how would you like to hit amazing four
hands well in today's video we're gonna
give you five steps that are gonna help
you get clear on what to focus on
when you're on the court so that you can
get better my name is Jeff Saul's
enstein I'm the founder of tennis
evolution one of the leading online
tennis instruction websites in the world
we want to keep expanding our reach so
it really helped us if you shared this
video if you enjoyed it if you give us a
thumbs up YouTube likes that and make
sure again you're subscribed to the
channel and your notifications are
turned on we are here to help you get
better let's start with the forehand
step number one we got to talk about the
grip and the ready position now with the
grip the semi-western grip is the grip
that I prefer it looks something like
this you can also use more of an Eastern
grip Allah Roger Federer I'm not crazy
about the Western grip I think there are
limitations here for number of reasons
we're not going to go into today but I
like that semi-western grip you can find
it by just dropping the racquet like
this and picking it up now make sure
that your trigger finger your index
finger is spread and that your the
racket is angled on the racket I see too
many people holding the racket like this
that's a no-no you're not going to feel
the ball in your hand so you're gonna
have that index finger spread like this
we're in this semi Western now when
we're preparing in our ready position
there are players that start like this
okay I prefer to have the racket angled
like this a little more a la Rafa Nadal
because I feel like a player can make a
great first move from this position if
they're here now they have to turn the
hand it's not wrong but I just think
it's more efficient now this may impact
your backhand so you have to weigh the
options there but I like to start with a
racket tip slightly up and angled like
this and I can just make a first move to
this position here okay so we've got the
grip in the ready position now we do
talk about the first move I really like
the arms to go up together like this and
you can have the this off arm come off
early if you're late on your forehand a
lot of players they try to emulate the
pros and they keep the racquet here too
long and then they're late so you might
have to separate early but we don't want
to separate where the hand goes down or
goes like this I don't really like the
the alligator dinosaur t-rex arms I like
a big off
I'm pulling across the body that's going
to create the shoulder turn okay that's
the first move now we get into the
backswing the biggest thing that I want
you to focus on is trying to get that
elbow away from the body when you make
the first move
because a lot of players they keep the
elbow in and then they drop the racket
back like this and you're not going to
be able to create that lag or to have
that the butt of the racket and leading
in the hand leading like this if you
have your elbow in it's going to look
more like this so we've got to get the
elbow away from the body with this first
move right here okay elbow away and then
the big thing with the lag or with the
racket getting into this position is you
have to have flexibility in the wrist I
see a lot of online instructors teaching
this but many players can't even get
into this position so you're trying to
get here but you don't have the range of
motion in the wrist so you you need to
make sure you get the elbow away with
this backswing and when you get down
into this position it's only going to
look like this if you have the range of
motion and if you have the grip if you
have an Eastern grip or a continental
grip this is what it's going to look
like okay the final thing that's going
to help you create this is relaxation if
you're gripping the racket too tight
you're not going to be able to get the
racket to look anything like this so
relaxation is important you see I'm
barely even touching the racket and I'm
able to have the racket just drop down
in this position tension will make it
look like this so we really have to
focus on making sure that racket or that
hand is relaxed on the racket and you
have the right grip now let's talk about
the contact point Roger Federer often at
all when they make contact it looks like
their arm is almost completely straight
that's a very difficult forehand to
master to have the arm completely
straight I like to have the arm be
natural and relaxed and have a bend in
the arm there's a lot of great for hands
that have a bend in the arm listen if
your arm is straight and you're ripping
it like Federer and Nadal you can do it
all day long but I find that when people
try to copy those four hands and try to
go straight there's too much tension
again relaxation is the is the master
key to success on the forehand and all
strokes for that matter so when we make
contact you want to have a bend in the
elbow you just want to make sure you're
not you
elbow is not tucked into the body and
too close how do we fix that we create
that space with the elbow in the
beginning so the elbow stays away from
the body with that slight Bend so that's
what's gonna really help your contact
point now in terms of how far out in
front to hit the ball I actually think
the contact point gets fixed with the
next step which is the finish so with a
finish I like the traditional finish to
be over the shoulder okay
older over the shoulder with the finish
like this you can go to this shoulder
here if you want but I find that when
people do that they end up coming down
and hitting too much especially when
they're nervous and hitting down in the
net so I like the foundation to be where
the racket goes up over the shoulder and
if you really create a lot of space and
even catch the racket out here first
before you bring it back that's when
your contact point is going to be
absolutely perfect and when you aim to
the right spot if you aim cross-court
and you're if you've been late on your
forehand you'll get the right contact so
don't really pay attention to how much
how far out in front or how late you hit
the forehand focus on having a great
finish and great aim and you'll find
that your contact point will really
clean up okay those are my five steps to
the forehand let me give you a quick
quick demo right here I'll just drop the
ball and I want you to notice here's my
ready position with my grip I want you
to notice my first move here's my first
move okay now notice how I create that
space with the elbow and then I want you
to notice my follow-through and my
finish so here's my space and here's my
finish and see how I go out and around
and I extend and then I come back over
the shoulder that is your five-step
formula I hope you enjoyed today's video
please share it with others give us a
thumbs up leave us a comment ask any
questions below we are here to help and
make sure you again you're subscribed to
the channel and your notifications are
turned on before you go I've got a free
gift for you it's a free course that
includes more lessons on the forehand
the serve footwork and strategy it's
inside our tennis evolution app you can
register for it by clicking the link in
the description below or somewhere in
this video we want to help you get to
the next level pick up that free course
inside the tennis evolution app you are
going to have literally a coach in your
pocket and that's what we want for you
thanks for your time today