Tennis Tip: Add 15mph To Your Forehand

Hey, Scott Baxter from PlayYourCourt.com here… And today I’m going to teach you a simple drill that will add 10 to 15 MPH to your forehand. So let’s dive right in.

When we start to talk about how to generate more power on our groundstrokes, there’s a couple of things that we already know, and we hear coaches say them all the time:

Things like step into the ball, or – make sure you transfer your weight into your shot.

These are OK tips BUT… they’re not going to get to the root of the problem and solve the real issue that’s preventing you from generating more power on your forehand. There is one piece to this equation that a lot of players and coaches overlook. What’s ironic is it’s actually one of the simplest things that you can change in your stroke immediately to gain more power, and that simple thing is your racket preparation.

I hear a lot of tennis coaches out there saying, “Get your racket back earlier.” And the first thing that always comes to my mind is earlier than WHAT? I see a lot of players really struggle with this. They’re trying to get their racket back, but they’re not getting it back soon enough. So, all of these other boiler plate tips that their pros are giving them on how to hit the ball harder just aren’t working.

What I’ve done to fix this problem with all of my students is I give them a point of reference for how early that racket preparation really needs to be. Not just “earlier,” but earlier than what? And the WHAT, is before the ball bounces on your side of the court. Get your racket all the way back before the ball bounces on your side of the court.

So when I work with my students to generate more power, my first focus isn’t ever weight transfer or stepping into the ball. I focus on something much simpler.

One simple thing… Making sure they get their racket all the way back before the ball bounces on their side of the court. I know it’s really, really simple, but it works.

This early setup trick will finally give you the time you need to do all of the other things that you already know will add more power to your forehand. If you can get that racket back on time, all that’s left to do is to make some last minute adjustments with your feet, and you will have plenty of time to transfer your weight into your shot and finally generate more power on your forehand side. I’ve seen anywhere from 10 to 15 MPH more on my students’ forehands after just practicing this drill for a minute or two.

It’s simple and it REALLY works…

Most people don’t realize how easy it is to make dramatic improvements to their tennis game A lot of people think they have to go to a tennis club and take 100 lessons to improve. But the truth is, one hour on court with an instructor who knows their stuff can make a huge improvement in your game.

This tip I just ave you is a perfect example. If you work with a good coach they will have tons of quick tips and fixes that you have never heard that will instantly help problem areas in your game, like adding more power to your serve or making your backhand more consistent. You don’t have to drive 45 minutes to the nearest tennis complex or join a country club to get great instruction anymore.

I created PlayYourCourt all the way back in 2009 to give players like you better access to top-notch lessons. At PlayYourCourt we hire the best instructors in the country and send them to you on a court of your choice for convenient lessons. If you are not sure which court would be best, don’t worry, our local instructors know your area and can help you find the most convenient location. While our lessons are convenient, the best part about our service is you don’t have to do any detective work to find out if our coaches are good. Since we opened in 2009 I have interviewed every one of our instructors personally to ensure that they are certified, have a strong playing background and that their teaching resume is top-notch. BUT, the vetting process doesn’t stop there. After every lesson, our students, people just like you, give feedback on their coaches using our rating system. We use these ratings to rank our professionals, and only the strongest survive.

After you answer a few questions about yourself, we use this data to pair you with an instructor who has gotten glowing reviews from people just like you with similar tennis goals. We work very hard to find an instructor that is not only good, but also capable of delivering the specific results you are after. If you are serious about improving your tennis game, click the link above, and check out some of the great instructors we have available in your area.

We’ll see you out on the courts!