How To Hit a Backhand

Hit with your body and not with your arm.  Dr. Allen Fox, the coach who taught Brad Gilbert at Pepperdine, said that the most difficult thing for beginning players to do on the backhand side is to relax their arms and let their body swing the racket for them.  Whether you hit your backhand with one or two hands, whether you have an open or closed stance, it doesn't matter.  What matters is hitting the ball with your body and keeping the racket perpendicular to the ground.  In addition, do a shoulder shrug right before impact to impart to flatspin ( a hybrid topspin) on the ball.


                                    

How To Hit a Forehand

 I was taught to hit a forehand  in a way that is too dependent on the movement of your arm.  I have taught this way for years.  But know I know that it totally involves the movement of the body and that body movement moves your arm.  It is very natural, it is very powerful, and it lets you control the ball more.

You put the racket in your dominant hand.  You can take a closed or open stance.  Closed is standing almost perpendicular to the baseline.  Open stance is standing almost paralell with the baseline.  Both are with feet shoulder with apart.

Now hold the racket back behind you, preferably below your waist.  Make sure the racket stays straight up and down when you swing it. Let your body rotate and the racket will move naturally from the back to the front.  As you rotate forward raise your shoulder on the hitting side as if you were going "I don't know" with your body language.  If you raise it just before you hit the ball you will impart good topspin on it. Once you are able to rotate your body fast your arm will fling forward naturally and you mus catch the racket throat with your non-dominant hand.  You should now have a good forehand.