The Carlos Alcaraz Tennis Forehand - The Weapon That Made Him The World's New ATP #1

I made this video a whole ago knowing that Carlos Alcaraz is the real deal!
His forehand technique is textbook paired with incredible athleticism.
AND, even better, there are 2 things that any of us can copy regardless of USTA/ NTRP level!
2:20 Use your non-dominant hand to get a good coil of your hips and shoulders
5:14 Extend through the ball (especially if you make contact with an extended arm to make use of a longer lever).
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[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Carlos Alcaraz is one of the young ones you need to keep your eyes on! In this video, I'm showing you why his forehand is so devastating and what you can learn and copy from it!

[@patrickrogersiegismund2785]

Hi Meike, thank you for your great content. It would be great, if you could analyse Rybakinas groundstrokes (FH, BH, serve) some time in the future. I finde the pace that she is generating amazing.

[@jga9951]

Thanks, great video! I would like to add 2 things. Usually, when playing matches, Carlos does the takeback with one hand only, doesnt use his left hand too much (especially when running around his backhand or running to his forehand side). Second thing, which I am surprised you did not point out, Alcaraz's head "stability", also known as "leaving the eyes on the impact point" is particularly pronounced / exaggerated, very much "Federer-like" which makes his forehand even better or "pure" from a technique perspective and also INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and PLEASANT to watch... his forehand is just perfect from a technique and from an execution point of view

[@3Slippers]

Just discovered your channel, absolute gold, thankyou.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Awesome and thank you! Please recommend my channel to your tennis friends as well.

[@stranger360th]

Great analysis! The example of Carlos‘ athletic capabilities is amazing. What an excellent footwork. If recreational players are asking themselves how the pros are able to be at every ball and hit it with such power and precision, here are some answers: Watching the ball at all times, quick decision based on anticipation and an excellent footwork paired with early preparation. Thank you so much for this slow motion. It is such an eye-opener to me (ich hoffe, das Wort existiert im Englischen 😉) Normally, we recreational players are not even noticing how good the footwork is. It’s part of the preparation and preparation is everything. I am now playing tennis for 45 years but I am still experiencing how a little bit earlier preparation paired with watching the ball makes a world of difference. Same with contact point and moving slightly forward when hitting. It looks all so smooth and easy with the pros but it is thousands of hours of practice to get the „choreagraphie“ of a tennis stroke near to perfection. So nothing to get frustrated about but constantly trying to improve.👍😉 Rainer

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Ja, stimmt, eye-opener geht :-) Footwork (patterns, spacing, explosiveness etc) is what pros spend hours and hours on.

[@JL-fx5cm]

Great video. Not only is his forehand lethal, but his confidence, movement and understanding of the game makes him electrifying. Wonderful for the sport of tennis.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Absolutely agree!

[@peterwilliam8135]

This guy Carlos Alcaraz is absolutely amazing. Rublev has insane power in his shots and the way Alcaraz played him is goose bumps stuff. Great explanations coach ( and world level player ! ) . Creating racket lag and maintaining the arm completely straight to increase the maximum radius of the circle on the upswing are critical elements as to why Carlos has such absolutely devastating forehand shots. Watched a few of his videos and he will be an absolutely force to reckon with at the world level.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I agree. I can't remember who said it (maybe Andy Roddick?) that Carlos will be #1 in 3 years. I can see that! His athleticism is just mindblowing!

[@z1az285]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Fantastic video. I always thought that his forehand technique reminded me of Federer when he hits it flat and Nadal when he adds spin. Great point about the next gen forehand and I would add Musetti's example as a cautionary tale for those who seek to emulate it. Sinner who uses the next gen technique too, to his credit has made adjustments so it's more compact but Carlos is the real deal. His timing and the pace he can generate is exceptional. The next gen forehand is effective on clay or very slow hardcourts when one has time but not on medium fast to fast surfaces. That's why Carlos technique is versatile and can work on any surface.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@z1az285 I agree. He's a fantastic athlete, we'll hear a lot from him in the future!

[@matthewthompson1653]

Thanks Babel this is one the best forehand video.ive seen.you documented every thing to the point.mr.alcaraz is going 2 be a BEAST.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

You're so welcome!

[@bjreed1251]

Thanks for this video, Meike, nice job! I'm going to work more on the technique of the straight arm and likely it will help ease my elbow issue too.

[@KIYALongevity]

The best analysis of Carlos's forehand I've seen now I can see the circular motion of his swing after contact looks a lot more fluid.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you

[@AlfonsoFaustino]

I’m a new subscriber. You’re an awesome player and instructor. I’ve seen you play during your world class touring moments in the span of your time in WTA history. I’m glad your giving us your valuable and informative insights to help me become a better player. I wish you well; and, I’m going over your library to soak up all the insights you provided. Thank you, Meike! /s/ Alfonso Faustino

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Welcome aboard! And thank you so much for your kind words!

[@runraven9025]

what a great analysis

[@dharmeshpatel1390]

Love your analysis and tips

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank yoU!

[@Jay-kq7ey]

I love your critical analysis, thanks for the clip!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@user-kv4hu6oj1t]

My respects to Meike Babel! You are the best coach/teacher of the best. Really ( big smart girl )

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you! 😃

[@93johnk]

Great analysis!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank yoU!

[@tennfunn6332]

Great breakdown of an amazing forehand! Congrats on your 20k+ views! 🥳 🎉 🎾

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you!

[@tennfunn6332]

@@MeikeBabelTennis you're welcome 🎾

[@cesarfernandezlopez5063]

Thank you MEIKE ❤️🎾, Carlos 18 years old !! Yes ,he is promising a great future , oh by the way , congratulations for breaking the 2000+ subscribers👍🏻❤️

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

He is phenomenal!!! And I’m glad to have you back and we figured out how to see your comments! You’re always so supportive and positive! I really appreciate you!

[@cesarfernandezlopez5063]

@@MeikeBabelTennis thank you MEIKE❤️, some issues with the Gmail accounts and two laptops, anyway , I did change the account, oh ,yes ,Alcaraz, powerful forehand, very energetic,he could be a top 10 in the near future and win titles ,I do hope so, thank you again for your kind words ❤️😊

[@Better_Call_Raul]

10:55 Wow. He is standing in the deuce corner and the opponent hits to his backhand corner and he still manages to run around his backhand. Gliding from corner to corner. Genius footwork. Federer like.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes! And he gets there with 4-5 strides only!

[@TheCEOXPerience]

I saw this kid practice up close in Miami. his forehead is massive. never seen anything like it so heavy and incredible pace and clearance. the sound it makes is impressive.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

He is such a supreme athlete and has flawless technique. He's gonna be fun to watch in the future.

[@assihassan]

excellent analysis

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you!

[@DavidSchilter]

It can't hurt that he's coached by Ferrero, who arguably had the world's best forehand in 2002/2003, before Fedal, Gonzalez et al.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, that is not a terrible thing :-)

[@klausdrengel7766]

World class ! Nothing to add ! Klaus Dr. Engel

[@gletsu]

Thanks Meike for giving us hackers some tips we can incorporate from the pros! Left hand stays past midline 👍🏿

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

You’re not a hacker Mo! We need to do a Nutter weekend in Denver :)

[@christophergerber6637]

Erneut grossartig! Ich wühle mich gerade mit grosser Begeisterung durch Deinen Kanal. Diese kleinen „Gimmicks“ (happy I paid attention in physics…😃). Kultig. Aber: in der Tat. Das ist eins der ersten Videos, die nicht stundenlang über die gesamte „kinetische Kette“ im Körper („from the ground up“, und so…schwadronieren), sondern „je länger der Hebel, desto…“. Darum gehts - die Keule halt mit kontrolliertem Mumm laufen lassen und die Arbeit machen lassen. Bin selbst Coach. Das trauen sich halt die wenigsten „recreational player“ zu. Da wird lieber im Stile des (grossartigen!) Johnny Mac mit full continental grip geschoben…Aber: what a touch and court/ball vision he had…Weiter so - Deine Videos sind sagenhaft!!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Technisch sehr ausgefeilt: Die Keule mit kontrolliertem Mumm laufen lassen! Haha! Aber es stimmt ja. So im Alltag sind meine Tips auch in diesem Stil, nur auf Video muss es halt ein "bisschen" professioneller sein :-) Wo bist Du Trainer?

[@frederickwallace4645]

Carlos exhibits that 'long lever' like Roger on the forehand...where the hitting arm is straight on contact and follow-through! Am I seeing that correctly? It's a beautiful stroke!

[@bournejason66]

It seems like yesterday you broke 1K subscribers now you’ve got pass 2k. Congratulations 🍾

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you! It went really fast. I’m really excited!

[@bournejason66]

Hi coach. Thanks for another pro analysis. What do you think his grip tension is between 1-10? 1 being someone can pull your racket easily and 10 is dead grip. And should we think racket as a whip or a bat to strike the ball? To me they present different biomechanics. Thanks in advance 👍🙏🎾

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Hold with a 3-4 at the most. Just so that the racket doesn’t fly out of your hand. I’d say more whip really.

[@bournejason66]

@@MeikeBabelTennis thanks. Do you consider Halep uses a whip motion on her forehand? 🙏 in advance

[@brasileirosim5961]

It seems that Alracaz has a similar forehand like Nadal, of course not the take back, but the high follow up and the intensity of the shot are incredible similar. This is why he is making sometimes this banana shot like Nadal, although of course not that often. A comparison between the two players would be interesting.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I'll put it on my to do list, that is a great suggestion!

[@bigsky350]

Loved the video! My son is eight years old and into tennis. I'm just wondering if you know of any other sports that would complement tennis?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Any sport with a ball really. Soccer, lacrosse, basketball, field hockey are all great because they all have the start -stop, change of direction etc that tennis has.

[@DavidGao1988]

Nice breakdown! Is his takeback and setup considered as next gen forehand or modern forehand?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

To be honest, I don't really use these terms because not all players have the same forehand. Alcaraz has elements of both but also a very "classic" extended arm so I try not to label it.

[@DavidGao1988]

​@@MeikeBabelTennis Thank you for the insight! Yup, I found it hard to label his forehand. He combines the ingredients of the best forehands in history. His extended "straight" arm is the same style as Roger and Rafa. His grip is semi-western, which is same as Rafa.

[@niltoncosta6222]

Cool

[@dylanfrutuoso4284]

holger rune have semi-western too ?

[@Jdish88]

In which video do you describe how to transition from backswing to lock-in position?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Hi there, I’m not talking about it perfectly explicitly but check out my “how to increase topspin on your forehand” video. It does happen naturally if you have a relaxed enough grip just as you come to the end of the drop and start of the forward pull up to contact.

[@Jdish88]

Thank you!

[@GeneralRock114]

How about a video of his backhand.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, I need to get some footage. I need to make sure that I have permission for whatever I use.

[@hksrm4172]

It's more like a more spinny semi western Del Potro forehand with a smaller loop. In a few years every top young player will be hitting straight arm forehands like this.

[@kitaeklee4085]

Who has the best fh on tour for put away shots?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I don’t think you can single anyone out. You wouldn’t be at that level if you couldn’t create opportunities and then put the ball away consistently

[@TheKakarot_itachi]

According to you who has better forehand? Rafa or Carlos?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I think I don't want to really make that distinction. They are both incredible weapons that they both use to facilitate their game style. But what I can say is that you can check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XRm5mar7GHotE

[@HT_Ray]

The boy's a Demon Seed!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

And just won another tournament beating Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev!

[@MJTIbes]

What about his grip? What grip does he use?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Semi western

[@MJTIbes]

@@MeikeBabelTennis thnx!

[@Ab20222]

Imho, you focus too much on the upper body and not on the kinetic chain leg-hip-hand (no shoulder), since you mentioned Mark, the power is generated by the lower body (ground+glutts) and it’s multiplied by the hip rotation; the shoulder rotation is an afterthought.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, that is true. I focused a lot on the fact that Alcaraz's forehand is unlike what everyone now calls the "next gen or next, next gen forehand" in terms of the take back, racket position etc. And yes, the sequence, of course, is from the ground up. I should have probably made that clearer where my head was.

[@Ab20222]

@@MeikeBabelTennis To me , Alcaraz’s fh looks like Federer’s motion + Nadal intensity and finish.

[@lincolncarter5049]

i got the 1k like

[@NetPhD7110]

He moves as Federer…

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

In his younger years :-)

[@luisreis3202]

Maybe I am wrong but Alcaraz forehand is a lot Federer way. The difference is the athleticism of the former. I understand that for young players Alcaraz and other NextGen players are more appealing but there are tons of amateur players of all ages and even pros that consider Roger's forehand the best ever (used at KZbin by coaches as "the" model). It is quite weird for me not see at your videos this analysis (sorry if I am wrong)

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I wanted to show someone whose forehand hasn't been on YT a million times already. Yes, Federer's FH and pretty much everything else is text book.

[@luisreis3202]

@@MeikeBabelTennis, I understand that but I would prefer to see a comparison between "comparable" players ( the same base) and highlight the differences as 2minutes tennis made with Alcaraz and Federer. You have your method and I respect. Good work anyway at a lot of your videos

[@sol029]

His movement is ridiculous.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

AGREE!