LESSON 5 OF 8 • BEGINNER • 7 MIN
How to Hit a Forehand
The short answer
Get ready with knees bent, turn your shoulders sideways, swing low to high, meet the ball out in front of your body, and finish over the opposite shoulder. Think "turn, swing, finish". The power comes from your legs and body turning, not from your arm.
Why your arm isn't the engine
Most beginners try to hit with the arm alone. It works for about ten minutes and then the ball starts going into the net, because tired arm muscles can't keep up. The fix is to let your body do the heavy work. Your legs push, your hips and shoulders turn, and the arm just goes along for the ride.
The five parts
Use the step-through above to see each part, one at a time. Here's the same thing in a few more words.
- Ready. Feet a bit wider than your shoulders, knees soft, racquet out front with your other hand lightly holding the throat.
- Turn. As soon as you see it's a forehand, turn your shoulders and hips sideways. The racquet goes back almost on its own because your other hand is still holding it.
- Swing. Let the racquet head drop a little below the ball, then swing forward and up.
- Contact. Hit the ball out in front of your front hip, not beside you or behind you. Out in front is where beginners lose the ball most often.
- Finish. Let the racquet keep going up and across until it ends near your opposite shoulder. Don't stop at contact.
What about topspin?
Swinging from low to high makes the ball spin forward as it flies, and that spin pulls it down into the court. It's why good players can hit hard and still keep it in. You don't need to think about spin at first. Just swing low to high and it will start to happen.
Common beginner mistakes
- Hitting with the ball too close to the body. Give yourself arm's length.
- Swinging flat and level, so the ball skims the net tape.
- Stopping the swing at contact instead of finishing.
Try this at the court
- Shadow swings. Ten slow swings without a ball. Say "turn, swing, finish" out loud.
- Drop and hit. Drop a ball, let it bounce once, and hit it over the net from about the service line. Do twenty.
- Mini rally. Start from the service line with a friend and keep the ball in play for ten shots in a row.
Questions people ask
Why does my forehand keep going into the net?
Usually the swing is too flat or you're hitting the ball too late. Swing from low to high and meet the ball out in front of your body.
Why does my forehand fly long?
Often the racquet face is tilted up at contact, or the swing goes up too steeply with no forward motion. Try a smoother, shorter swing that goes forward as well as up.
Should I hit with one hand or two on the forehand?
Almost everyone uses one hand on the forehand. Two hands are mostly a backhand thing, covered in the next lesson.