Probably the best video out on Internet explaining about forehand and at the same time how to get to lag position position naturally. Truly amazing and I've been looking for this kind of explanation for many years. Thank you for your effort and time Ben.
So happy to help :) As a school teacher I think some personalities just click for some students and some it does not. I'm glad my delivery worked for you!
You just made my forehand come alive.! I'm in my living room swinging my racquet and you have concisely explained the way this is supposed to work. I've heard bits and pieces from many people over the years "coaches" etc and no one ever focuses on fluency! You clearly pointed out the root cause followed by reaction. Of the racquet. This is Gold! For every action there is a reaction. Incorrect teaching builds so many bad habits. This helps with so many other aspects of the game. I feel that ican now focus on what I want to do with the ball and how to send the ball with clear directions on how to behave! Thank you!!
You are most welcome! So glad it helped :) Remember to be patient when you can get on a tennis court. Timing is tough to figure out at first. The contact point is way more in front of you!
Federer video..should be noted that he's not pushing his hand forward..he's shifting his weight forward and the hand lags a bit before moving forward first before the lagging racket
wow, simple advice that really makes sense. "Move your fist forward" is a clear instruction that keeps your arm more relaxed on take back, and helps to create racket head speed. And it makes sense of what the pros seem to be doing ( and I am not doing). I look forward to trying out your advice on the court!
Coach Ben, this is an excellent discovery. 40 years ago I witnessed a friend go to national level with this wrist motion. He passed away early after working for a Saudi prince. I never tried it because our wooden rackets then weighed at least 14 ounces and would surely hurt my wrist. I tried this today and found I can do it with my 10 ounce racket. The only caveat is you have to really relax your wrist and you will experience what another teaching pro describe as prying the ball at full extension....i.e., Federer.
Excellent...you cut to the core of what so many people do wrong when first trying to learn the "modern" forehand...gripping the racket tightly prevents a player from getting the proper motion to really plow through the ball.
Thanks for the feedback! Since I taught myself the sport I think I can see some important elements that the pros who don't remember what it's like not to be good forget haha
Really good video and insight. I was doing it all wrong exactly as you described how the lag was being taught wrong all over RUclips, and that tension gave me golfer's elbow and now I'm trying to recover. Wish I saw this video first. Thank you!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness. You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
This is the best explanation of the motion I have watched. It helps a lot. I used to do the "take the racquet back" by turning the wrist as he mentioned not to do ... and that put a lot of unnecessary tension on my forearm and wrist. Good job and thank you, Ben!
Ben I hope the clip of Fed at the end does not get your video kicked off yotutube for copyright infringement. A man named Christophe Delavaut put out a lot of videos showing the lag with Federer and the other pros several years ago. ATP Media got them removed from youtube. If that happens to you, just use a video of an NCAA D1 player who lags.
Omg. This is the best explanation of the whippin motion. Ive been trying different swings while tryin to remember what the previous videos say. Ive been taking the racquet bk myself instead of how moving the fist forward.. Thanks to you I cant wait to use the ball machine to try this. Lol
Best explanation on the racquet lag, cheers mate! And love the clip of Roger hitting the ball. Clear shot of how it happens, in my experience much harder with a lighter sw, making you have to concentrate on moving the handle first, what you cleverly called the fist
I saw a lot of videos how they teach approve your forehead but you are the best in this is the best what I know and I will teach my students also what you told me thank you very much it's very usable and you have to know you are the best thank you
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness. You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
Super great. I have seen many videos about this snap the cap motion but this is very clear explaned. Also the the thing about yousing it when you are on the run and have to compensate. Olaf Coipenhagen Denmark
Olaf sørensen glad it’s helped you! I think it’s hard to describe a “feel” so I’m glad I was as clear as I could be. Happy hitting and thanks for watching!
The rotation of the left shoulder initiates the lag of the wrist. It also allows the arm to straighten and drive the ball. The more bend in the elbow the greater the chance you have to hit across your body incorrectly and smother the shot. Having the arm straight is sometimes the most un-natural aspect of the forehand for amatures. Mastering this action will, however, allow your forehand to become much more explosive and create a fantastic speed/spin combo.
The video doesn't really touch on the idea of grips. Roger's grip is very different than Nadal's or Djoker's. This is why Roger tends to have a straighter arm in the stroke. The more western your grip you have to bend the elbow a bit or you'll start hurting your shoulder. Also note because of his grip, Roger has a more through shot than a brushing up shot. This gives him the heavy ball and spin which is different than the old school fan technique.
Joel W You can do a straight arm stroke for any grip - Nadal is actually a straight arm forehand hitter and he hits with a semi-western. Not a lot of people use eastern anymore, but if they did, many more would have the bent elbow, which is OK - that isn't a wrong way to hit a ball.
Having the hand go first instead of forcing the racket back makes all the difference. I am crushing my forehands now. Thanks! Any advice for unlocking one handed backhands?
That's awesome to hear! The best advice I ever got with my backhand is footwork. Using my back leg in an open stance to swing the hip along with the swing or when you can, step into it. Regardless you need to put your body into the ball more than you think. Hope that helps a bit!
Exactly. I have been forcing my forehand for years. Now thanks to videos including this one I am seeing and feeling what has to happen to produce a relaxed motion. Just need to process the info shown by righties it as I am a lefty.... :)
I think the best way to simplify this so people can easily remember when they are on court is to keep telling oneself: "don't swing with the racket, swing with the hand!" Amazing advice and it is quite literally something so overlooked, yet so essential to success. The best person to see this in effect with is Fed. On every great forehand he hits, he swings with the hand first, and the racket just follows. #effortless
I think that your advice is what I need to make my soft forehand stronger. I see kids swing harder than me so I think that for them your advice comes naturally while for us adults it must come consciously. Thank you coach.
The Bolleteri FH - ie the modern FH. Nick says - yank the racket as to strike the ball with the butt cap and LET the racket head come through. That´s it in a nutshell. You nailed it in a more convoluted way. Check Nick´s DVDs.
Nice video. A few points though. The relaxed wrist (actually your forearm muscles that control your wrist as there are no muscles in the wrist) is a very high level skill. It may be easier to practice this motion with a 30 inch long and 1/2 inch thick wood dowel from Home Depot. Second point is the poster demonstrated the relaxed wrist from a static position. If the racquet is moving back before the relaxed wrist as demonstrated above you get more lag, more wrist laid back, and more racquet speed from the rebound (like a pendulum). When I started teaching in my area 20 years ago, the local pros were still teaching classic tennis - step in from closed stance and swing low to high and keep the wrist firm as you shift your weight from the back leg to the front. I taught kids to rotate from open or semi open stance and to actually use the wrist. My students hit a lot more spin and were quicker getting out of shots and had a clear advantage over the closed stance classic players. When I taught kids to lag like the pros, their forehand in practice would be better than their old straight back forehands but I did not see a clear advantage over kids who did not lag. It is so hard to do well and just to get a little bit more racquet speed, I feel this swing is for tennis academy kids and pros. High school kids who just want to make their teams and then go to college should stick to an easier swing. If you don't lag it is okay to roll your wrist into the ball. If you lag your wrist will roll into the ball naturally. It is a better swing but it is not easy. Also I worry about how much more the wrist gets laid back and little kids. Your wrist lays back more than you can lay it back on its own without the momentum of the racquet. What medical studies have been done on whether this is okay for students especially very young students? I used to watch Federer and wonder how he could lay his wrist back so far. It is from the racquet momentum and lagging.
Thank you for your insight! I think that's definitely how a good coach like yourself should approach each student...how much work ethic they will have and understanding of the tennis swing before giving them too much info. Thanks for posting!
@@teachyourselftennis thanks so much, am guessing for faster balls the wrist first approach should remain but that also means one needs to take the ball early. Only doubt I have is if it works better with a side on or more semi open stance
You should have placed yourself on the baseline, instead of in almost next to the net facing sideways. It is difficult to get a sense of the body position on the swing. Easier to see with the Federer swing. TKS
Racket head power is a more accurate (precise) term than racket head speed. Power is energy/time and energy is, in this case, in the form of kinetic energy, which has contributions from mass and velocity (speed). A heavier racket may move with slightly less speed than a lighter racket, but its momentum (mass times velocity) and therefore kinetic energy could be well worth the extra mass. Heavier rackets are also more stable as they move through the hitting zone and may in turn provide for better ball strikes.
Good question! It's very hard to do it with a two hander but players like Jannik Sinner show that it can be done! Give it a try but if you do, focus on the top hand being the main mechnism for the racquet head speed.
Thank you 🙏🏾. You’re still young enough to make the transition to a single hander 😊. My backhand has always been natural and free with not much thought… perhaps from early table tennis training.
Great analysis.But may I add the role of the torso to facilitate the stroke: The torso stops facilitating the "snap" that is passive not intentional. The video shows Roger stopping his torso rotation and allowing the racket to catch up which is not an intentional snap. You allude to this in your reference to the shoulder reaching the end of it's motion? Thanks
R. Bick good point! The legs and hips are the key drivers of the whole stroke. The video shows the effect of this action when the hand and are set up properly and allowed to transfer energy to the ball. What is needed however is a video showing and isolating how this "engine" works and how to learn the lower body movement. Just pulling the racket forward as illustrated in this vid won't deliver enough energy.
Ben thanks for the explanation very good. Can you explain the wrist bend once the ball is gone? This has always confused be because some players do it and some don't.
Gavin Mason sure! I would say the bend is dependent on the trajectory of the ball you want to hit. A more looping ball will mean the bend of the wrist stays the same so that the racquet goes as far up on the ball as possible but if you want to drive the ball then the angle of the wrist increases as the racquet tip is facing your target more. Hope that helps!
Yes I actually found something pretty cool with my own experience on the backend. I'm going to post a video on serving that relates to this first and then I'll do a backhand video. Been a little behind with all the instruction I'm doing the summer but I'll be on it very soon! Thanks for watching!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness. You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness. You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
It’s all about experimenting! I view push as the arm bending and unbending during the swing and that’s not correct. It’s more of a whip as you let the racquet head swing back as you’re moving your first forward. But again, all about experimenting and see what works best for you. Happy hitting!
Awesome vid Ben! Just want to mention one thing about Federer. I think his inside out - shots over the years have been so damn Good, because he does this whip motion better than anyone else! Agree? :)
zizou357 agreed! He is ridiculous. I think I can relate more to players like Murray who are hard workers rather than pure striking ability which is why fed is my favorite. Incredible shot maker!
Yes and the disguise is the best part. He moves way over to the ad court to hit the forehand many times but the beauty of this stroke is the opponent can't tell which way he is going until the last second! He can go inside out or inside in...
Looks like it's the elbow which moves forward and rotates inwardly first and gets locked which allows us to move the fist forward simultaneously. It's similar to the serve where leading by the elbow cause the racket head to drop behind the head and not forcing the racket to drop.
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness. You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
Roger's arm goes "back" but only because his torso is turning to say 90 degrees while his hips are to 30 degrees. His arm though remains in line with his shoulders (turned with his torso at 90 degrees). Now this 'degree' notion is often mentioned. Sounds nice. Looks nice. How do I get a feel for it though? Another one ids pacing myself so that I hit the ball at the correct distance while using this swing path (mine obviously is most of the time different and not so effective, lol, like with arm close to torso and forearm moving = producing a pitiful short and weak shot). So how do I train myself to extend my arm?
Bruno Coutant Great question and I'll make a follow up video on this to help. As of now if these words help try this: line your racquet to the side of you, parallel to the ground with your strings facing down. Drop feed a ball in front of you and hit from that position by bringing your wrist forward and extending out as you swing. I know the explanation is not the best so I'll try to make a video soon as possible on it!
Hey Ben great video. I think the set up/load might be slightly different for a bent-arm FH as opposed to straight arm. I was brought up hitting with a straight arm, so your explanation seems normal (how else to get full extension at contact?). Would be great if you could comment on differences. Thx
youngmyth Great question! In my experience it seems the straight arm approach gives you more power but hard to time because you have to hit the ball so much more out in front. The bent arm seems to be easier to time but also you can get faster raquet head speed since the swing itself is a little faster with a shorter swing. What do you think?
Probably the best video out on Internet explaining about forehand and at the same time how to get to lag position position naturally. Truly amazing and I've been looking for this kind of explanation for many years. Thank you for your effort and time Ben.
So happy to help :) As a school teacher I think some personalities just click for some students and some it does not. I'm glad my delivery worked for you!
Me too. I totally agree. Thanks Ben:):)
You just made my forehand come alive.! I'm in my living room swinging my racquet and you have concisely explained the way this is supposed to work. I've heard bits and pieces from many people over the years "coaches" etc and no one ever focuses on fluency! You clearly pointed out the root cause followed by reaction. Of the racquet. This is Gold! For every action there is a reaction. Incorrect teaching builds so many bad habits. This helps with so many other aspects of the game. I feel that ican now focus on what I want to do with the ball and how to send the ball with clear directions on how to behave! Thank you!!
You are most welcome! So glad it helped :) Remember to be patient when you can get on a tennis court. Timing is tough to figure out at first. The contact point is way more in front of you!
Thanks so much I will keep that in mind!
Update on the gold?
Federer video..should be noted that he's not pushing his hand forward..he's shifting his weight forward and the hand lags a bit before moving forward first before the lagging racket
wow, simple advice that really makes sense. "Move your fist forward" is a clear instruction that keeps your arm more relaxed on take back, and helps to create racket head speed. And it makes sense of what the pros seem to be doing ( and I am not doing). I look forward to trying out your advice on the court!
Coach Ben, this is an excellent discovery. 40 years ago I witnessed a friend go to national level with this wrist motion. He passed away early after working for a Saudi prince. I never tried it because our wooden rackets then weighed at least 14 ounces and would surely hurt my wrist.
I tried this today and found I can do it with my 10 ounce racket. The only caveat is you have to really relax your wrist and you will experience what another teaching pro describe as prying the ball at full extension....i.e., Federer.
Very true! "Less is more" is very true with grip tightness. Takes awhile to get used to. I'm glad you find it useful!
Excellent...you cut to the core of what so many people do wrong when first trying to learn the "modern" forehand...gripping the racket tightly prevents a player from getting the proper motion to really plow through the ball.
This video totally unlocked my forehand. Watched many videos but the move the fist forward in a relaxed move was the key . Thankyou.
Thanks for the feedback! Since I taught myself the sport I think I can see some important elements that the pros who don't remember what it's like not to be good forget haha
I bet it did. Can't wait to try it... :)
Really good video and insight. I was doing it all wrong exactly as you described how the lag was being taught wrong all over RUclips, and that tension gave me golfer's elbow and now I'm trying to recover. Wish I saw this video first. Thank you!
Vince Duque you are most welcome. Happy hitting!
Thanks, buddy! Really helped me to understand how they produce the whip motion. I will try and practice it till I master it.
After watching hundreds of videos of explanation of racquet lag, yours was the best explanation of all.
michael Scaturro that’s kind to say and I do appreciate that!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness.
You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
this is a great tip, I've watched so many wrist lag videos, but yours really nailed it
So happy it helped! Get on the court and see how it goes :)
Best video on racket head speed.Thanks.
Thanks...took me awhile to figure it out myself :)
This is the best explanation of the motion I have watched. It helps a lot. I used to do the "take the racquet back" by turning the wrist as he mentioned not to do ... and that put a lot of unnecessary tension on my forearm and wrist. Good job and thank you, Ben!
jkh168 so happy to hear! Thanks for watching :)
Ben I hope the clip of Fed at the end does not get your video kicked off yotutube for copyright infringement. A man named Christophe Delavaut put out a lot of videos showing the lag with Federer and the other pros several years ago. ATP Media got them removed from youtube. If that happens to you, just use a video of an NCAA D1 player who lags.
I had no idea! I'll make sure to keep that in mind for future videos. Thank you for the heads up. I really appreciate it!
I have been wondering and searching this technique for last 20 years...I found the answer today thank you!!!!!
Perfect! Scrub all other explanations - this is the one you gotta practice! Also, arm preferably straight on contact for max power. Well done Ben.
Maybe 2 players on the top 100 that use straight arm for hitting the ball. It's not that important...
Omg. This is the best explanation of the whippin motion. Ive been trying different swings while tryin to remember what the previous videos say. Ive been taking the racquet bk myself instead of how moving the fist forward.. Thanks to you I cant wait to use the ball machine to try this. Lol
Let me know how it goes!
Great explanation, nice that you didn't throw in the "lag" concept to overcomplicate things.
Thanks trying to make this as short and concise as possible :). I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I agree.
the concept is there - he just talked and showed it, just didnt use the word.
Best explanation on the racquet lag, cheers mate! And love the clip of Roger hitting the ball. Clear shot of how it happens, in my experience much harder with a lighter sw, making you have to concentrate on moving the handle first, what you cleverly called the fist
Yeah I agree! This is where physics is fun to use to explain some of us :-)
Yes! Great job man!
I saw a lot of videos how they teach approve your forehead but you are the best in this is the best what I know and I will teach my students also what you told me thank you very much it's very usable and you have to know you are the best thank you
You are most welcome! So glad it has helped :)
tried it yesterday.Was concerned re: ability to control my shot. I was able. Thanks
Glad it helped!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness.
You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
thank you thank you thank you.. you are the first to teach this.. or at least ot show this so clearly.
Thanks Bruno. I hope it helps your game out!
Finally. You explained it clearly. Thanks.
So glad to hear that. Let me know how it goes Terry!
Priceless pro advice🎉
love this video beyond words, very very helpful.
Thanks, very helpful video. It clearly explains how we get to the loading position of wrist and helped me reduced my wrist pain.
You are quite welcome and I'm so glad to hear you are pain free when playing :)
excellent explanation. you can learn something new every day. thanks.
Great attitude to have!
Excellent explanation. Thanks!
You’re so welcome!
Good explanation and presentation. thank you
Thanks for watching!
Beyond word the best lesson to unleash ur forehand you are the best teacher
So so glad that helped! I appreciate the kind words.
Super great. I have seen many videos about this snap the cap motion but this is very clear explaned. Also the the thing about yousing it when you are on the run and have to compensate. Olaf Coipenhagen Denmark
Olaf sørensen glad it’s helped you! I think it’s hard to describe a “feel” so I’m glad I was as clear as I could be. Happy hitting and thanks for watching!
The rotation of the left shoulder initiates the lag of the wrist. It also allows the arm to straighten and drive the ball. The more bend in the elbow the greater the chance you have to hit across your body incorrectly and smother the shot. Having the arm straight is sometimes the most un-natural aspect of the forehand for amatures. Mastering this action will, however, allow your forehand to become much more explosive and create a fantastic speed/spin combo.
Thanks for the tip. Great insight!
You got it...Nice job on video.
The video doesn't really touch on the idea of grips. Roger's grip is very different than Nadal's or Djoker's. This is why Roger tends to have a straighter arm in the stroke. The more western your grip you have to bend the elbow a bit or you'll start hurting your shoulder. Also note because of his grip, Roger has a more through shot than a brushing up shot. This gives him the heavy ball and spin which is different than the old school fan technique.
Joel W You can do a straight arm stroke for any grip - Nadal is actually a straight arm forehand hitter and he hits with a semi-western. Not a lot of people use eastern anymore, but if they did, many more would have the bent elbow, which is OK - that isn't a wrong way to hit a ball.
Ivtried this in my last drill class. It works. Finally figured it out. great tip coach
Yessss! Great to hear. 👏
Having the hand go first instead of forcing the racket back makes all the difference. I am crushing my forehands now. Thanks! Any advice for unlocking one handed backhands?
That's awesome to hear! The best advice I ever got with my backhand is footwork. Using my back leg in an open stance to swing the hip along with the swing or when you can, step into it. Regardless you need to put your body into the ball more than you think. Hope that helps a bit!
Exactly. I have been forcing my forehand for years. Now thanks to videos including this one I am seeing and feeling what has to happen to produce a relaxed motion. Just need to process the info shown by righties it as I am a lefty.... :)
Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words...it means a lot!
Superb explanation! Thank you Ben!
My pleasure!
I appreciate your teaching. I finally understand fully 💪
Happy to help!
I think the best way to simplify this so people can easily remember when they are on court is to keep telling oneself:
"don't swing with the racket, swing with the hand!"
Amazing advice and it is quite literally something so overlooked, yet so essential to success. The best person to see this in effect with is Fed. On every great forehand he hits, he swings with the hand first, and the racket just follows. #effortless
Right on Sammy! I agree. Feds forehand makes tennis look so easy haha. Then trying it at full speed is very difficult. I hope it helps your game out!
Absolutely correct. That's how the pros can play heavy games without straining up the wrist muscles.
I think that your advice is what I need to make my soft forehand stronger.
I see kids swing harder than me so I think that for them your advice comes naturally while for us adults it must come consciously.
Thank you coach.
My pleasure! Keep me updated on your progress.
Fantastic explanation.....such clarity & subd!
Thank you for the kind words! I appreciate it!
Thank you, great lesson.
You are most welcome!
Thank you so much
This makes so much sense! Thank you for posting this!
So glad you like it! Best of luck with your training :)
Thanks for the info.. can't wait to try it out!! Plus I totally get that point about wrist injuries in pt.2👍
h4rms good luck! It's a lot of fun swinging like this once you figure it out!
Very good point Ben, thank you. Gordon
ripleygordon glad to help!
Great explanation. Every junior should watch this.
Finally I understood how to hit the forehand... very well explanation .. Thanks. you have a new subscriber.. :)
The Bolleteri FH - ie the modern FH. Nick says - yank the racket as to strike the ball with the butt cap and LET the racket head come through. That´s it in a nutshell. You nailed it in a more convoluted way. Check Nick´s DVDs.
A superb explanation. Thanks for providing.
Thanks Jeff! I appreciate that!
This video solved my problem.It is a plug and play video !
Thanks
Ayman Zein you are quite welcome. Glad it helped!
wonderful Ben. this was an issue can't wait to practise this advice.
Peter Kavanagh let me know how it goes!
Great lesson. Thanks
Alexandre Ulhoa you are welcome. Hope it helped!
Help me a lot!!!!
Nice video. A few points though. The relaxed wrist (actually your forearm muscles that control your wrist as there are no muscles in the wrist) is a very high level skill. It may be easier to practice this motion with a 30 inch long and 1/2 inch thick wood dowel from Home Depot. Second point is the poster demonstrated the relaxed wrist from a static position. If the racquet is moving back before the relaxed wrist as demonstrated above you get more lag, more wrist laid back, and more racquet speed from the rebound (like a pendulum). When I started teaching in my area 20 years ago, the local pros were still teaching classic tennis - step in from closed stance and swing low to high and keep the wrist firm as you shift your weight from the back leg to the front. I taught kids to rotate from open or semi open stance and to actually use the wrist. My students hit a lot more spin and were quicker getting out of shots and had a clear advantage over the closed stance classic players. When I taught kids to lag like the pros, their forehand in practice would be better than their old straight back forehands but I did not see a clear advantage over kids who did not lag. It is so hard to do well and just to get a little bit more racquet speed, I feel this swing is for tennis academy kids and pros. High school kids who just want to make their teams and then go to college should stick to an easier swing. If you don't lag it is okay to roll your wrist into the ball. If you lag your wrist will roll into the ball naturally. It is a better swing but it is not easy. Also I worry about how much more the wrist gets laid back and little kids. Your wrist lays back more than you can lay it back on its own without the momentum of the racquet. What medical studies have been done on whether this is okay for students especially very young students? I used to watch Federer and wonder how he could lay his wrist back so far. It is from the racquet momentum and lagging.
Thank you for your insight! I think that's definitely how a good coach like yourself should approach each student...how much work ethic they will have and understanding of the tennis swing before giving them too much info. Thanks for posting!
Ben, this is an extraordinary tip .. I feel so freaking awesome ( wrist first !! Absolute gold mate !!
Awesome! Happy hitting buddy :)
@@teachyourselftennis thanks so much, am guessing for faster balls the wrist first approach should remain but that also means one needs to take the ball early. Only doubt I have is if it works better with a side on or more semi open stance
@@vishalbhobe you’ll notice as the ball gets faster it’s harder to do even with the pros.
You should have placed yourself on the baseline, instead of in almost next to the net facing sideways. It is difficult to get a sense of the body position on the swing. Easier to see with the Federer swing. TKS
Great points! I'll keep note of that on any future videos. I appreciate it!
Your tips are very usefull. Thanks a lot for this video. For me it is a revelation
Thanks! I made another video that might help with this: ruclips.net/video/VWBbUpn6cZA/видео.html
very useful tip
Can’t wait to try this out tomorrow!!
Nancy Hernandez Let me know how it goes!
Ben Wolfe hmmm I think it went well. Just need to practice it some more so I can do it without thinking.
Nancy Hernandez yep that’s not easy. It’s learning a new “feel” with the racquet. Glad you’re working on it!
Great stuff 👏👏
I appreciate the kind words!
Wow what an explanation , just so easily explained
Thank you!
This is by far the greatest tutorial on racket head speed ever. You try and you try then suddenly this video appears.
❤❤❤
Music to my ears :). Glad it helped. Happy training!
Racket head power is a more accurate (precise) term than racket head speed. Power is energy/time and energy is, in this case, in the form of kinetic energy, which has contributions from mass and velocity (speed). A heavier racket may move with slightly less speed than a lighter racket, but its momentum (mass times velocity) and therefore kinetic energy could be well worth the extra mass. Heavier rackets are also more stable as they move through the hitting zone and may in turn provide for better ball strikes.
very helpful thanks a lot !!
Excellent. I was doing it the other way round (!) Thanks
Thanks for posting. Glad it helped! I hope to add more videos soon!
Will this be applicable to the DH backhand?
Good video
Good question! It's very hard to do it with a two hander but players like Jannik Sinner show that it can be done! Give it a try but if you do, focus on the top hand being the main mechnism for the racquet head speed.
Great job Ben!
Hemen Oza thank you for watching and commenting Hemen!
The BEST explanation of racquet head LAG and speed!!!
Thank you! Love your profile pic by the way. Wish I had a one-handed backhand too :)
Thank you 🙏🏾. You’re still young enough to make the transition to a single hander 😊. My backhand has always been natural and free with not much thought… perhaps from early table tennis training.
very simple, very good
Great analysis.But may I add the role of the torso to facilitate the stroke: The torso stops facilitating the "snap" that is passive not intentional. The video shows Roger stopping his torso rotation and allowing the racket to catch up which is not an intentional snap. You allude to this in your reference to the shoulder reaching the end of it's motion? Thanks
Love the insight! That is definitely a big part of it. After all our lower body is the strongest so we better use it! Thanks for the insight :)
R. Bick good point! The legs and hips are the key drivers of the whole stroke. The video shows the effect of this action when the hand and are set up properly and allowed to transfer energy to the ball. What is needed however is a video showing and isolating how this "engine" works and how to learn the lower body movement. Just pulling the racket forward as illustrated in this vid won't deliver enough energy.
Great discussion guys...thanks for the valuable insight!
Ben thanks for the explanation very good. Can you explain the wrist bend once the ball is gone? This has always confused be because some players do it and some don't.
Gavin Mason sure! I would say the bend is dependent on the trajectory of the ball you want to hit. A more looping ball will mean the bend of the wrist stays the same so that the racquet goes as far up on the ball as possible but if you want to drive the ball then the angle of the wrist increases as the racquet tip is facing your target more. Hope that helps!
thanks a lot.this helped.
Great explanation!
great video!
Thank you for watching! I hope it helped :)
Very helpful. Thank you.
Great tip !!!!!
Daniel Gomez thanks man!!
tks for tips.
Happy to help!
nice tips man, well explained.
Thank you! Working hard to make these clear and concise :)
Thanks
You’re welcome!
Will try this out
Worked well for me tonight!
cuisineisabelle awesome!!! Would love to see a video of it :)
+Ben Wolfe All the better as I am 63 and opponent 33! Bath, UK
awewsome tips .....thank you.......
Brilliant!!!
This is an epiphany for me. Thank you and more power to your channel.
Wta4hand appreciate that! More videos are coming. Stay safe during these troubled times.
Great Vid ! Also, a Rockin Shirt .. with the graphic down the mid back ! JB
Haha thanks...always trying to have a neutral shirt on even though I have a lot of sports teams shirts to wear :)
Thank you Ben!
Glad it helped :)
Good video. Can you put a video on double handed back hand please?
Yes I actually found something pretty cool with my own experience on the backend. I'm going to post a video on serving that relates to this first and then I'll do a backhand video. Been a little behind with all the instruction I'm doing the summer but I'll be on it very soon! Thanks for watching!
Nice job!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness.
You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
This is valuable, thanks man!
Happy to help :)
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness.
You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
Nice tips, one more advice to relax the wrist. I see Kyrgios do that, am I correct?
I would say pick any pro and you would probably see it. Kyrgios is definitely a good example!
very interesting, so it’s compact & kind of like a push forward from the fist
It’s all about experimenting! I view push as the arm bending and unbending during the swing and that’s not correct. It’s more of a whip as you let the racquet head swing back as you’re moving your first forward. But again, all about experimenting and see what works best for you. Happy hitting!
@@teachyourselftennis you’ve got a great communication style bro😎 .
Nice & easy! Good channel
@@b-dogs1038 thank you for the kind words! I’ll keep that up the best I can :)
Great tip. The backswing places the racquet in-line with the desired path of the shot creating linear power opposed to rotational power. Aha moment.
So glad that helped!!
Awesome vid Ben!
Just want to mention one thing about Federer.
I think his inside out - shots over the years have been so damn Good, because he does this whip motion better than anyone else! Agree? :)
zizou357 agreed! He is ridiculous. I think I can relate more to players like Murray who are hard workers rather than pure striking ability which is why fed is my favorite. Incredible shot maker!
Yes and the disguise is the best part. He moves way over to the ad court to hit the forehand many times but the beauty of this stroke is the opponent can't tell which way he is going until the last second! He can go inside out or inside in...
well explained
Tony Arnold thanks for watching!
Looks like it's the elbow which moves forward and rotates inwardly first and gets locked which allows us to move the fist forward simultaneously. It's similar to the serve where leading by the elbow cause the racket head to drop behind the head and not forcing the racket to drop.
As long as you’re thinking of the arm as one unit and not bending or straightening throughout the swing you’re good to go!
great tip
thx
SFR SanFranciscoRider thanks for watching!
Straight fax 2:21
wow. the best guide on youtube.!
I appreciate that!
Happy Holidays! I'm proud to let you know that I have finally finished my book that I've spent years of research and writing to finish. I think you will find the information useful as I wrote it in the lens of someone wanting to improve their tennis game through technique, mental toughness and fitness.
You can check it out here: www.amazon.com/dp/1693364743?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 If there are other friends of yours that may be interested, please pass on the information. I appreciate it!
Hi Ben, really exellent explained! Thanks.
Thank you! I had to learn this on my own so I got a feel for this after a while :-)
Roger's arm goes "back" but only because his torso is turning to say 90 degrees while his hips are to 30 degrees. His arm though remains in line with his shoulders (turned with his torso at 90 degrees).
Now this 'degree' notion is often mentioned. Sounds nice. Looks nice. How do I get a feel for it though?
Another one ids pacing myself so that I hit the ball at the correct distance while using this swing path (mine obviously is most of the time different and not so effective, lol, like with arm close to torso and forearm moving = producing a pitiful short and weak shot). So how do I train myself to extend my arm?
Bruno Coutant Great question and I'll make a follow up video on this to help. As of now if these words help try this: line your racquet to the side of you, parallel to the ground with your strings facing down. Drop feed a ball in front of you and hit from that position by bringing your wrist forward and extending out as you swing. I know the explanation is not the best so I'll try to make a video soon as possible on it!
Try this: ruclips.net/video/VWBbUpn6cZA/видео.html
I like this tip: "You need to relax a lot more that you think!"
When I started with tennis, I was stiffed as a robbot...🥴🙈😊
Daniel Drlja agreed! I still do that when I’m under stress again a good player. Have to remind myself to keep relaxing :)
Hey Ben great video. I think the set up/load might be slightly different for a bent-arm FH as opposed to straight arm. I was brought up hitting with a straight arm, so your explanation seems normal (how else to get full extension at contact?). Would be great if you could comment on differences. Thx
youngmyth Great question! In my experience it seems the straight arm approach gives you more power but hard to time because you have to hit the ball so much more out in front. The bent arm seems to be easier to time but also you can get faster raquet head speed since the swing itself is a little faster with a shorter swing. What do you think?
hi do we drop the racket after the fist forward or before?