Between the ages of 14 and 18, the technical guidelines of junior players develop into competitive maturity in active tennis among the best club players. Here we take a look at the fast forehand analysis and show a series of pictures and videos in slow motion from different perspectives. It’s interesting to observe that if the girls are given the freedom to choose their favorite forehand analysis and also play the ball at their comfort level, they usually choose a fast forehand with relatively little forward spin (flat). This is a stroke that is also seen as a priority on the women’s tour. Let’s take a close look at our youth player Gina (now 18 years old), whom we have been watching on video since she was 10 years old. Elsewhere, we show the development of the racquets in age comparison (10, 12, 14, 16 and 18). Today we focus exclusively on the fast forehand analysis.
The fast forehand analysis from the front view
(Picture 1) Gina has the racquet in front of her body and holds it with a common forehand grip. The left hand is at the heart of the club, the legs are slightly above shoulder width. She initiates the backswing with an upper body rotation (picture 2), the left hand is still at the heart of the racquet, the racquet is lifted (picture 3): The left leg comes forward (adjustment step, better seen in the video). The left hand comes off the racquet. In picture 4, she has found her stance for the stroke, the body fully charged. We like here that the left foot is placed diagonally (towards the right net post), this facilitates body rotation. The racquet head is still pointing up behind the body. Picture 5+6: the left arm is “recovering”, the body is rotating forward, the clubface is pointing almost parallel to the ground and the grip cap is pointing forward just before the point of impact. The elbow comes closer to the body. Interesting: the racquet hardly comes from below. Clear indication for a fast forehand analysis with little spin. Picture 7: the body has “discharged” into the point of impact, the ball is hit. Also frequently seen in competitive tennis among the pros: the eyes are looking forward or are closed. We wouldn’t do this as a technical guideline, it happens more out of dynamics. Picture 8+9: The forearm rotates up and to the thumb side. The elbow comes up, the racquet swings out to the left side of the body. Picture 10: Gina covers the court via a crossover step.