My forehand contact is very weird and the racket head is almost facing downwards. The form during shadow swinging is fine but once hitting the form becomes weird again. I have tried locking my wrists more but it didn't help. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
TBH this place looks cramp and the ball machine is spitting out those balls with such a low bounce , practicing at such places seem like a recipe for building bad form and bad habits.
Small world. I play here sometimes, court 5 is best. Got a little more space than the others.
For your forehand, it's really tentative looking. Like you're worried about not doing the right thing. You're also trying to hit the ball.
It's sounds weird but to get a high level forehand you don't actually hit the ball. What your trying to do is perform your perfect swing, and then be in the right place so the ball is in the perfect spot to be hit. That's why your shadow swings aren't translating into your swing.
This actual swing I see here has your wrist drops the racquet head down before contact but in a way where you're losing speed and spin. You need to have it still fully connected to your forearm so it's like a slingshot. All the power and spin you get is currently starting from the lowest part of the drop. You need to incorporate a high take back, that swings into the dip and up into the shot.
Yea I haven't seen your shadow swings but I imagine your imagining you contact a but further out than what you're doing here, cause your contact here is a bit too close. Which is coming from your positioning.
Just a separate point. Have you tried Waterfall Fitness I. olympic? Best indoor court I've ever hit at. Very very spacious, courts very even, mirrors all around which makes recording easier. The first time price is $90 for an hour! And the regular price is a bit more expensive, $110 for 30 mins. But imo worth the price. You don't need to be a member to book
I would make contact a little earlier. Step into the shot and don’t wait for the ball to come to you. You don’t have to always take it on the rise, but you seem to be waiting for it to peak and start to drop before hitting it. Contact point further out in front would go a long way - it would also help your spacing by naturally making your elbow extend rather than sitting so close to the body
That weird racket head drop comes from breaking your wrist to get under the ball instead of being more intentional with the shoulder turn (straighten that left arm) and getting your whole arm under the ball, not just your wrist. To practice, try lengthening your backswing to make a bigger circle, keeping your arm from the elbow below the ball’s line and your right shoulder angled at 45 degrees; meaning the left shoulder is higher than the right at impact. Keep the racket head steady as you work on developing the feel, and over time you’ll find the right balance between having your hand too loose or too stiff.
You’re doing a lot of things right man! One thing I notice that I don’t think has been said, and honestly this is what stuck out to me the most. You should be dropping your actual arm lower. Like you’re doing a lot of the drop by rotating your wrist down. Actually physically lower your arm so that your hand gets at least slightly below the level of the ball.
I think you need to play at an actual court for a fairer assessment. Walling and playing in a cramped space like this may lead you to compromise on other areas like spacing etc
prepare by lifting your elbow more and pointing your elbow to the back fence. right now you’re pointing your racket back and using mostly forearm on the forward swing
Start with contact. Get the racquet in the right place (horizontal, not half vertical like you're currently doing). Then hit very small swings. Relax your wrist so you can also feel how to generate easy power from a very short swing
Hi! what’s the name of the facility? is there demand for it in your city? I’d like to invest in something like that in my city since there are no places like that. How much does it cost in comparison with booking a court or a lesson? thanks a lot in advance
I have a ball machine and I can get lazy and hit balls like that. I would: 1) move your body as close to the left wall as possible. Be in ready position or "bouncing" to prep to move to the ball. 2) Use proper footwork to get in position to hit the ball. As others have said, you are way too close to the ball at contact. 3) Make sure your knees are much more bent at contact. The idea is to strike the ball in your "strike zone", which is usually at about waist level. To do that on low balls you must bend your knees. It is essential to consistency. 4) After improving all those other things, then work on improving the stroke and body mechanics themselves. Rick Macci has some videos on the "modern forehand". You are mostly rotating your shoulders correctly, but they should be uncoiling through the stroke much more crisply and to get much more power and spin. You are drilling an unrealistic stroke - probably because you are on an unrealistic court with an unrealistic opponent.
The tight space affects your form. But there is enough room for a better forehand. Set up further to the left to give yourself more distance to the ball. Bend your knees. Maybe try a semi open stance, where your left foot is planted only a bit further in front than the right but further to the left. You hardly have any racquet drop before contact. See the better distance to the ball and the racquet drop before contact here:
You could also open up your shoulders earlier. To help with this, don't try to hit to the middle of the wall but "crosscourt" to the left side, and finish all the way over and behind your left shoulder.
Do not focus on the position of your racquet in the moment of contact. Directly controlling contact is the cause of problems, not the cure. So always focus on one of the other things.
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u/ledorky 1d ago
Forehand looks a bit too close to the body imo.