Ever wondered how tennis forehand technique in slow motion looks like from the top / drone view?
While there are many slow motion videos of forehand technique online already, what's really missing is the top down view which gives you a completely new perspective.
I've recorded my forehand with the drone in 4K and in this post we'll look at 5 different types of forehands in slow motion:
- neutral stance
- open stance
- neutral stance with movement
- open stance with movement
- forehand slice
And if you watch the video above you'll also see super slow motion footage of the forehand technique slowed down to 25% and 10% so that you can really see all the details of the forehands hit in various situations.
Neutral Stance Forehand
The neutral stance forehand is the most fundamental type of forehand we use and therefore it's important to point out the keys to good forehand execution.
Wrist Lag: I cocked up my wrist to over 100° against my forearm and kept it that way even when the ball was close by.
This allows me to effortlessly release the wrist and racket head to meet the ball, generating a strong elastic force as I "slap" on the ball.
Many players push forward with their wrist and racket head too early losing on the elasticity of the wrist and effortlessness of "slapping" the ball.
Still & Steady Head: If you observe, my head is calm and not moving about. I also keep my eyes on the ball as I swing to ensure I have good contact.
While you don't have to reach the perfect level of Roger Federer and his way of keeping the head still at contact, you can all improve the skill of watching the ball over time.
Full Body Rotation: I rotate my upper body as I swing my racket and continue my swing even after my racket has made contact with the ball. If you watch the video, I rotated close to 180°.
Quite a few players stop rotation abruptly after making contact with the ball, usually about 90°. This causes a jerky tension in the body, which may tire them out faster.
Stable Foot: From the video, you can also observe the foot opposite my racket, which is solidly planted on the ground and remains unmoved as I execute my stroke.
This stable footing helps to keep me in balance and gives me the confidence to focus on my upper body as I play out my neutral stance forehand.
Open Stance Forehand
When executed well, open-stance forehands allow you to deliver powerful, heavy balls to your opponents.
This example of a tennis forehand in slow motion using the open stance helps us see four key points:
Coiling: My shoulder and hips are at an angle, probably around 30-50°. This functions like a spring coil, helping me generate force and torque through body rotation as I swing my racket and contact the ball.
Still Head: Again, I kept my head still, and my eyes were on the ball as I made contact. This helped me hit a clean shot.
Body Rotation: As I swing my racket, my shoulder and upper body rotate about 90° before my racket hits the ball. This upper body rotation is then followed up with more rotation post-contact.
Weight Transfer: Before I hit the ball, my weight is planted on the foot on the same side of my racket. This keeps me steady, frees up the other foot to move, and helps generate angular momentum for my swing.
However, once I made contact with the ball, I started rotating my body to post-contact, and at this point, my weight was transferred to the other foot.
Neutral Stance Forehand (With Movement)
In actual tennis play, balls don't always come to you - you will have to move towards the ball and execute your strokes.
So observing a neutral stance forehand in slow motion from the top view reveals one of the keys to hitting groundstrokes on time:
Parallel Processing: As the feet move towards the ball, the upper body rotates and I start preparing the forehand.
So the movement and the preparation happen simultaneously, something I call parallel processing.
Most players will perform the movement first before they start preparing their forehand and they will in most cases run out of time and therefore hit the ball late with no power and poor control.
Arrive Early: I arrive at the intended position early by about two-tenths of a second, with my upper body wound up to return the ball.
Arriving early gives me a bit of time to calm down, and play out my strokes properly, since my body has the time to rotate, and my wrist has time to cock up.
Foot Stability: You may notice that once I plant down my foot, I play out my forehand shot.
Throughout the process, the foot stays on the ground, stable and still. I use the foot to stabilise myself, something like the axis of my rotation to balance myself.
Open Stance Forehand (With Movement)
Consider some of these points from video:
Parallel Processing: Again, while executing the open stance forehand, I do two things at the same time, moving up to the ball, and preparing my upper body to execute the swing.
No Weight Transfer: Unlike the open stance forehand with no movement, I did not transfer the weight from foot to foot while hitting the ball.
This is a specific variation of the open stance forehand that many players do not notice.
By using a drone view and recording the forehand technique in slow motion, it is more obvious how the body remains positioned above the outside leg while hitting the ball.
Arm Extension: I also extended my arm a little more here, as an attempt to guide the ball towards the direction I aimed for. The arm starts to extend as I swing my racket, and continues to extend during, and after the contact.
This prevents one issue many players have - pulling the rackets across their body too quickly after the contact, resulting in a poorly hit ball.
Forehand Slice Technique
There is not much instruction on a forehand slice and so it's even more interesting to look at a forehand slice technique in slow motion from the top view.
Early Preparation: I moved into position early, and prepared my upper body to execute a forehand slice at the same time. This is similar to the parallel processing concept I talked about in the upper sections.
Wrist Lag: I cocked up my wrist to about 120° from my forearm, and kept it relaxed through the slice. Many players locked their wrist up too tightly here, causing their racket face to not open up properly, resulting in poor contact.
Controlled Follow-Through: After contact with the ball, my arm followed through in a long linear fashion. This type of a controlled follow-through helps me hit much more accurate forehand slice shots.
Recreational tennis players often swing across their body, resulting in excessive side spin and lifting the ball too high. That results in a short ball that your opponents can easily attack.
What does the top view reveal to you?
I've pointed out 5 different forehand techniques in slow motion using the top / drone view but now it's your turn.
What have you noticed looking at the forehand technique from this unique perspective?
Share your "aha" moments in the comment section below!
Awesome! Tomaz you have hit a home run with drone video footage. So interesting and supportive of your tennis instructions in all your many other videos.