similar thoughts about my forehand I love tennis always trying to improve great tips lol 😂 nothing like roger part

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks, glad to hear you enjoyed the instruction! We're always happy to help.

[@Yngwie2024]

He has heavy racquet

[@mon-vc4tu]

Imo, short back swing makes the prep early and not be late.

[@Playyourcourt]

When done correctly it absolutely does! Thanks for watching!

[@sougata43]

Personally i took long back swing in Forehand, kindly help to short

[@claudioprado389]

I agree, you should not copy Federer's forehand because he is a pro tennis player and we are not, as simple as that.

[@Playyourcourt]

#Facts

[@sebastyx974]

Even better example of a short backswing on his forehand than RF, is Felix Auger-Aliassime !

[@krishnancom]

Your emulation of Roger's forehand was very off. You looked like T-Rex arms - scrunched up. Roger's is way more extended than you think. Primarily because of his whip motion with his right shoulder pushing towards the court during the turn before whipping through with his arm and hand.

[@Playyourcourt]

Ram K That’s a fair assessment. Ultimately I was hitting the ball with much more of an open stance and although I assure you there’s plenty of coil, it certainly doesn’t emulate the timing, coil and non-dominant hand of Federer’s. But that was kinda the point. Having played and coached at a high level adopting the early racquet drop on the side of the body was extremely difficult. The concern is that there’s a lot of adult athletes trying to copy the Fed forehand and it’s worth pondering, should they? With improved timing and a proper take back it is significantly easier to produce pace and spin off of a more traditional forehand. Few players are also playing at a speed that makes the early drop necessary. The early drop may work for some and more power to them, we simply wanted to give some insights to just how difficult the early drop can be. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@newmennium]

I saw no power/spin difference

[@dontakeda8440]

Your forehand looks like Adrian Mannarino

[@djblackwing737]

If I was using an Rf97 I would be shortening my backswing. iMHo you need a very heavy racquet like an rf97 and loose wrist to get that federer swing.

[@Playyourcourt]

dj Blackwing the heavy racquet certainly helps supply more leverage over the ball and is much more resourceful to a shorter swing path. Appreciate the insights, thanks for watching!

[@kennynek]

You can’t help your fh by shortening it, we agree on that. At least turn your shoulders.

[@bugynites09]

Tommy haas has a better forehand

[@gmnboss]

Federer's swing looks big and long to me

[@Playyourcourt]

The loop that initiates the unit turn can make it appear that way but compared to the WTA forehand or the next-gen forehand it is significantly more condensed. Appreciate you watching and the feedback!

[@jemand8462]

2:20 nothing new to me. My girlfriend said it right from the start.

[@Playyourcourt]

🤣 well played sir. well played

[@jemand8462]

@@Playyourcourt ;) in all seriousness though, you're saying it's too big and to far on the other side of the body. I heard that a lot, but noone ever told me why that's actually bad for you. Is it to long (that's what she said, too) timewise? (As far as I understand, the girls on the WTA like it bigger - swingwise.)

[@yakzivz1104]

Nadal and Djokovic have much better forehands.

[@LubaLuba1]

Sorry but you guys to do less talking and more showing us

[@Playyourcourt]

Noted! Thanks for the feedback Luba Luba