Forehand

Forehand - Components with pauses and slow motion

Use this video to hit anchor points in Celeste's forehand. The captions announce how each segment will play. Some segments will pause, some play in slow motion, others play without pauses. This variety is meant to let you get you mind around both the component structure of the forehand and the flow from one component to the next as you shadow swing while watching Celeste.

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Forehand - Open Stance

Watch these anchor points as you swing in front of Coach in the Mirror. Right hand hitters: 1. Move toward the ball but load your weight on the outside foot. Load down in your legs. 2. Push off of the outside leg and transfer onto left leg as you strike the ball. The feet become parallel to the net. 3. Keep belly button and shoulders parallel to and facing the net on contact with the ball.

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Forehand - Open Stance

Notice the different follow through levels when the ball comes in high. Alex lets the racket round off the follow through above his head.

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Forehand - Open Stance - After the Bounce Only

We single frame the racket action starting with the bounce of the ball off the court. In four segments the motion speeds up to real time. Practice this action in place to perfect the position of your racket head and the lag action of the wrist and arm just before contact. When a segment pauses get ready to repeat the action.

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Forehand - Progressive Components Slow Motion to Regular

We broke down the forehand into four components: Take Back with Non-dominant Hand, Racket Face Down, Racket Butt Out, then Racket Pull and Roll. Each component ends with a freeze frame to give you a visual of the anchor point. Check your own image at these points to compare and correct. Begin this drill with the Right perspective. In this view each component begins with slow motion, then medium, then regular speed. The drill ends with a few loops of the whole stroke at regular speed and no freeze frames. Use this six minute clip as a drill to structure your forehand around these four components to increase your efficiency of movement, racket head speed, and top spin. The Front view clip is not so repetitive but will give you more information about the approach of the ball.

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Forehand - Regular Stance

Watch these anchor points as you swing in front of Coach in the Mirror: 1. Step into the ball toward the net with front foot. 2. Spot the incoming ball with extended non-racket hand. 3. Weight comes off your back foot as you follow through on the swing. 3. Shoulders and feet are perpendicular to the net.

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Forehand - Regular Stance

Alex uses a slightly different style than Celeste. Look for the same anchor points. Notice the moderate take back, and the cock and whip of the wrist a split second before contact

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Forehand - Running, High Ball, Top Spin

Watch footwork to reach ball hit wide. Notice the low to high movement of the racket and the finish on the right side of the head. Clip down in slow motion with repeat action on low to high movement of the racket.

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Forehand - With Anchor Points

In this clip we have two freeze frames that you could use as anchor points to guide the shape of your forehand stroke. We start this clip in slow motion so you can practice hitting these anchor points as you shadow swing. The clip changes from half speed to three-quarter speed to full speed twice and then repeats. You might want to play this on full screen for a few minutes to better see the two freeze frames. Then revert back to regular size screen so that you can watch yourself in the screen on the right. Don't forget to watch yourself. You can also make a screen recording to review your shadow swing frame by frame (Go to Help tab to see how to make a screen recording).

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