Forehand Groundstroke

Beginnergroundstrokes

Turn your shoulders sideways, racket back, load the back leg.

The most-used shot in tennis. Turn your shoulders, step into the ball, swing low to high, and finish over your shoulder.

Key points

•Early shoulder turn
•Step forward into the ball
•Contact in front of the body
•Finish high over the opposite shoulder

Practice with Coach Elena

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The forehand groundstroke is the workhorse of every tennis player's game. It starts with an early shoulder turn as soon as you read the ball — this 'unit turn' takes the racket back without any extra arm movement. As the ball approaches, step forward with your front foot, transferring your weight into the shot. Swing from low to high, making contact in front of your lead hip with a slightly closed racket face. The follow-through should wrap over your opposite shoulder naturally. Power comes from the ground up: legs, hips, torso, then arm — in that order.

Fun Fact

Rafael Nadal's forehand generates an average of 3,200 RPM of topspin — nearly double the tour average. His extreme low-to-high swing path is what makes his ball kick so high off the court.

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.