Former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios introduced this technique and Marat Safin and Sebastien Grosjean continue the tradition today. Instead of moving their feet to get into better position on a high backhand, they choose to compensate by jumping off the court to hit the stroke. The technical or strategic advantages are questionable, but you may find [...]

An effective slice can add some much-needed variety to your game. In today’s game, and you see it all the time at the professional leve, players are most comfortable when they’re in a routine of hammering balls back and forth. They like to exchange shots hit from their strike zones, which is between thigh and [...]

Moving your opponent is the best way to neutralize a two hander. For years, hitting the backhand with two hands instead of one has been the preferred style at both the pro and recreational levels. In a perfect world I would teach a player to use a two-handed backhand for service returns and topspin drives, [...]

PROBLEM You’re a flat-ball hitter. This is a huge disadvantage when you’re trying angled shots, offensive lobs, or safe, high rally balls. You’ve heard the term “brush up the back of the ball” more than you can stand, and you finish your swing up high over your shoulder, but there’s still no topspin. SOLUTION While [...]

Carlos Moya uses a huge backswing and excellent body rotation to power his open-stance forehand. PREPARATION RACQUET: Moya brings his racquet back above head level. Starting his swing from this point will enable him to generate plenty of racquethead speed. In order to take such a large swing you need time to measure the ball. [...]

A simple change in footwork will put you in perfect position for your inside-out forehand PROBLEM You’re late getting to the ball on your inside-out forehand. As a result, you don’t hit the shot properly and end up out of position and on the defensive for the rest of the point. This usually happens because [...]

A big forehand can help you climb to the top of the club ladder. To hit the inside-out forehand, or runaround forehand, remember to backpedal quickly and keep your racquet up high as you move into position. Once there, be sure to swing out and give the ball a ride. Adding a weapon, no matter [...]

Andy Roddick has one of the biggest forehands in men’s tennis. You may never hit as hard as he does, but by applying some of the technique that Andy uses, you can make your forehand a go-to shot. Over the past 20 years, the technique used for hitting a forehand has evolved. Advances in racquet technology [...]

One of the most common errors among beginning and intermediate players is hitting the forehand with a careful, abbreviated motion instead of taking a full swing. While it’s not realistic to expect a 3.0 player to take the same roundhouse swipe that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Amelie Mauresmo use on their forehands, a good shoulder [...]

Pushing with your dominant shoulder will give your stroke added pop and penetration.   PROBLEM  Your forehand lacks depth and power. A possible reason for this is that in an effort to increase racquet-head speed you prematurely whip open your front shoulder. This pulls your racquet toward the center of the court and away from [...]