Hi Brando,

Most likely you tense up / firm up your wrist as you see a fast ball coming towards you in expectation of a hard collision.

That’s why the ball doesn’t bounce off, your wrist adds no more “slap” as it does when you receive a slower ball and you don’t tense up.

The solution is to keep the same comfortable stroke as you do when you receive nicer balls.

So no, definitely do no grip tighter but the same as you normally do.

Keep in mind this tightening up is instinctive and it will take some time to “overwrite”.

Your tactical goal is to just play the ball deep with feel and not hit it hard back.

Hi Remguy,

Thanks for the kind feedback.

I would start with the mental part since you say you’re over-anxious.

Focus first one the rhythm and timing and don’t think of any technique:

https://www.feeltennis.net/improve-timing-tennis/

Obviously you have two bounces so focus more on the rhythm of the second bounce.

Then have a good look at the ball and try to see it clearly – like a snapshot – before you hit it.

https://www.feeltennis.net/watching-the-ball/

Also try to get your breathing in sync if it’s not yet:

https://www.feeltennis.net/breathing-in-tennis/

So focus on these elements and let me know how it goes!

I’m 55 y.o. and I’ve been playing wheelchair tennis for 3 yrs now (albeit only 1-2/week) and I’M HAVING A TERRIBLE TIME MAKING CLEAN CONTACT WITH THE BALL!

I attribute this to over-anxiousness, poor ball tracking and trying too hard to hit topspin (racquet path >30 degrees). I need a plan. Do you think I could adapt these “step through the ball” to “ROLL through the ball” exercises? What else do you think can help with my problem? (Note: I’ve watched ALL of your videos, please feel free to refer to any of them in a reply.)

I played social tennis prior to my illness and never had particularly clean shots, but I’ve become completely non-functional now that I’m in a chair. I’m being outplayed by second year players, which is not only frustrating beyond belief, it’s quite frankly humiliating. PLease help!

Your Biggest Fan in the North – Remguy Montreal, Canada

Hey Zac,

Glad to hear that this worked for you.

Yes, correct tennis strokes don’t always make most sense at first glance because things happen very fast. But once you feel these key points, you can get to a new level.

I just tried this idea out on the court today and it was a huge help. For a long time I’ve had trouble going cross court with my forehand. Hitting the forehand inside out to the ad side of the court feels much easier. Going cross court I’ve had the feeling that my body is in the wrong place and that I can’t get the force moving in the right direction. I think the problem was exactly what you’re talking about in this post: I was imagining the force of my body going cross court instead of going into the ball. Now it makes sense to me that the inside out felt more natural, because on that shot the weight is going in the same direction as the ball.

I think what you describe here is very similar to what you describe in an earlier post on the slice serve. You have to get used to the feeling of your raquet and body weight moving in one direction while the ball moves in another–that is, in the direction that the strings are pointing.

Anyway, thanks for yet another great post!

Thanks for sharing, always good to get a different opinion as it may “click” for someone better than my own explanation.

I think this is just a different way of looking at the problem.

Yeah, I know I’m a bit over-analytical which causes problems for me sometimes. I will try to think more about “what” I want to achieve (like what spin and trajectory) and less about “how” to do that. Perhaps my body will solve it for me without me having to give detailed orders to it.

It’s the same situation in golf. I want to think about from where I want to hit my next shot and not about wrist angles, lag, forward lean and so forth. But it’s hard to get the actual mechanics “automatic” – at least when you’re 50 . My 13-year old son doesn’t analyze – he just smacks the ball…

Hi Bengt,

Whether the forehand is shaped more linearly or with a curve it will happen in a split second. It sounds to me you’re taking things too literally and trying too hard to perform the stroke “correctly”.

These suggestions are more mental images you should have while you’re hitting the ball and not really what you should much deliberately with your arms since it happens too fast. And yes, then you’ll be stiff and do it only with your arm.

How the forehand is shaped eventually depends on what you want to do with the ball.

Play the ball, Bengt and don’t tell your body what to do all the time.

If you spin the ball and hit it with a certain trajectory then your arm will do what it has to be done.