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7 Times To Check For A Lighter Grip On Your Topspin Forehand Groundie

July 9, 2011 By Brent Leave a Comment

When we play our topspin forehand groundstroke, most of us grip our rackets too tightly.  Rarely do I see players grip to lightly…

The forehand groundstroke, you know, your bread & butter cross court forehand with natural topspin (not windshield wiper artificial sitting up topspin), needs to obviously be consistent to help you play both offense & defense when the time calls for it.

What controls the consistency of a topspin forehand is the right amount of spin.  Too much spin and your forehand generally lands short and sits up, and not enough spin, and your shot can sail long.

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Filed Under: Tennis Tip, Tennis Tip - Forehand

Forehand Slice Groundstroke – A Must Have

April 7, 2011 By Brent 98 Comments

If you look around the courts at your tennis facility, if you see slice groundstrokes, they’re usually backhand slices and not forehand slices.

Why?  I think a couple of reasons…

Players want to be able to drive the ball from the baseline, and the forehand is just easier to top or flatten out than a backhand.

So, if players are hacking away at their backhand, any forehand is their moment to unload.

And I think the other reason why we see so few slice forehand groundies is because technically it’s not an easy shot.  The backhand slice technically is relatively easy, but the forehand slice not so much.

The benefits of owning a fundamentally sound forehand slice groundstroke are numerous and well worth putting in the time to make yours a weapon.

  • A slice groundstroke has a different shape than a top or flat forehand.  Just the look of it can be disruptive to your opponents.
  • A true slice forehand will skid, stay low through the bounce, and create different points of contact for your opponents.
  • A slice forehand can be played as a safe defensive shot when you’re pulled way wide to your forehand side.
  • A slice forehand can be played if your spacing isn’t right for a topspin or flat forehand (a top or flat forehand drive requires a specific spatial distance away from the ball at contact).
  • A slice forehand can be used as an approach sot so your approach skids and stays low.
  • A slice forehand can be played as a chip & charge return of serve.
  • A slice forehand can be played as a drop shot from the baseline, as you approach, and/or when you play a chip & charge return of serve.

The slice forehand groundie obviously gives you another complete set of tools to use depending what shot has just been played by your opponent, change to look & feel, and on and on…


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So, let me hear from you below in the Comments area.

What’s your biggest challenge or #1 question about the slice forehand groundstroke???

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Brent

Filed Under: Tennis Tip, Tennis Tip - Approach Shots, Tennis Tip - Forehand, Tennis Tip - Forehand Slice, Tennis Tip - Slice Groundstrokes, Tennis Tip - Spin, Tennis Tip - Stroke Fundamentals

Tennis Singles Strategy – Another Opportunity To Approach The Net

November 26, 2010 By Brent 25 Comments

In singles, lots of players hit really nice shots to an opponent’s corner and don’t recognize the opportunity they have there to scoot on up towards the net and quickly intercept their opponent’s next shot and create problems with an approach volley, a drop shot, etc., etc.

As you improve your tennis, you begin to recognize those opportunities when you play shots that really stretch out your opponent and take advantage of them.

Another shot we hit that we rarely recognize as an opportunity to move forward into the court is when we play our shot directly at our opponent and they don’t do a great job of creating space to your shot.

They back up & give up valuable court position, have lousy improvised stroke mechanics, and open up a world of opportunity for you.

Every time my opponent backs up, I see that as an opportunity to quickly move in and play a short drop shot.  As I move in if they play a high ball, then I should have a pretty good chance to hit a clean volley into the open court.  It either ends up as a winner or an easier put away opportunity on the their next shot.

Don’t let this golden opportunity slip by – start to look for this situation when you play a groundstroke directly at your opponent.

We create just as many opportunities to approach when we’ve forced a player to get out of the way of our shot as we do when we stretch them out wide.

How about you? Do you feel that you miss some good chances to get up to net when your opponent is either stretched out or backing up?

Let me/us know below in the Comments area.  Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Brent

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Filed Under: Tennis Mental - Competing, Tennis Mental Skills, Tennis Tip, Tennis Tip - Approach Shots, Tennis Tip - Drop Shot, Tennis Tip - Drop Volleys, Tennis Tip - Forehand, Tennis Tip - Half Volley, Tennis Tip - Singles Strategy
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