The Advanced Forehand: Is your forehand more of a "driver" or more of a "hook" shot?

I was out practicing with a friend who plays 4.5 and open tournaments and leagues. I hadn't seen him in 8 months, and he had told me he had changed his forehand drastically. Originally, he had a Berasetegui type Extreme Western forehand grip, which would produced gobs of spin, but would not drive through the court much. He would wail upwards on the ball and whip massive moonballs.

He told me he had changed it to a Semiwestern grip and that his previous forehand was causing him back pain from arming the ball. His balls no longer had the heavy spin, but he had more drive to his shot. So I showed him the contact point for the drive forehand and how far he had to hit it earlier. I also showed him the balance shift forward. He began shaping the drive forehand immediately.

So in essence, the advanced forehand will take on either the characteristics of a "hook shot" or a "driver". If anyone has thought of golf and tennis and the similarities of the two, the thought in golf is whether you've "hooked" the long drive, or actually "drove the ball long".

Or in the case of Nadal's forehand, the thought in my mind is how it often resembles a bowler's followthrough.

Federer has tremendous early straight ahead-ness drive characteristic to his forehand. Who else has hit the forehand as early and "in the slot" on a consistent basis?

Does Djokovic's forehand resemble a level right hook in boxing, with the insistent weight transfer to the opposite foot and the right elbow folding over finish?

All things I've thought about in the experimentation of the advanced forehand. What are your thoughts on the mechanics of the forehand?

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Comment by Tim Prapong on August 23, 2012 at 1:05pm: @Richard: When this happens, you can start the feed ball on the lead front foot first to reset and advance the weight transfer going forwards. Then the load back foot doesn't stay loaded overtime. I also open my stance up to make sure the loaded back foot doesn't hang loaded and I can turn my hips actively.

Comment by Richard Perkins on August 23, 2012 at 6:24am: Have to practice a bit more on weight transfer. I don't have a problem on my backhand, but come up a little late on the forehand - defensive instead of offensive.

Comment by Tim Prapong on August 5, 2012 at 11:39pm: Ah, man. Use both. If you got the talent, use it and decimate. Styles makes fights, they say.Having two styles at once is deadly. lol

Comment by Tim Prapong on July 31, 2012 at 12:17am: Hulk Smash forehand= pure slap! lol

Comment by CoachV - William Vazquez on July 30, 2012 at 9:42pm: Ball hit strings, ball goes, where string face contact. simple

Hulk Smash!

Comment by Joe B. (BP, CA) on July 30, 2012 at 8:54pm: Only one word comes to mind every time I hit my forehand. "Fore!!"

Comment by Tim Prapong on July 30, 2012 at 4:41pm: Maybe Fed is only looking at the top edge of the racquet, Kyle. Ever consider that? :)

Comment by Tim Prapong on July 30, 2012 at 4:40pm: Thanks, Stromin! I appreciate the compliment. Isn't the forehand about self-expression of the personality? :)

Comment by Robert Williams on July 30, 2012 at 4:25pm: your forehand win place are show. is so you!

Comment by Maybe brown on July 30, 2012 at 3:30pm: I can't look through the racket like Fed does, it''s impossible, I even move my head back. Can anyone do that?

The Advanced Forehand: Is your forehand more of a "driver" or more of a "hook" shot?

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