The High Forehand | Master Class

[@d10srelish40]

Two forces : lifting + coming across the body . on higher balls the coming across force is more abvious than the lifting force ... because the ball is already high so no need to lift it more . On very low balls we need more the lifting force to be able to lift the ball over the net thats why sometimes the racket finishs on the same side of the body . and on standard height balls we need the two forces almost equally . Thank you Topspin Tennis. Thank you Oscar Wegner .

[@topspintennis]

All great points D10S Relish....thanks for sharing! JF

[@Widmer09]

Yup, agree. Pulling it across and impacting side spin on these high contact shots is the key take away here. Best way to practice this is during warm up on the short court rally.

[@mauricecatayan3406]

The transition from the low to high forward driving swing to the brushing, wiper followthrough with the racket moving on edge, is the most difficult to grasp. How do you transition from swinging "on face" to swinging "on edge," not just for high forehands but for any forehand?

[@CRAIGLSANDERS]

Excellent analysis, very helpful and very needed for my game being in the 4.0 -4.5 range. Regarding, Stan’s finish on this high forehand shot that you are analyzing it is unintentional from the standpoint it is the natural progression of what his arm/body wants to do as a result of the contact point of the shot, inverted racquet angle, and phenomenal racquet head speed. As you teach, most if not all of the pros ground stroke or any stroke finish for that matter is a result of what they are trying to do with the ball and racquet face at the point of impact. Finishes may vary but as you teach it is based on what the pro is trying to do with the ball. I love watching your video analysis and I learn a ton from it and apply to my own game and I also share it with others. Thanks much for all you do!

[@recursiveset]

Yes finish for a shot is always unintended. It is the direct consequence of what the body does naturally after the extension which comes after the contact.

[@topspintennis]

Craig, thank you for your comment and kind words. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. Let me know if I can help with anything in the future! JF

[@topspintennis]

Paul, thank you for your comment and support! JF

[@htainlindwa80]

Naturally, because of the swing path.

[@arturosuyo9661]

You talk a lot less presentation

[@topspintennis]

I'm not sure what you are saying but thanks??? JF

[@armanmotamedi7749]

hi..thanks to the good talk and videos I can add that notice the first Rakt.H drop position and mirror it to the finishing position and you will find why he finishes a little lower than its beginning position.

[@honkeyness9427]

I feel it’s intentionally breaking the wrist on the ball plus the sideways swing. The finish always reflects the intention.

[@topspintennis]

I agree with you on the finish always reflects the intention, well said. Thanks for your comment and support! JF

[@poida007]

Good analysis John, however “To play like the pros” you need to have the advanced anticipation and reading/receiving skills they have combined with physical, psychological, tactical and technical sending skills developed over time from junior training and weekly tournament play. Oscar Wegner unfortunately never talks about this and the incredible timing and coordination required to swing across the body and achieve good ball contact and control in baseline rally practice let alone competitive situations. This shot is 5.0 and above skill. Anybody 4.0 and below, which is close to 95% of club/rec players, should let the ball drop to waist high or learn to slice it back (especially if like most club player you’re using an Eastern or continental FH). Rec players, adults and juniors have a hard enough time making clean contact playing a couple of hours a week let alone managing head high balls like Stan. I think we have to be realistic here. Even juniors in 2 hour academy programs 4 times a week take years to master this shot. Having a coach basket feed cooperative balls and doing this off of a practice live ball are night and day development progressions , then you have practice match play pressure which is another level. Then you have tournament play which is another level. Watching and understanding a video lesson is one thing, getting on court and executing is quite another. Not to mention none of this is even possible for players with wrist mobility challenges or those playing with an Eastern or continental FH.

[@topspintennis]

What a great comment. Thanks so much for sharing. I do agree with you that this shot is challenging and may be difficult to execute for 95% of the players in the world. I was rated a 5.0 by the USTA and played in a 5.5 league at one time. Even when I played at that level I still didn't understand the concept of hitting "up and across the ball." Gaining this knowledge I was able to have a whole new arsenal of shots in my game. Now with that being said, can a 3.0 male execute this shot? I believe he can and here is my reasoning. If he can hit topspin with an incoming ball in Zone 2, he can hit a high, side spin forehand in Zone 3. I will create a video on topspin vs side spin and make sure to include your comment in the video. You are correct that wrist mobility, different grips do make a difference in executing this shot. One thing the pros do better than anyone is they can use different grips to hit different shots. They don't use one "cookie cutter" grip for each shot. Thanks again for your comment, I always love the dialogue we have. All the best! JF

[@poida007]

@@topspintennis Hi John, thanks for the kind words and the followup. Look forward to your video but l must admit I’ve yet to see a 3.0 player effectively manage high balls when they struggle hitting Zone 2 waist high balls because of poor setup. That’s what keeps them at 3.0, they lack reception skills, footwork and timing and they usually don’t make clean contact to be consistent. How many hours and months would it take to train this shot and would a 3.0 player have the time let alone the skills and leg, shoulder strength and flexibility? Hitting Zone 3 high balls with sidespin should not be a priority for a 3.0 player or a 3.5 player. At 4.0 it makes more sense and is a little more realistic if they are a competitive junior or under 35 adult with lots of athletic ability, money, and time. Otherwise, it’s asking for an injury and lots of frustration IMHO. There’s more practical and necessary things to work on with them ...... like being able to rally 10-15 cooperative balls in a row in the service/mini court which most can’t even do, even with a modified ball. Advanced “technical instruction” which KZbin is filled with, is the last thing beginners or intermediate players need vs basic receiving and sending skills so they can actually rally and play games vs picking up balls for the majority of their time on court. It would be great to see a coach like yourself create a video with two beginners 3.0 and then two 3.5s rallying in the mini-court and have them achieve realistic exchange goals with good fundamentals and compare the skills and results of each pair. Likewise, always enjoy our conversations. Seasons Greetings 🎅🏻

[@matyverona9407]

I’ve seen Rec players hitting high balls...and doing it well

[@poida007]

@@matyverona9407 Depends what you call a rec player and a high ball.

[@TNToncourt]

@@poida007 There are a lot of coaches that lack the knowledge themselves.

[@이동현-j9o6k]

Thank you for sharing from London.

[@topspintennis]

Thanks for watching, I'm glad you are enjoying the content! JF

[@tenniswithric]

Thanks John. During loading in your video, Stan was using his right foot to load but it was leaning forward and placed at the front. Is this the preferred way for these types of high balls? Because for myself, I use semi open stance and while I also load with right foot, i lean more to the back first before shifting body weight forward to the front on my left foot

[@warrenpereira24]

Great instruction. Why is the audio all on the Left Channel ONLY?

[@norienor4658]

Excellent video. I subscribed ! I'll try to apply the.advice

[@topspintennis]

Thank you for your support. Let me know your thoughts on the results! JF

[@MichaelSienkiewicz]

I struggle with this analysis, but one thing Stan is doing here that you don't emphasize is he's got a pretty narrow base on the ground and is pushing up and forward into the ball. People focus on the arm action and shoulders a lot, but what's happening with the legs is as important. Wonder if it's executed differently for a high ball approach shot around the service line?

[@topspintennis]

Are you saying he has a narrower base to elevate more into the ball?

[@MichaelSienkiewicz]

@@topspintennis Yes, he's pushing up and forward pretty aggressively. Also, my prior comment had a typo - meant to say I "agree" with your analysis!

[@allboutthemojo]

Using your legs to spring up into a shot is a requirement for pro and non pro ( high level) player's. The reason Stan has a narrow base on this high shot is because it makes no sense physically to stoop low on a high ball. He needs to be more physically efficient and only go down enough ( a couple of inches) so that he can propell himself up and transfer that energy into racket head speed.

[@sriniviswanathan8523]

Super analysis. I am going to try this weekend

[@topspintennis]

How did it go? Did you have success? JF

[@chtomlin]

Good points in this vid and good shout out to Oscar of course, but you can't leave Congruent Tennis out as the innovators, with our detailed instruction on this type of "Shape Fade" high Fh, lol. Don't forget how we had you killing these at net when you were down here in Atlanta!

[@topspintennis]

You are correct Chuck, CTM has had a major influence on this content. I will continue to give CTM the respect it deserves! JF

[@chtomlin]

@@topspintennis Keep up the great work!

[@twinwankel]

I use this technique out of necessity since I play up on the baseline. This is more used with balls on the rise. I also do this on my one-handed backhand.