Forward is the term I use to describe hitting the ball on the rise. Have you ever seen a good baseball shortstop short hop a ball. He smothers the ball with his glove so that the ball does't have the chance to bounce too high. A high bouncing ball in baseball is very hard to control, just like a high bouncing ball in tennis is very hard to control.
There are two different stroke strategies in tennis. The defensive and offensive strategies.
The defensive strategist allows the ball to bounce high and she waits for the ball to drop down into the hitting zone-between the knees and the chest. The bounce of the ball dictates what happens with the ball and the point.
The offensive strategist, armed with "forward", sees the ball coming over the net, anticipates where the ball will bounce, gets to that spot, and hits the ball as it bounces up into the hitting area. Thus hitting a ball that takes time away from her opponent, because it is hit so early. The ball is also heavier, has more power, because her body weight is transfered efficiently into the momentum of the ball.
Remember "forward" is the key ingredient championship tennis!
