What Novak Djokovic Taught Me About My Forehand

[@ndevay4565]

One of the best forehand lessons ever, actually teaches you the drills you can do.

[@marathidiamond5083]

If someone wants to improve his/her forehand, this is the perfect lesson. I have improved my forehand lately before seeing this video. The change corresponds exactly with what Kevin taught in his video. Kevin, you are a good teacher 👍

[@miltonpolli6776]

What a great analysis! Another important aspect of Djokovic's forehand is the elbow elevation during the unit turn. It stays almost at same level of his shoulders. It helps to keep the racket at same side of the body during the swing phase.

[@jonathanserban]

In all my tennis sessions what you explained me in 12 minutes nobody has ever explained me this in perfect footage . Thank you very much! You explained this in such simple steps!

[@DD-lc3vr]

Serban?

[@RandomZShorts15]

Love seeing people learing from the one and only goat!

[@chris_g_vibes]

This video is/was very instructional. I watched it twice and drew an illustrated sketch with words on main points: Front-Turn-Drop-Rotate. Many Thank Yous

[@michaellorin8701]

I wish more people were clear communicators like this. Well done!

[@sjwilliams1951]

Very good analysis! I am 70 years old but never learned tennis properly. I have not come close to mastering all 6 points. But the unit turn and the three fingered grip has definitely improved my forehand. Never heard a better explanation about the position and purpose of the left hand (right hand for lefties).

[@AngelBaena128]

I love watching these videos that get HIGHLY technical but, Djokovic could be like “dude I’m just hitting the ball”

[@Lladless]

well i mean at this point to him he’s just hitting the ball at some point he’s had to train that muscle memory

[@user-dv4dh8mf9t]

Yeah, you try really hard to do all these things but it just keeps falling apart. Eventually u realise you just have to hit it

[@AlanGonzalez-ev6ur]

@@user-dv4dh8mf9t not really. You wanna learn this stuff and then hit the shot. But the key is to not think about it WHILE you hit the shot. Think "okay this is how i want to hit the shot" then relax and let it happen when the ball comes to you. The information is good but you just cant overthink it when youre trying to actually hit the shot

[@AlanGonzalez-ev6ur]

The other big important thing is to make sure you take it step by step. Try learning to take the racquet back as displayed in the video, and try hitting your own forehand like normal with that. Then once thats incorporated into your form, try the next step

[@hpdbff510]

Check out Novak’s tennis lessons

[@christopherpollak7448]

Hey Kevin. Tons of gold packed into 12 minutes. I've got to watch this over and over again...then execute the instruction. Thanks for the insights.

[@jschrager23]

this is one of the best forehand description videos I have ever watched

[@vijayyadavs]

Kevin, You are a genius. You have covered all aspects of tennis step by step for beginners like me to play twnnis and enjoy the game without having to have injuries. There is no one better than you, to decipher this game.

[@mladenlukic6869]

Don't forget that Djokovic is an excellent skier (his father was a ski instructor) and with that he masters upper to lower body separation.

[@DavidsrbijaCCCC300]

Learn From the 👑🐐

[@robertl.6919]

Thanks... 2 points I woulk like to mention. In your initial unit turn body position, you are really leaning back putting more weight on your right leg. Djoko stays balanced, almost standing straight thru the process. That changes the weight transfer phase and helps keep your balance. Second thing, and Federer does the same, is their shoulders rotation stops exactly when they get perfectly parallel to the base line. The right shoulder does not lead the racket head in a continuous rotation. At some point the complete body is stationary and only the arm is going forward. After contact the arm inertia will pull the right shoulder across the body in the follow thru. That " stopping " moment is key for getting a controlled contact with the ball... Try it. It makes all the difference... Cheers !

[@TotalTennisDomination]

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

[@JJ-vs3tl]

I thank you for the details I didn't appreciate watching them playing, I will put your tips into practice

[@robertl.6919]

@@TotalTennisDomination Nice ! Thanks for your response... This is rarely talked about in tennis teaching. We say that usually you try to hit the ball as your unit turn gets your shoulders parallel to the baseline as you " unwind " starting with the hips. But we see lots of players overturn or leading with the shoulders making them miss the timing hit zone. In fact , the torso " pulls" the arm by rotation but if the shoulders continue rotating passed the hit zone it will force the player to almost hit behind his body or lose his balance forward. This is a good Federer video where you clearly see his shoulders stop the rotation as they get parallel to the baseline and the follow thru brings his shoulders perpendicular way after the hit... Enjoy and keep me posted if you had fun trying that ! Cheers ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iofMeHilnNtmqMU

[@sarpwatts432]

The most educative tennis lessons channel is this one.

[@Noble.Hustler]

I recently unleashed this "Novak" forehand at our local club and must say people are still talking! Many thanks for really drilling in and explaining these mechanics and stuff using concepts that we mere mortals can digest ! Great job!

[@venkataramanareddyta]

Imo, the best players have three important characteristics to their swing: 1) Shoulder/hip separation. The swing starts after the hips are front on to the target 2) Pronation: The wrist and forearm is turned inward. Helps with ball contact and greater time holding on to the ball 3) Either a big enough backswing or a short swing with the hands being slightly behind the line of the shoulders. Just coach these three things

[@robertstar7463]

Great explanations, thanks and Djokovic is quite the Master Player to learn from.

[@laurasimon-sulzer7966]

kevin, you are a great analyst and you also make your explanations chrystal clear, which is rare and precious.

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

I've only realised recently how different this forehand is to whatever I grew up watching in the 80s and 90s - thanks for talking us through this and telling us what is happening at each point in the shot. Apart from watching ivdeos of players in slo-mo it's also similar discoveries about how differently badminton shots are made to what I thought they were - not that they're at all the same, but once you examine the anatomy of a shot you realise it's a whole different principle at work. If anything's similar there it's that the shot is relaxed most of the way, the body is used with a windup action release, and a bent arm is really helpful in ensuring that snap happens.

[@kenseewald7301]

When I haven't seen one of your videos in awhile, I kick myself for not coming back sooner. I was recently trying to show someone else how to hit this forehand, and it reminded me what I was doing wrong! This modern forehand is not the most natural shot but it is nice, easy power.

[@torrubirubi]

Great analysis. Just a thought about the role of the left arm. The arm is not extended to help the player to find the right distance to the ball (or to improve balance, as also often stated). The actual thing is that left arm will help in the rotation of the body. Think on figure skating spins, which begins with the skater extending the arms laterally. Tennis players do exactly the same, bringing the left arm in front of the body and bringing it close to the breast to rotate as quickly as possible. You can observe the role of the arm if you try to play a forehand with the left arm “dead” - the forehand will be much slower compared with the left arm across the body.

[@ldeue4837]

The best example for me is the stick with 2 strings left and right tied at the end is a ball. It's a childrens toy, or basically how helicopter blades function. The fastest you can ever move those balls tied to the strings(your arms) is by twisting the shaft in the middle(your body). Until people learn to "let go" to the control they understand and find a newer looser control, the better they will be for it.

[@brasileirosim5961]

The thing with the distance is clearly falsified when you see how pros (snd most hobby players) find the right distance to the ball when playing the BH topspin with both hands. The same with BH topspin or slice with one hand. The explanation with the left hand to find the right distance is used already since decades. However, I think that most things he is explaining is correct, as far as I can judge. His explanations are great!

[@ldeue4837]

A good swing is initiated by the off arm, I think it's honestly one of the most important parts of the forehand. You will never create great rhythm without it.

[@davidstacy3169]

Nice video Kevin, However, please note the difference between your follow through and Djokovic's follow through. Djolovic's hitting elbow is pointing towards the target. This is not only key for the direction and target the ball is hit, but it defines how the forearm rotates to help create topspin on the ball. As in all things. structure determines function. That is to say the physical positioning of the body has a functional relationship on how the ball is stuck.

[@ad-ir3wk]

You know…..this is an excellent video. The subconcepts are so clear,digestible in bite sizes and achievable. Not rocket science-like. Thanks 👌🏽

[@nothinguploaded]

This is the only tennis channel I watch religiously

[@prorakesh]

same here .. :)

[@TotalTennisDomination]

Thanks, I really appreciate the support!

[@bbeeezzy]

Oh man -- fantastic! Holding the racquet longer with the left hand during prep/loading makes SO much sense! I am 50yo and my ears perk up every time I come across a tip that will help maintain power & control while reducing elbow & wrist fatigue (no windshield-wiper forehand for me, than you very much). That little extra bit of twist looks like it could allow my arm/wrist/elbow to work less hard -- and such a simple & easy thing to incorporate. i can't wait to try it at my match this weekend -- Thanks, Kevin!!

[@easonzhang662]

Just yesterday, my coach taught me that after clipping the racket head, the logo at the bottom of the handle should be directed to the ball so that more power could be transferred. In this video, I find Djokovic shows how to do that. It's impressive.

[@Teknakill]

THIS VIDEO IS GOOD, WATCH IT, WORTH EVERY SECOND...oh and thanks TTD, clear precise and easy to watch.

[@coachangelap.wilson824]

I USE THE SAME COACHING KEYS TO MAKE CLIENTS UNDERSTAND FULLY THE ROLE CONNCETIVITY BETWEEN KINETIC CHAIN / BIOMECHANIC MOVEMENTS AND RACQ USED TO GENERATE THE RIGHT SWING AND RACQ-BALL AIM. GREAT STUFF KEVIN. A LOT OF PEOPLE MUST RELEARN HOW TO USE THEIR BODY BY LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING BIOMECHANICS OF THE BODY AND COORDONATION AS WELL BREATHING TECH TO SERVE THEM IMPROVE TENNIS FASTER.

[@somtoonubogu]

Can't belive I'm just finding this video. Guilty of "muscling" the ball. Will try this to use my body more. Thanks Kevin

[@gustavodominguez3999]

great detailed explanation. is easy to miss all this by just watching Novak's video

[@RandomZShorts15]

Tysm just started playing tennis and this helped me alot to improve my forehand!

[@jillmoraghan9664]

Excellent teacher, appreciate his wisdom and enthusiasm .

[@johnp1]

Good insights. This video helps reinforce techniques that we're taught but don't do properly or consistently.

[@rogersadler7434]

well said…can’t wait to put into action…or, attempt…

[@bn6942]

This brother is awesome. Thanks bro!

[@DwayneJohnsonCochran]

He's great. Simple lesson on improving the forehand. Novak is relaxed with great posture to increase pace and direction. Great lesson.

[@Teknakill]

Relaxing is key to anything in life to be better at it, even life itself. Quit stressin!

[@gabrielortiz4921]

man what a geat vid, from your commentary which is almost relaxing, to the production. tips are very logical and clear to understand.

[@surerforever9739]

Probably the best of all videos on forehand technique! Thank you.

[@raulllodra4041]

GREAT analyasis ! Love the technic description and way to teach

[@DavidBartosik]

Awesome Kevin. You're articulating it so well, with so much detail. I'm as impressed with that as I am with the information. And, all so effortlessly... Like that forehand.

[@musarra195]

Love the analysis. Just had a lesson with my pro taking cues from jokers forehand. I don’t think he drops the racquet much below the ball. And with that loose tension and contact out in front , he destroys it with little effort. Thank you

[@tanyar5861]

Another excellent & super helpful video! So insightful & clear. No other instructors I've come across share this level of guidance. Thank you, Kevin! 🙏🏽

[@bonjongokid5468]

Solid video..love how he talks about the coil, which in physics cooks up the energy, preserve it by extending the non-dorminant hand (for righties, this would be your left hand), and not letting it open too early, also another physics thing he mentions is the raising of the racket head during the the take back and having the help of gravity as you swing downwards, then low to high..great video. Great work!

[@JJ-vs3tl]

Really interesting, thank you for this illustrative video, keep going, please 😊

[@dardoporta5346]

Just perfect lesson from start to finish.

[@yowanowich]

Great way to break it down! Even if it is a bit late for me to change my forehand and I (strive to) hit both forehand and backhand more like Federer anyway, it is helping my 6-year old start out building his forehand like this from the get go. And his strokes are getting heavier already!

[@denluk706]

1. Relax your hand with the racket to the maximum. 2. Extend your left hand deep back, thereby turning your body, and take it as far back as possible without returning it, and only at the end (practice without the right hand with the racket). 3. Lead the stroke in a relaxed manner, without twisting, without hitting with force at all... 4. Lower the racket (drop) and make a natural movement with the straight hand, relaxed for the stroke...

[@Simon.Freund]

Great breakdown of the fearhand and good drills to go along with it. I really think Djokovic's forehand might be one of the most underrated shots on tour!

[@therandomguy5424]

forehand*

[@rockydopeydoge6730]

Djoko opens up his left shoulder and turns quite early compared with other players. We have seen him getting in trouble that way mis-hitting his forehands on the slightly off days. But Djoko being Djoko keeps it under control most of the time and therefore he is one of the greatest ever. The presenter in the video has that problem - even more pronounced. For good unit turn, there are other players to learn from.

[@spyghetti]

not only could taking the racquet back with one hand might limit your coil.. it could also make you tense up your hitting arm/wrist.. using the offhand more to get into the backswing or at least tip up on the way back could also help stay relaxed so your hitting arm doesn't have to do the work.. I know I arm the ball when I get lazy with the offhand because I might have the death grip getting the racquet back and it transfers into arming my shot more and usually some abbreviated follow through where my arm is still pretty tense, but I suck.. Kevin you're literally one of the best instructors (Pros) I've seen, every time concise, clear just awesome instruction.

[@bhujangrajendran5452]

Very nice well put together video, thank you so much for this

[@watchouch]

Thanks for such an informative video

[@briancopeland1080]

I like the arm excursive rotation thing. Really great.

[@AKJoel]

Great analysis, thanks for this! I'm in the process off filming all my shots and sending it through for your analysis service, great idea by the way !

[@mali4282]

What a great video, Kevin can really teach tennis.

[@hypersailor]

Kevin rocks, been following you for years, now the videos look Hollywood style, very focused and your explanations are tight, with the real world practice examples making total sense. I think your stance is not as wide as Nole, plus he 'twists his ankle' to add to that hip rotation. It would be cool to have a stone rookie stand next to you for just a minute or two as it will take thousands of practice balls for us to emulate Nole, and to see a rookie use your tactics and improve might be unique. 48,000 subscribers!

[@vamosrafa9167]

Best forehand lesson ever

[@alvarorobles5583]

Mate, crystal clear explanation, I'm going to start doing this drills. Thank you very much.

[@amywalker7575]

Kevin, you and Novak are both amazing. If it were me doing this video, I would have called it: "What Novak Djokovic Taught Me About My Forehand: It Really Sucks."

[@KC-cv9qb]

Loved this man. Thank you! Will try this weekend

[@alessandroturra2794]

Nice lesson from NoVAX Djokovic

[@James-gj3lb]

Dam great info I played tennis for the second time in my entire life and I like it and want to get better . I feel like this video definitely answered a lot of my questions

[@rolandharris2706]

Prepare for a spiritual journey

[@kenwang3858]

Really appreciate this video. Really good analysis of Djoker’s forehand!

[@notyourpgainstructor5139]

holy crap, this is really a sweet video. I just subscribed. i tried this in my hitting session today and did not like it at first. i also found it super interesting starting with a forehand grip (semi wester for me). the part that was most noticably for me was leaving the left arm extended so i could gauge my shot better. again thanks for the great video and will be viewing more of your content

[@smarty432]

Comparing to other tennis videos, your forehand and backhands videos have untie the knots for me by making me understand totaaly the concept behind them. I have seen real improvements after watching your in depth explanations. Yours are the best there are. I have watched all your videos from 7 years back and your videos are getting better and better conceptually. Thank you for opening my eyes!

[@georgethomas8021]

fantastic video. So much unpacked in such a short time. Thanks for sharing.

[@hayrettinaslan5093]

Awesome and so helpful to go up level… Amazing analysis a

[@dwightlewis2026]

Just discovered you recently. Very articulate and precise technical discussion and often you have an original way of presenting it. Hope you succeed with your channel. I will be checking it out regularly.

[@empororziehr]

Excellent video, excited to try out those drills!

[@loonaya]

Novak Djokovic is either "probably the greatest of all time", or he most definitely "is one the greatest of all time", there is nothing probable about it :) Great video! :)

[@deeps10]

Love this, clear communication. Keep it up

[@milos2493]

Really well explained! Enjoyed watching your video!

[@Better_Call_Raul]

Am guilty of releasing the off-arm early. As Kevin demonstrates, best to hold on with both hands and generate the shoulder coil. The alternative is to let go early and generate the shoulder coil independently with the off arm. But the tendency, once you release the left arm, is to move forward instead of coiling back. Better to coil back with both arms on the racquet.

[@oliverwilland3535]

Hey Kevin, great video. Thanks a lot. Could you please make a video about the correct breathing during strokes? Cheers and keep going!!

[@prorakesh]

Hello Oliver, thank you for asking this. my breathing naturally pauses at the time of impact, this bothers me sometime if I am doing something wrong.

[@TotalTennisDomination]

Great suggestion! I might have to do a little research on that one. I find myself pushing air out of my mouth when hitting but I don't know if that's serves a real benefit. Thanks

[@oliverwilland3535]

I think it is really worth working on it. I have the feeling that I can relax much better during the strokes when I let flow the air in a constant stream, starting before hitting the ball until the ball left the racket. I think this is also the reason why a lot of people are grunting during their strokes. But maybe I am wrong.

[@KoBizme]

The bioneer I believe is his channel. Yes there is a correct breathing which would really only matter at the higher levels but would still be really beneficial to anyone to know. I'm curious what Kevin will say if he researches and talks on the topic.

[@michaelfuller8940]

@@TotalTennisDomination I think of Azárenka and Sharapova and the sounds they make in their strokes. Maybe it helps the rhythm. One video I saw encouraged "va-Room" for smooth acceleration. Lastly, when I studied judo and karate as a kid we would shout a Kiai which tightens the core and taught a proper breathing technique.

[@azizkamulegeya4939]

Spot on brother! This was very helpful

[@AnthonyTurnham]

Great video. Thanks for putting it together! 👍

[@MrUlaampara]

BEST instructor

[@kaialoha]

Balance=stillness=calm mind = relaxed body=flow=smooth acceleration=effortless speed. Balance is upright at 0-30° knee bend, flatfooted. Vertical spinal axis of rotation. Forget the details. Balance is all.

[@MrChrisArtStudio]

i Love how analytical and applicable your tips are. love your teaching style. subscribed!

[@greenhammer1148]

this guy is a good tennis teacher

[@smartplayer1255]

Thanks for this excellent tutorial GGWP!!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidsim4186]

Perfect explanation! 5.0 player approved

[@terryg3921]

Thanks for the video. Great explanation of the forehand.

[@nicoscarpa]

Love the way you teach.. relax a bit man! You made me anxious lol

[@paulinagonzalez5637]

Excellent video! I’m trying this strategies tomorrow :)

[@afzalkothwal8538]

Perfect footage n hitting tcehnic I learnt today.very useful sessions.thanq

[@charlesdang2557]

Very helpful and insightful pointers, Kevin. Over the years, I become more and more impressed with his technique, so much so that I have switched to the Head Speed Pro and changing my grip from Semi-western/western to closer to an Eastern forehand. Would you consider doing an analysis on his returns? Thanks!

[@crab_striker1961]

Djokovic return : -wait -receive a 120 mph ball -*return the ball with the same speed it came to you while streching your legs over 2 meters.*

[@oyak.4911]

my coach did not even explain that this well! Thanks!

[@ordinalkirk]

Eye opening analysis and lesson. Thank you.

[@benloeb5903]

Kevin - Good explanation. Well done.

[@AndreS-of4gp]

Thanks Kevin, superb, very good!

[@musicfromanotherplanet9656]

you are a very good coach thanks Ill show this to my tennis fanatical 12 year old daughter

[@marielltomasovich7898]

This was an amazing video!!! Loved it!! Will practice this! Thank you😆

[@endinakofunani2068]

Thank you for giving us this video

[@PauloEdson]

Great video. I am 3 months into tennis and it helped me a lot!

[@garyhilson7220]

I my opinion, if you have been playing tennis for years, these motions are just natural. Personally, I've been playing since the age of 15 and now I'm 62. And people always say that I've been coached. Only in high school and by better players telling me when I was younger.

[@jimmash9353]

Brilliant explaination and demo!