Had a one-on-one coaching session earlier today, and this video totally reinforces everything we went over regarding forehands. I find the slo-mo analyses and still photos of the pros very helpful. Good stuff!
Making sense tennis skill, it is worthy to give it a try. It works for me so far on the forehand, lawn mower starter pull. Love it. Diego Schwzartman pulls his left shoulder on every forehand shot beautifully. Lawn-mower- starter pull makes sense because left hand, left elbow, and left shoulder are all smoothly, not violently, aligning to create the lag on the forehand passenger racket. How fun it is to shout out to lawn mower, passenger, breaking wooden board karate acceleration before-and-after fist.. It seems like distraction method to create the attractively-effective forehand. Well done coach Alfred.
This might be one of my favorite comments ever! And you’re right, Schwartzman has a beautiful stroke and really utilizes every muscle in his body to produce some real backcourt magic. I really appreciate the encouragement!
Thanks! They are our public courts for which we are grateful. We are actually building 6 brand new private courts which should be completed by March. Definitely excited about that! Much easier to film on:)
Thank you! Throwing that racket should help and is a lot of fun. Let me know how it goes. It’s also really helpful on the serve. The Williams sisters would go out and serve-throw rackets up and down a football field. Seems to have worked well for them:)
Thank you, I really appreciate the comment! Deciding what topics get in what videos is definitely the toughest part of the process. Receiving good feedback like this helps me to improve moving forward so I really appreciate it!
The problem for most advanced players is that they are very good at this "shadow swing" without the ball. But the balls from good opponents come way outside the comfort zone. High, low, spin, slice, flat, fast, etc.... the big difficulty then is to keep the perfect movement. How do you train that?
Now that is an excellent point and an excellent question! In fact, my next video is on that very topic. Basically, making the fundamentals 2nd nature in a pressure-less situation is only step 1. The amount of time the pros spend doing shadow swing drills is pretty substantial. Of course, they don’t just swing in a neutral position… they work on shadowing the difficult shots as well. They then build on that in their live ball practices, drilling those more difficult elements while working to maintain perfection of form. I’ve watched many of the top players in the world spend hours on a single shot (shadow, live ball, analyze with coach, correct, rinse and repeat). In the end, we master things going from simple to difficult, no pressure to more pressure. Most players only practice the simple that never translates into an actual tennis match and ends up wasting the practice. I hope to address this in my next video so stay tuned:) Thanks so much for the question!
This is true coaching, my before forehand is not power forehand, but I see the pro it is look like this tutorial when they hit a forehand they recoil synchronize with their shoulder, try it guys, you will know a great forehand, it's a pro forehand and you will be happy. I learned this kind of forehand within two months, copying, finding the contact point and just always drill and drill, I'm not playing and now I'm happy the resulf of my forehand it's look like a pro forehand hehe...
That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing. And you state it perfectly - we all have the potential to have really beautiful, consistent, and powerful strokes, it just takes a bit of knowledge and a lot of practice. So proud of you for putting in the work and seeing it pay off. Keep it up!
Coach I love the video, can you please include a hitting session with a student or a ball machine. Thanks, Ps I have seen your serve video please also make a video for different serves and how to aim them.
Thank you! I have a video coming out within the week that has me hitting a bit…just finishing up the editing. It’s focused on maximizing practices to improve match play so keep an eye out for that one:) And I’ll start working on those serve vids as well cuz I have a lot of students who would love that so great idea!
Very helpful regarding the load and unload phase and the corresponding body mechanics! Could you please elaborate on the grip to be used? I guess u did not mention or I missed it. Thanks a lot & cheers from Munich
I’m so glad it was helpful! And what an honor to be connecting with Munich! You ask a great question. My recommendation is to use a good semi-western grip. An Eastern is also acceptable but most of the modern game is based on the former. The SW can be found by placing your pointer finger pad and heel pad of your hand on the 4th bevel of the racket. Let me know if that helps or if more clarification would be beneficial. Really appreciate your encouragement and question. Thanks!
Thanks Alfred. I tried today on the court with a friend. I have more power now but app. 50% of the shots are out (too long, too deep). I guess I do not generate enough spin, right? How can I improve that?
Hey! So sorry for late reply…. That is one of the drawbacks to more power, which is less control:) it’s a great problem to have! A couple of ideas: 1. Strings. Maybe string a couple lbs tighter to give that control. Or maybe even type of string (full bed of poly or a more edged poly for the extra grab) could work. This is the best option to help. 2. Racket. Might even consider a more control oriented frame. It is Christmas after all:) 3. Form. This is where we have to be careful because without seeing your strokes it could do more harm that good. But assuming form is on point then you could consider shortening the take back. There are several other options here too but probably only worth discussing if the options above fail. Let me know how it goes!
Great coaching on implementing fundamentals of not just forehand but probably applies to every tennis stroke. I wonder if you can make a video on the optimal swing path of both forehand and backhand strokes. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! And I’m writing down that idea. I’ll finish up the video I’m presently working on (5 tips for more productive practice) and maybe start on that one. I really appreciate the suggestion. Be looking for it soon:)
Good and precise presentation. May I ask how to judge the ball going to my forehand or backhand at the earliest preparation for the 3 steps? Thanks a lot! your talk is amazing.
That’s a great question. In general, reading the ball is a skill that tends to get better over time but there are definitely some tips that can help us improve even quicker. I’ll list some here: 1. High % tennis is all about cross court. Knowing that gives a huge advantage as you will know what to expect and therefore react quicker. In general, the opponent’s FH will produce a FH for you (if both are righties). And if they don’t play the cross court game then it’s low % tennis which is also good for you:) 2. Watching the opponent make contact gives a great read on which direction the ball will go. Try to notice the little things such as whether they are late or early, balanced or imbalanced, the direction of their swing, and location on court. Believe it or not, most players telegraph their shots before hitting and if we can pick up on those little things we have a higher chance of reading earlier. 3. Know your opponent. What tendencies do they have? Again, this gives a huge bump to reading the ball. Outside of this, training those eyes to react to the ball quickly takes time and a lot of practice. It will become reflex that gets quicker and quicker. The pros do this so well which is why they look like they are just sitting their waiting on a 90 mph blast to the corner. In the end though, we really want to try to have that unit turn going no later than the time the ball crosses the net plane. That’s probably more than you were asking for so I’ll stop there:) Hope this helps!
One quick question,at what point arm works independently in swing? Is it always passive or at the end (after hips rotation completed)swinging racquet with arm starts happening?
That’s a great question! Basically, the legs fire and then everything else follows. Because the arm is nice and relaxed, or passive, a stretching of the shoulder & pec takes place. Just a fraction of a second later the pec contracts (stretch-shorten cycle) and the butt of the racket is yanked forward (lag) - which then creates another stretch but this time in the forearm (lag) which will also shorten. Because of this I hesitate to call the arm “passive” from a technical standpoint as muscles are firing. Rather I tend to like “passenger” a bit more…. But whatever helps more is fine. This is actually why I like that 3rd step so much - swinging “through” the ball - because it seems to teach the correct idea naturally. Let me know if this made sense… Thanks for the question!
Isn’t that so surprising?! Back in my day (definitely revealing my age here:) everyone had a pretty basic understanding of how to throw. Not so much anymore as you pointed out. This is why I often begin our practices with throwing…. It’s just so helpful to practically every tennis stroke. Thanks for the comment! 🙏
Thank you so much for the encouragement!!! And I hear you on the cutting and agree wholeheartedly. Definitely trying to get better on that front. (You should have seen the first version of this video which was 45 minutes long! :). Moving forward you can help keep me accountable as the feedback is really helpful as I try to grow and improve. Thanks again! I really appreciate it.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. Very true…. I’m simply speaking in the metaphor of everyday language. Most people/teams/athletes talk of “stretching” and whether they understand the intricacies or not, it seems to serve its purpose. But you’re right, muscles don’t “stretch” but they can “extend” and then contract. Increasing extension tolerance benefits the person on a number of levels and definitely helps in the game of tennis. As with any metaphor, it never hold up well when viewed literally, one of the inherent downfalls of poetic devices. Great thoughts though! Thanks again for sharing.
Hey! I’m not really sure what’s being referred to here…. Did I say that in the video? (It’s certainly possible but my memory isn’t the best:) The big idea here was step 3 which was about swinging through the ball rather than decelerating at contact. I certainly don’t want my players touching the ball then accelerating as that wouldn’t be too beneficial, except for maybe some short court rallies. Anyway, let me know if I can clarify anything. Appreciate the comment! 🙏
Had a one-on-one coaching session earlier today, and this video totally reinforces everything we went over regarding forehands. I find the slo-mo analyses and still photos of the pros very helpful. Good stuff!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you🙏
This video worked for me. And this morning I played with improved forehand. Thanks coach🙏
I’m so glad to hear it!!! Thanks for sharing!
Making sense tennis skill, it is worthy to give it a try. It works for me so far on the forehand, lawn mower starter pull. Love it. Diego Schwzartman pulls his left shoulder on every forehand shot beautifully. Lawn-mower- starter pull makes sense because left hand, left elbow, and left shoulder are all smoothly, not violently, aligning to create the lag on the forehand passenger racket. How fun it is to shout out to lawn mower, passenger, breaking wooden board karate acceleration before-and-after fist.. It seems like distraction method to create the attractively-effective forehand. Well done coach Alfred.
This might be one of my favorite comments ever! And you’re right, Schwartzman has a beautiful stroke and really utilizes every muscle in his body to produce some real backcourt magic. I really appreciate the encouragement!
Tutorial is the best, thank you... Greats Video...
I appreciate that! Thank you!
Visceral tuition Alfred, coaching at its best, thank you.
I really appreciate the encouragement. Thank you!
Very good teaching and video! Thank you very much. Beautiful tennis courts too.
Thanks! They are our public courts for which we are grateful. We are actually building 6 brand new private courts which should be completed by March. Definitely excited about that! Much easier to film on:)
Thanks for a great tutorial and love your energy!
I really appreciate that! Those who know me say it’s hyper activity…. I like your description better:)
Wow! Exceptional teaching!! Learned a lot!! Thank you soo much for making it simple!🥰🙏🏽
Thank you! That is very kind. I’m so glad it was helpful.
Enjoy the video and tips!!! Thank so much!!
Im so glad to hear that! Thank you!
great description ,thank you coach
Thank you for the encouragement! I’m so glad it helped.
Great lesson. I WILL try throwing the racket for sure.
Thank you! Throwing that racket should help and is a lot of fun. Let me know how it goes. It’s also really helpful on the serve. The Williams sisters would go out and serve-throw rackets up and down a football field. Seems to have worked well for them:)
I like This, I feel like too much stuff that people already know in the beginning but getting toward the middle with rotation and stuff is good 👍
Thank you, I really appreciate the comment! Deciding what topics get in what videos is definitely the toughest part of the process. Receiving good feedback like this helps me to improve moving forward so I really appreciate it!
This is a great tip!!!👍👍👍
So glad it was helpful! Thank you for the encouragement 🙏
i feel the energy . thank you
I appreciate that! Thank you 🙏
Precisely Explained n Demoed
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great video
Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
The problem for most advanced players is that they are very good at this "shadow swing" without the ball. But the balls from good opponents come way outside the comfort zone. High, low, spin, slice, flat, fast, etc....
the big difficulty then is to keep the perfect movement. How do you train that?
Now that is an excellent point and an excellent question! In fact, my next video is on that very topic.
Basically, making the fundamentals 2nd nature in a pressure-less situation is only step 1. The amount of time the pros spend doing shadow swing drills is pretty substantial. Of course, they don’t just swing in a neutral position… they work on shadowing the difficult shots as well. They then build on that in their live ball practices, drilling those more difficult elements while working to maintain perfection of form. I’ve watched many of the top players in the world spend hours on a single shot (shadow, live ball, analyze with coach, correct, rinse and repeat).
In the end, we master things going from simple to difficult, no pressure to more pressure. Most players only practice the simple that never translates into an actual tennis match and ends up wasting the practice.
I hope to address this in my next video so stay tuned:)
Thanks so much for the question!
Good explanations and motivational music. 😊
I really appreciate that! Thank you so much!
This video helps alot . Thank u
My pleasure! Glad it helped:)
This is true coaching, my before forehand is not power forehand, but I see the pro it is look like this tutorial when they hit a forehand they recoil synchronize with their shoulder, try it guys, you will know a great forehand, it's a pro forehand and you will be happy.
I learned this kind of forehand within two months, copying, finding the contact point and just always drill and drill, I'm not playing and now I'm happy the resulf of my forehand it's look like a pro forehand hehe...
That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing. And you state it perfectly - we all have the potential to have really beautiful, consistent, and powerful strokes, it just takes a bit of knowledge and a lot of practice. So proud of you for putting in the work and seeing it pay off.
Keep it up!
Well explained. Thank you.
I really appreciate that!
Coach I love the video, can you please include a hitting session with a student or a ball machine. Thanks,
Ps I have seen your serve video please also make a video for different serves and how to aim them.
Thank you! I have a video coming out within the week that has me hitting a bit…just finishing up the editing. It’s focused on maximizing practices to improve match play so keep an eye out for that one:) And I’ll start working on those serve vids as well cuz I have a lot of students who would love that so great idea!
Thank you🎉 Fantastic
My pleasure! I’m so glad it helped. And I love your name! The world needs a lot more joy.
Thank you for your words Coach. I love your art, the vehicle to spread joy all over the world.
Very helpful regarding the load and unload phase and the corresponding body mechanics!
Could you please elaborate on the grip to be used? I guess u did not mention or I missed it. Thanks a lot & cheers from Munich
I’m so glad it was helpful! And what an honor to be connecting with Munich!
You ask a great question. My recommendation is to use a good semi-western grip. An Eastern is also acceptable but most of the modern game is based on the former. The SW can be found by placing your pointer finger pad and heel pad of your hand on the 4th bevel of the racket.
Let me know if that helps or if more clarification would be beneficial.
Really appreciate your encouragement and question. Thanks!
Thanks Alfred. I tried today on the court with a friend. I have more power now but app. 50% of the shots are out (too long, too deep). I guess I do not generate enough spin, right? How can I improve that?
Hey! So sorry for late reply….
That is one of the drawbacks to more power, which is less control:) it’s a great problem to have!
A couple of ideas:
1. Strings. Maybe string a couple lbs tighter to give that control. Or maybe even type of string (full bed of poly or a more edged poly for the extra grab) could work. This is the best option to help.
2. Racket. Might even consider a more control oriented frame. It is Christmas after all:)
3. Form. This is where we have to be careful because without seeing your strokes it could do more harm that good. But assuming form is on point then you could consider shortening the take back. There are several other options here too but probably only worth discussing if the options above fail.
Let me know how it goes!
Great coaching on implementing fundamentals of not just forehand but probably applies to every tennis stroke. I wonder if you can make a video on the optimal swing path of both forehand and backhand strokes. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! And I’m writing down that idea. I’ll finish up the video I’m presently working on (5 tips for more productive practice) and maybe start on that one. I really appreciate the suggestion. Be looking for it soon:)
Good and precise presentation. May I ask how to judge the ball going to my forehand or backhand at the earliest preparation for the 3 steps? Thanks a lot! your talk is amazing.
That’s a great question. In general, reading the ball is a skill that tends to get better over time but there are definitely some tips that can help us improve even quicker. I’ll list some here: 1. High % tennis is all about cross court. Knowing that gives a huge advantage as you will know what to expect and therefore react quicker. In general, the opponent’s FH will produce a FH for you (if both are righties). And if they don’t play the cross court game then it’s low % tennis which is also good for you:) 2. Watching the opponent make contact gives a great read on which direction the ball will go. Try to notice the little things such as whether they are late or early, balanced or imbalanced, the direction of their swing, and location on court. Believe it or not, most players telegraph their shots before hitting and if we can pick up on those little things we have a higher chance of reading earlier. 3. Know your opponent. What tendencies do they have? Again, this gives a huge bump to reading the ball.
Outside of this, training those eyes to react to the ball quickly takes time and a lot of practice. It will become reflex that gets quicker and quicker. The pros do this so well which is why they look like they are just sitting their waiting on a 90 mph blast to the corner. In the end though, we really want to try to have that unit turn going no later than the time the ball crosses the net plane.
That’s probably more than you were asking for so I’ll stop there:)
Hope this helps!
Thank you very much! @@pcatennis
I follow your tip number three and it helped a lot, but can you compensate me for my new broken racquet
That’s hilarious! Let me know what racket you play with and I’ll send one right over:)
One quick question,at what point arm works independently in swing? Is it always passive or at the end (after hips rotation completed)swinging racquet with arm starts happening?
That’s a great question! Basically, the legs fire and then everything else follows. Because the arm is nice and relaxed, or passive, a stretching of the shoulder & pec takes place. Just a fraction of a second later the pec contracts (stretch-shorten cycle) and the butt of the racket is yanked forward (lag) - which then creates another stretch but this time in the forearm (lag) which will also shorten. Because of this I hesitate to call the arm “passive” from a technical standpoint as muscles are firing. Rather I tend to like “passenger” a bit more…. But whatever helps more is fine. This is actually why I like that 3rd step so much - swinging “through” the ball - because it seems to teach the correct idea naturally.
Let me know if this made sense…
Thanks for the question!
@@pcatennis thank you
Thanksss
My pleasure!
Thanks for this. About your throwing drill: You'd be surprised at how many students, young and old, don't know how to throw correctly...
Isn’t that so surprising?! Back in my day (definitely revealing my age here:) everyone had a pretty basic understanding of how to throw. Not so much anymore as you pointed out. This is why I often begin our practices with throwing…. It’s just so helpful to practically every tennis stroke.
Thanks for the comment! 🙏
@@pcatennis Kids don't play baseball, football, basketball, etc in P.E anymore-- some students I meet don't even have P.E. Cheers!
It's pretty sad, isn't it:(
Your work is ingenious!!!
It's quality work!
But there are too many notes.
Just cut a few, and it will be perfect!!!!
Thank you so much for the encouragement!!! And I hear you on the cutting and agree wholeheartedly. Definitely trying to get better on that front. (You should have seen the first version of this video which was 45 minutes long! :). Moving forward you can help keep me accountable as the feedback is really helpful as I try to grow and improve.
Thanks again! I really appreciate it.
1.Muscles are not "rubber bands"
2.Muscles can only contract or relax
3.Muscles do not store energy
Hey! Thanks for the comment. Very true…. I’m simply speaking in the metaphor of everyday language. Most people/teams/athletes talk of “stretching” and whether they understand the intricacies or not, it seems to serve its purpose. But you’re right, muscles don’t “stretch” but they can “extend” and then contract. Increasing extension tolerance benefits the person on a number of levels and definitely helps in the game of tennis. As with any metaphor, it never hold up well when viewed literally, one of the inherent downfalls of poetic devices.
Great thoughts though! Thanks again for sharing.
like
I’m glad to hear it! Thank you.
Touch the ball and then accelerate ？
Hey! I’m not really sure what’s being referred to here…. Did I say that in the video? (It’s certainly possible but my memory isn’t the best:) The big idea here was step 3 which was about swinging through the ball rather than decelerating at contact. I certainly don’t want my players touching the ball then accelerating as that wouldn’t be too beneficial, except for maybe some short court rallies. Anyway, let me know if I can clarify anything.
Appreciate the comment! 🙏