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Great video. The wrist is relatively stable during impact. There are many coaches on UA-cam who teach using an active wrist and changing the wrist angle during impact with the ball and that is absolutely incorrect. Even Federer and Nadal have a stable wrist until after the ball is long gone. The release of the wrist occurs long after impact and the ball is off the strings. The wrist release is simply a way to have a full and comfortable follow through. Good job explaining the wrist positions for the forehand.
the snap is called flexion and flexion helps racket head spead make easy ( the impotant of flexion is that you dont do it completely but just past the center and there pronation takes over ), the wrist is actually your hand and the hand can not turn but the forearm ( pronation and supination ) and shoulder ( internal and external shoulder rotation ) can. if you start in that 90 degree that you show and you can not change it towards contact then arm should be pointing at 12 when you hit the ball because if not at 12 but pointing more at 2 like rublev then the ball will fly to the court next to you , So there is a change of wrist ( HAND ) position towards contact !!! if you have to hit the ball with the arm at 12 then all the power will be gone. topplayers hit the best balls at a 45 degree angle and thats NOT posible with the racket in a 90 degree angle so yes the wrist position changes and that part is a big part in the acceleration. but every body his opinion
*This is such an extremely important video!* 🎾 At the "locked in position", the buttcap points to the ball The wrist is in an extended position, the arm is relaxed and the racquet head lags the hitting arm. From this point to contact (a millisecond), the wrist *remains* in that extended position. At contact, the racquet head catches up to the hitting arm via *forearm pronation* . So be careful not to involve the wrist from that locked in position to contact. There is very little, if any, wrist involvement. *_Forearm pronation is the main movement from "locked in position" to contact!_* In fact, I will experiment with this and keep my wrist extended well past contact on the follow-through. I think it is possible to keep the wrist extended and rely mainly on the forearm pronation. In other words, the wrist does not necessarily ever have to move from an extended position to a neutral position; it can remain extended even after contact. Hope my understanding is correct. 🤔
Hi Raul. Good comments. I'm trying to understand what is the difference between the wrist rotation and forearm pronation. I don't think there is any. If you hold out your hand with the palm up and then turn the palm down to the floor, that is forearm pronation (I'm pretty sure) and it is also the same as wrist rotation. The wrist is actually kinda limited other than extension and flexion. It can also do ulnar deviation and radial deviation. But the wrist itself cannot do supination or pronation. Looking carefully at the Rublev video I think he pronates the forearm (and the wrist rides along) well after he hits the ball. You can put your arm in the locked in position and then hold it stiff and move it up to the point of contact and you will see that nothing from the shoulder down has moved one tiny bit. At least that's how it seems to me. Would you agree? Thanks for any reply.
@@nebraskanate7417 You are correct. The wrist is only capable of 4 movements: extension/flexion and radial/ulnar deviation. Many people commonly misinterpret the finish and assume that there is a lot of wrist action involved from "locked in buttcap position" to contact (i.e. wrist moving from extension, past neutral, and into flexion). But in reality, there is very little, if any, wrist action from "locked in position with buttcap pointed to ball" to contact. This happens in a millisecond. At contact, the wrist will still be in an extended position, just as it was in the buttcap pointing position. Perhaps wrist is in a *slightly* less extended position at contact, but wrist is is certainly not past neutral at contact. To summarize, the wrist movement is from an extended wrist position at buttcap-point position to essentially that same extended wrist position at contact. Post-contact, the wrist might move towards a neutral position or past neutral to a flexed position. But I think the post-contact wrist position will happen naturally and I don't think about it. I also think there will be very slight wrist variances post-contact depending on target (cross-court vs down the line). The important thing for me is to keep that wrist extended at butt-cap point position and essentially keep that very same wrist extended position at contact. In other words, take care that the wrist at contact has not moved past the neutral position and into flexion.
Thanks, Raul... your comments on the wrist are exactly what I'm thinking too. Now, when it comes to the forearm, I have had so much trouble by thinking I should pronate the forearm during my swing. Instruction on UA-cam and on the court seemed to imply that and that forearm pronation was important for generating topspin. (Maybe that was my mistaken interpretation of the instruction.) Now I have concluded that there is no wrist action and there is no forearm pronation before or at contact. The pronation occurs after striking the ball. I went out this weekend and made that change in my forehand and the amount of improvement I experienced was the most I have ever had in just one day. I had much more power and much, much more consistency. I believe I mistakenly thought that if there is a lag in the wrist or a supination in the forearm, these need to rotate in the opposite direction to provide the extra force or the upward motion to give more power and topspin. Evidently not so. Everything remains locked in but without a death grip as Ms. Babel states. Hope my experience is helpful to you. Happy playing. @@Better_Call_Raul
In another video you admit that there is some "relaxation" of the wrist lag prior to contact. This is called flexion from highly extended to less extended wrist. There is no way that one maintains the initial highly extended, lag angle all the way to contact. Look at videos of Dimitrov. His initial wrist lag is extreme and relaxes some BEFORE he strikes the ball. Of course there is also some internal rotation of the arm at contact. Maybe you don't have as pronounced a wrist lag angle as Dimitrov. If you watch Montoglorou's videos on powerful forehands he talks about this racket head acceleration from the initial lag to ball contact. I think this is flexion towards a less extended wrist
Came across the video a few days ago. I began implementing this into practice and now 3 live matches. Quite a simple suggestion but the majority of us don’t get it. So far the results have allowed me to hit more consistently, with honestly the power I’ve been craving, to the point that I’m playing enjoyable tennis on MY terms win or lose.
That was so nicely done. Unfortunately, some - not all - online tennis instruction has actually become an impediment to stroke development. You cannot simply copy and paste Federer and Djokovic. However, often times, that's not the message given online. Everyone's biomechanics are different. That's why on-court professional instruction with video analysis works so well. The power of the forehand comes from the body and the pace of the incoming ball. Use those basics and practice hitting angles that will put your opponent on the run and pass him or her approaching the net. Vic Braden (RIP) was right when I was a young student. He taught us to hit through the ball, as you aptly demonstrated here, and to find and create angles. It still works incredibly well today. Strive for consistency at the club level. Most of us will never reach the tour level. But we can have fun and become highly dangerous and competitive on court. Lastly, the ATP and WTA forehand? Are you serious? (not you personally, you're brighter than that) You've got to be kidding me! Again, great job. Keep the instruction simple, applicable, and correct.
My mistake was in trying to get topspin on the forward swing I would close my wrist from the open lag position while also trying to achieve a low to high swing. Thanks so much for your clear explanation . Now its back to the practise court!
Meike, some students hear 'loose wrist' and let their wrist flop around like a wet noodle, slapping at the ball, which can become a very difficult habit to break, particularly when they try to add power. How do you convey the simultaneous feeling(s) of relaxation and stability? Would value your insight. Nobody really talks about this.
Another great one. Less is more. Big muscles lead. Brilliant. There’s another coach on line who has invoked the minimum effort drill, where you see what the least amount you can do is to get the ball over the net. Then slowly add on parts that impart a little more power and rotation. Your drill would be the natural consequence of that. Thanks for all your great content. It’s extremely easy to digest and super helpful. Heard your podcast with Tennisnerd. Great stuff.
This is, by far, the clearest, most precise, and most accurate description of probably the most crucial part of the basic stroke... the contact point or contact zone. I've been waiting years for a video such as this one. I will now look at your backhand videos, but would you say there is a similar locked in position in the two-handed backhand as well? Thank you so much.
Thanks. Exactly as you say it’s the forearm that rotates to cause the brush. It’s only later in the follow thru that the wrist may add to the brush naturally.
I'm trying to figure this out, but I believe wrist pronation and forearm pronation are one in the same. You may hinder yourself thinking you can have forearm rotation before hitting the ball.
fantastic video. 4.5 player struggling with fh after making an eastern to sw switch (d/t wrist issues). this showed me i'm not loading with the handle in time, i was doing that motion mid swing...probably disrupting kinetic chain etc etc
lol i love the "shh shhh" around the tennis court. we all know who you're talking about and it drives me crazy. my dear friend was "shh shhh-ing" for like a year because of this man and is only just recently getting over his bad habit.
The wrist angle determines how far out in front of the body the racquet should make contact. The more the wrist is bent the farther out in front of the body will be the contact point.
Tennis coaching is tricky. Yes, there is a difference between the active and passive motions in the strokes, and we have to be so careful not to add tension to any part of the process-BUT, not every person is the same, specifically in how their mind communicates with their body. You could teach three students the exact same mechanics, but for one of them, feeling it in their hand promotes the best result, while another imagines a shape or a motion, or another finds another point of focus helpful. The brain can only think of one thing at a time in succession. It is a matter of finding what “key” unlocks fluid, effective mechanics for an individual. That’s why there are so many different videos on the same topics.
Holy moly thats it thats why i lost my topspin right hand i stopped playing then justvwatched pros practicality on thebstrike and followvthru not the extra wrist snap
One question I have is, when I watch the pro clips and your clips, I’m not sure if I have the flexibility in my wrist to achieve that position. I think I have normal flexibility for everyday life but doesn’t seem like my wrist would get to 90 degrees with forearm the way yours does. Do you recommend some flexibility exercises for the wrist? Have you ever met a student who didn’t have the requisite wrist flexibility? I know it’s probably a matter of small degrees and I’m not looking for an ATP forehand😂. Also, if I may babble, I’ve noticed a big difference in my ability to naturally relax my shoulder and arm since doing a lot of core exercises and lower body strengthening. It’s almost as if my body senses uses the stability to relax the appendages and I can naturally use more fine motor control and not muscle the ball. Do those core exercises folks! You will feel the difference on the court. You’ll feel more relaxed and generate more natural power.
I think that would probably be more of a question for a physiotherapist. And yes, it could totally be that you don't have that flexibility. I'm very restricted in my upper body movements (but since I don't need it for anything I'm too lazy to do anything about it :-)
I always love your videos, clear explanations every step of the way . As player and as a coach ( I just teach the basics ) , I had students asked me about stuff they see on UA-cam .. especially with so called celebrity coaches . But hey, who am I compared to a coach who had the biggest names with him ? 😏
Could you comment on the following? I'm trying to understand what is the difference between the wrist rotation and forearm pronation. I don't think there is any. If you hold out your hand with the palm up and then turn the palm down to the floor, that is forearm pronation (I'm pretty sure) and it is also the same as wrist rotation. The wrist is actually kinda limited other than extension and flexion. It can also do ulnar deviation and radial deviation. But the wrist itself cannot do supination or pronation. Looking carefully at the Rublev video I think he pronates the forearm (and the wrist rides along) well after he hits the ball. You can put your arm in the locked in position and then hold it stiff and move it up to the point of contact (only allowing yourself to rotate your shoulder) and you will see that nothing from the shoulder down has moved one tiny bit. At least that's how it seems to me. Would you agree? Thanks for any reply.
Hello, important video and points about no snap! Meanwhile, it would be more precise if you don’t say that Rublev angle stays the same: it does stay “still laid back” through contact, but it recovers quite a bit from that ~90 degree full lag. That’s typical for the “ATP-forehand” and less so for those with supinated takeback.
I think you are saying that there is a bit of a snap in the ATP style forehand. And I agree. Many call the ATP forehand, the "lag and snap" forehand. But as you say, the wrist moves from an extended position to a less extended position at contact. Many interpret "snap" to mean that the wrist is beyond neutral at contact. But that is not what is happening. There is Rublev wrist movement in the flexion direction but the Rublev wrist movement is from extended to less extended.
I can't entirely blame Mouratoglu but perhaps no one taught me the vital need to have the wrist not just open as I take back but also somewhat FIRM as I come through and make contact. I was wristing and flexing through. But get this -- not only did my forehand become very erratic but I couldn't even reliably tap the ball over the net if they need a ball. I was loosening the wrist through the whole motion and it was terrible. Solved in one day and forehand went from 30% in to 85% in.
Yup! I am convinced YT is listening to me… lol! Was just talking out loud about my kid fixing her FH by figuring out (all by herself) 1, to stabilize the wrist on the take-back, 2, how to stabilize it while still being loose. Watching the slow-mo, racquet + forearm staying about 90 at contact, and still 90 degree at about 1 o’clock before releasing it. Btw, she injured her wrist about 2 years ago bc of the BS and we have been very careful about the wrist action ever since. Edit: great video, just Sub’d
I totally agree with you. “The Coach” tells every kid come to his academy to use wrist. Use wrist on forehand on backhand and on serve. It’s going to ruin those kids’ wrist.
Good explanation. I sometimes wonder if bad advice like 'use the wrist/snap the wrist etc' is genuinely misguided, or if it's a problem of communication. Eg, what if somebody saying 'use the wrist' is actually trying to say what you're saying, they just can't communicate what they do/feel properly?
Great comment 👍🏻. First I thought that Mouratoglou was teaching the wrist action in a way Meike speaks about him. I injured my arm, then found this video, and I now understand topspin a lot better. Then I watched Patrick's video's in slowmotion and he showed exactly the same movement as Meike did in this video. So, the communication in the topspin video of Mouratoglou could be a lot better, but the technique is good.
Good video highlighting the forehand . but there was something I saw in the alcaraz video , as the hitting arm extents and the forward motion stops as it reaches its maximum length toward the net. , the racket continues forward, to hit the ball, i assume because the wrist is relaxed . Then it starts to wrap around . That might be confused with a snap . but its just the momentum of the arm transferring to the racket , which would increase the velocity before striking the ball. check out the video at 7:00, am i interpreting that right?
Thank you Coach Meike. Should I set or deliberately place the racquet in the lock in position, or just allow the racquet to drop to the lock in position by relaxing my wrist and then locking the wrist as it moves forward?
Very well explained, thank you ! P.S. - I have no clue how you are able to film on such amazing looking courts and you're the ONLY one there. It's really mind boggling to me. A beautiful day and you've got the whole place to yourself.... unless you are super rich and booked every single court for yourself to be able to film this video LOL LOL. Thanks again, loved it !
Great video. Question: with the butt or racket cap pointing forward - is there any “pulling it forward” split second motion - that can help with that motion or just swing? - then something that has helped me with creating the racket lag, is the rotation of the inside of the elbow more outwards - instead of just thinking wrist. That simple adjustment has helped with a more natural and effortless 90 degree bend. Any thoughts on that? Thank you as always
Exactly, I know a guy, who does have a unique tennis technique, plays flat and really powerful - it looks effortless. He ist holding his racquet really loosely and (if he can) hits the ball on the rise - like once Agassi did. Those milliseconds during contact explain why this so called whindshieldwhiper technique is a myth. I have once heard - a follow through ist mostly to protect the the arm of the player. So holding a racquet to tight might cause injury as well.
No, I had great coaches in Germany when I grew up and then was fortunate enough to continue to meet great coaches who I keep in touch with to keep learning.
@@MeikeBabelTennis Your content is excellent. I’ve been teaching tennis for 37 years. and was trained under Vic Braden. Braden would greatly appreciate your efforts. From here on I am a subscriber!!
Servus Meike, wo in den Staaten bist du? Würde zu gerne mal Stunden bei dir nehmen. Verfolge dich schon seit ca. 3 Jahren als ich das Video und deinem Coaching mit Seirea gesehen habe. Du machst das wirklich toll und der Content hilft ungemein weiter. Weiter so :) Beste Grüße
@@MeikeBabelTennis Oh wow Spanien, wie toll. Ich bin in München. Scheint wohl als ob mein nächster Urlaub in Spanien sein wird :) Die neuen Stance Videos sind auch klasse. Großes Lob an deine Arbeit
So sieht's aus. Wenn Du mir an meike@meikebabel.com schreibst, dann kann ich Deine email auf meine Newsletterliste setzen und dann bleibst Du auf dem Laufenden.
Nice points. Have a dilemma here. What’s your position about having the wrist in the locked position before the swing to help aid in keeping the wrist in that position during the lag stage? If I do this, I feel my swing is slower and have less power but not so wristy and consistent. On other hand if neutral wrist at ready position my swing is faster but gets more wristy to say and strokes become less predictable but fast nonetheless. If any of that makes sense.😅
Yes, it does make sense. You don't want to force yourself into the lock-in position. It seems like you have to experiment with your grip pressure to find out exactly what the middle ground is for you
I know what you mean, but personally I don’t think stable is a great word that describes the wrist action. There is a ton of release, it is mostly a whippy motion imo. Pasive may be a better one.
Ahhh. Someone who has a tennis teaching channel that understands the contact point. 98% of tennis teachers teach myths. When Federer releases his forearm it is anywhere between .03 and .06 seconds after contact point. Feeder’s wrist has nothing to do with hitting the ball. So the average even above average player should not release the forearm. Way too difficult.
Thanks for pushing back against the idea that there has to be a "wrist snap" to generate topspin. You're really saving many recreational players a lot of injury and pain on your crusade to disprove this false notion that is irresponsibly being pushed on the internet. I know you so badly want to call out this "prominent coach" by name, and I give you so much credit for holding back and not actually saying the words "Patrick Moritaglou." I commend you for trying to correct this misconception, and I hope more tennis players can hear this.
It is difficult holding back bc I also get a lot of comments asking who the hell I am to criticize "The" tennis coach. I'll just try to continue learning and I go with the science :-)
@@MeikeBabelTennis You can respond to that question by saying "just a top 30 WTA player, that's all..." Keep moving forward with the great work that you do!
@@MeikeBabelTennisPeople have to just realize and admit there is a huge difference between teaching rec players and pros or aspiring pros. People want some kind of flashy tip without working on the basics.
Internal shoulder rotation is the main movement that drives the "wiper" swing shape. Some players have a more consistent and/or aggressive internal shoulder rotation component in their swing to add topspin to the ball. Federer is a great study. When he drove through the ball, he "wiped" less, and when he put more topspin on the ball, he "wiped" more. It's arguable whether there is active wrist flexion in the FH, but there definitely is passive wrist flexion due to the swing path and inertia. The wrist is allowed to relax and flex in conjunction with the internal shoulder rotation and forearm pronation to produce a relaxed finish, to not hinder the swing and compromise racket head speed. Tom Allsop over at TPA tennis has a great video about relaxing your arm and letting the racket swing around and through.
LOL< WE ALL KNOW THAT COACH >> IM SUBSCRIBED TO HIM TOO>> LOL MEIKE IS MAKING FRIENDS LOL , HE IS A BIT OF A ILLUMINATED DIVO>>>IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN >>> I GIVE YOU THAT>>>>LOL
Ufff those wrists are definitely not locked back and the angle is definitely not the same at contact as it is at max lag. Many vid analyses show the angle change. The relaxed wrist will hit max lag and pre stretch the forearm muscles which release into the contact point then through follow through
Perhaps the swing path is more upward, steeper angle. Perhaps you can add a little forearm pronation on a short sitter, but even then, timing is harder. I'm working on eliminating all that pronation stuff all the time. I have been hindered for years with trying to use forearm pronation. That's why I call myself Nate, the Shank.
Wrong. She is totally wrong. The wrist and forearm work together to hit the ball. The wrist does not not LOCK at contact. It releases at contact. Don't listen to this person. She has know idea what she is is talking about.
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Love how simple and down to earth this explanation is. Super practical.
Thank yoU!
Great video. The wrist is relatively stable during impact. There are many coaches on UA-cam who teach using an active wrist and changing the wrist angle during impact with the ball and that is absolutely incorrect. Even Federer and Nadal have a stable wrist until after the ball is long gone. The release of the wrist occurs long after impact and the ball is off the strings. The wrist release is simply a way to have a full and comfortable follow through. Good job explaining the wrist positions for the forehand.
exactly. finally solved this issue for good.
the snap is called flexion and flexion helps racket head spead make easy ( the impotant of flexion is that you dont do it completely but just past the center and there pronation takes over ), the wrist is actually your hand and the hand can not turn but the forearm ( pronation and supination ) and shoulder ( internal and external shoulder rotation ) can.
if you start in that 90 degree that you show and you can not change it towards contact then arm should be pointing at 12 when you hit the ball because if not at 12 but pointing more at 2 like rublev then the ball will fly to the court next to you , So there is a change of wrist ( HAND ) position towards contact !!!
if you have to hit the ball with the arm at 12 then all the power will be gone. topplayers hit the best balls at a 45 degree angle and thats NOT posible with the racket in a 90 degree angle so yes the wrist position changes and that part is a big part in the acceleration. but every body his opinion
“Prominent coach going phish phish “” 😂😂 lol … I wonder if that is Patrick Mouratoglou 😅
Could be ;-))))
*This is such an extremely important video!* 🎾
At the "locked in position", the buttcap points to the ball The wrist is in an extended position, the arm is relaxed and the racquet head lags the hitting arm. From this point to contact (a millisecond), the wrist *remains* in that extended position. At contact, the racquet head catches up to the hitting arm via *forearm pronation* . So be careful not to involve the wrist from that locked in position to contact. There is very little, if any, wrist involvement.
*_Forearm pronation is the main movement from "locked in position" to contact!_*
In fact, I will experiment with this and keep my wrist extended well past contact on the follow-through. I think it is possible to keep the wrist extended and rely mainly on the forearm pronation. In other words, the wrist does not necessarily ever have to move from an extended position to a neutral position; it can remain extended even after contact. Hope my understanding is correct. 🤔
Hi Raul. Good comments. I'm trying to understand what is the difference between the wrist rotation and forearm pronation. I don't think there is any. If you hold out your hand with the palm up and then turn the palm down to the floor, that is forearm pronation (I'm pretty sure) and it is also the same as wrist rotation. The wrist is actually kinda limited other than extension and flexion. It can also do ulnar deviation and radial deviation. But the wrist itself cannot do supination or pronation. Looking carefully at the Rublev video I think he pronates the forearm (and the wrist rides along) well after he hits the ball. You can put your arm in the locked in position and then hold it stiff and move it up to the point of contact and you will see that nothing from the shoulder down has moved one tiny bit. At least that's how it seems to me. Would you agree? Thanks for any reply.
@@nebraskanate7417 You are correct. The wrist is only capable of 4 movements: extension/flexion and radial/ulnar deviation.
Many people commonly misinterpret the finish and assume that there is a lot of wrist action involved from "locked in buttcap position" to contact (i.e. wrist moving from extension, past neutral, and into flexion). But in reality, there is very little, if any, wrist action from "locked in position with buttcap pointed to ball" to contact. This happens in a millisecond. At contact, the wrist will still be in an extended position, just as it was in the buttcap pointing position. Perhaps wrist is in a *slightly* less extended position at contact, but wrist is is certainly not past neutral at contact.
To summarize, the wrist movement is from an extended wrist position at buttcap-point position to essentially that same extended wrist position at contact. Post-contact, the wrist might move towards a neutral position or past neutral to a flexed position.
But I think the post-contact wrist position will happen naturally and I don't think about it. I also think there will be very slight wrist variances post-contact depending on target (cross-court vs down the line).
The important thing for me is to keep that wrist extended at butt-cap point position and essentially keep that very same wrist extended position at contact. In other words, take care that the wrist at contact has not moved past the neutral position and into flexion.
Thanks, Raul... your comments on the wrist are exactly what I'm thinking too. Now, when it comes to the forearm, I have had so much trouble by thinking I should pronate the forearm during my swing. Instruction on UA-cam and on the court seemed to imply that and that forearm pronation was important for generating topspin. (Maybe that was my mistaken interpretation of the instruction.) Now I have concluded that there is no wrist action and there is no forearm pronation before or at contact. The pronation occurs after striking the ball. I went out this weekend and made that change in my forehand and the amount of improvement I experienced was the most I have ever had in just one day. I had much more power and much, much more consistency. I believe I mistakenly thought that if there is a lag in the wrist or a supination in the forearm, these need to rotate in the opposite direction to provide the extra force or the upward motion to give more power and topspin. Evidently not so. Everything remains locked in but without a death grip as Ms. Babel states. Hope my experience is helpful to you. Happy playing. @@Better_Call_Raul
Genius. Simplified and direct w pros in slow mo demo.
One of your best video lessons. Great slow motion demo of the male player and great explanation explanation by you. Very clear!
Love this lesson ❤ TRUE teaching Coach! This is as good as it gets! lots of talking about great coaches during the U.S Open, Here's one. 🙏
In another video you admit that there is some "relaxation" of the wrist lag prior to contact. This is called flexion from highly extended to less extended wrist. There is no way that one maintains the initial highly extended, lag angle all the way to contact. Look at videos of Dimitrov. His initial wrist lag is extreme and relaxes some BEFORE he strikes the ball. Of course there is also some internal rotation of the arm at contact. Maybe you don't have as pronounced a wrist lag angle as Dimitrov. If you watch Montoglorou's videos on powerful forehands he talks about this racket head acceleration from the initial lag to ball contact. I think this is flexion towards a less extended wrist
Relaxed is not being wristy
Finally somebody called out the celeb coach Moratoglou!
Yup :-)
Came here to say this!! 😂
He misled loads of his viewers, because he nearly only shows his lessons with high-level juniors who have solid techniques on UA-cam.
His slice serve video with halep is the worst
@@gazzer92 i think we could rank his vids from bad to the worst...i have not seen one vid which made sense...
Came across the video a few days ago. I began implementing this into practice and now 3 live matches. Quite a simple suggestion but the majority of us don’t get it. So far the results have allowed me to hit more consistently, with honestly the power I’ve been craving, to the point that I’m playing enjoyable tennis on MY terms win or lose.
Excellent tips. It has been doubting me for long time. Inam very clear now. Thank you very much. Sending lots of love from Bali.🌞🌎🌙🙏
That was so nicely done. Unfortunately, some - not all - online tennis instruction has actually become an impediment to stroke development. You cannot simply copy and paste Federer and Djokovic. However, often times, that's not the message given online. Everyone's biomechanics are different. That's why on-court professional instruction with video analysis works so well. The power of the forehand comes from the body and the pace of the incoming ball. Use those basics and practice hitting angles that will put your opponent on the run and pass him or her approaching the net. Vic Braden (RIP) was right when I was a young student. He taught us to hit through the ball, as you aptly demonstrated here, and to find and create angles. It still works incredibly well today. Strive for consistency at the club level. Most of us will never reach the tour level. But we can have fun and become highly dangerous and competitive on court. Lastly, the ATP and WTA forehand? Are you serious? (not you personally, you're brighter than that) You've got to be kidding me! Again, great job. Keep the instruction simple, applicable, and correct.
Great points, yes!
0:27 - Haha...I know exactly who you are referring to...😅
This is SO helpful!!
love your coaching. the best ever
Thank you!
This makes sense. I’m in the middle of being coached by 2 different coaches & each has different theories on this. Thank you!
Beautiful video 👏...clears so many miss conceptions ...and has everything! you need to know about forehand. Thanks a lot for sharing Coach
Amazing advice…always had doubts and mix opinions on wrist technique. This cleared it all up! Thanks
My mistake was in trying to get topspin on the forward swing I would close my wrist from the open lag position while also trying to achieve a low to high swing. Thanks so much for your clear explanation . Now its back to the practise court!
Same here.
Meike, some students hear 'loose wrist' and let their wrist flop around like a wet noodle, slapping at the ball, which can become a very difficult habit to break, particularly when they try to add power. How do you convey the simultaneous feeling(s) of relaxation and stability? Would value your insight. Nobody really talks about this.
The best coach on the internet! So wish I could do it! Been trying for 50 years!!
Fantastic lesson! Many thanks.
Thanks Meike, great explanation!
Another great one. Less is more. Big muscles lead. Brilliant. There’s another coach on line who has invoked the minimum effort drill, where you see what the least amount you can do is to get the ball over the net. Then slowly add on parts that impart a little more power and rotation. Your drill would be the natural consequence of that. Thanks for all your great content. It’s extremely easy to digest and super helpful. Heard your podcast with Tennisnerd. Great stuff.
Thank you! I really appreciate your kind words.
Hi, could you pls share the name's coach? Thx
well put. Simple and Logical
Wieder mal ein tolles Video von Dir, vielen Dank. Klasse, dass zum Schluss noch ein paar Übungen kommen! Liebe Grüße aus Heidelberg
Really liked this lesson. Seems important and yet easy to digest. I'll keep this in mind next time I'm hitting.
This is, by far, the clearest, most precise, and most accurate description of probably the most crucial part of the basic stroke... the contact point or contact zone. I've been waiting years for a video such as this one. I will now look at your backhand videos, but would you say there is a similar locked in position in the two-handed backhand as well? Thank you so much.
Enough respect . I had to figure this out myself. The best lesson ever given on the tube. Great lesson.
Thank you so much
Thanks. Exactly as you say it’s the forearm that rotates to cause the brush. It’s only later in the follow thru that the wrist may add to the brush naturally.
I'm trying to figure this out, but I believe wrist pronation and forearm pronation are one in the same. You may hinder yourself thinking you can have forearm rotation before hitting the ball.
Great content. Thanks.
fantastic video. 4.5 player struggling with fh after making an eastern to sw switch (d/t wrist issues). this showed me i'm not loading with the handle in time, i was doing that motion mid swing...probably disrupting kinetic chain etc etc
Meike is our sweet and super talented coach ❤
You hit the nail on the head 👏
Thank you!
lol i love the "shh shhh" around the tennis court. we all know who you're talking about and it drives me crazy. my dear friend was "shh shhh-ing" for like a year because of this man and is only just recently getting over his bad habit.
This was a good lesson. Thank you 👍
very very very good explanation. the videos of pros hitting was so helpful.
The wrist angle determines how far out in front of the body the racquet should make contact. The more the wrist is bent the farther out in front of the body will be the contact point.
Thank you for such a wonderful lesson.
You're very welcome!
Tnx, great explanation
Tennis coaching is tricky. Yes, there is a difference between the active and passive motions in the strokes, and we have to be so careful not to add tension to any part of the process-BUT, not every person is the same, specifically in how their mind communicates with their body. You could teach three students the exact same mechanics, but for one of them, feeling it in their hand promotes the best result, while another imagines a shape or a motion, or another finds another point of focus helpful. The brain can only think of one thing at a time in succession. It is a matter of finding what “key” unlocks fluid, effective mechanics for an individual. That’s why there are so many different videos on the same topics.
Awesome tips! Tks a lot 🙂🎾
very good explaned and helpfullr, from Holland
You're welcome
Thank you, to the Queen of brilliant.Very well explained ❤
Love this video!!! Do you have any routine that can enhance the muscles around our wrist.
Holy moly thats it thats why i lost my topspin right hand i stopped playing then justvwatched pros practicality on thebstrike and followvthru not the extra wrist snap
Muy bien tip couch!!!…saludos desde Bolivia
One question I have is, when I watch the pro clips and your clips, I’m not sure if I have the flexibility in my wrist to achieve that position. I think I have normal flexibility for everyday life but doesn’t seem like my wrist would get to 90 degrees with forearm the way yours does. Do you recommend some flexibility exercises for the wrist? Have you ever met a student who didn’t have the requisite wrist flexibility? I know it’s probably a matter of small degrees and I’m not looking for an ATP forehand😂. Also, if I may babble, I’ve noticed a big difference in my ability to naturally relax my shoulder and arm since doing a lot of core exercises and lower body strengthening. It’s almost as if my body senses uses the stability to relax the appendages and I can naturally use more fine motor control and not muscle the ball. Do those core exercises folks! You will feel the difference on the court. You’ll feel more relaxed and generate more natural power.
I think that would probably be more of a question for a physiotherapist. And yes, it could totally be that you don't have that flexibility. I'm very restricted in my upper body movements (but since I don't need it for anything I'm too lazy to do anything about it :-)
Muy buenos tus videos Meike!
Como seria el trabajo de la muñeca en el reves a una mano ?
I always love your videos, clear explanations every step of the way . As player and as a coach ( I just teach the basics ) , I had students asked me about stuff they see on UA-cam .. especially with so called celebrity coaches . But hey, who am I compared to a coach who had the biggest names with him ? 😏
yup, I get that as well as in "well, it's nice that you played in 19 Grand Slams but you never coached Serena Williams" 😐
Could you comment on the following? I'm trying to understand what is the difference between the wrist rotation and forearm pronation. I don't think there is any. If you hold out your hand with the palm up and then turn the palm down to the floor, that is forearm pronation (I'm pretty sure) and it is also the same as wrist rotation. The wrist is actually kinda limited other than extension and flexion. It can also do ulnar deviation and radial deviation. But the wrist itself cannot do supination or pronation. Looking carefully at the Rublev video I think he pronates the forearm (and the wrist rides along) well after he hits the ball. You can put your arm in the locked in position and then hold it stiff and move it up to the point of contact (only allowing yourself to rotate your shoulder) and you will see that nothing from the shoulder down has moved one tiny bit. At least that's how it seems to me. Would you agree? Thanks for any reply.
Hello, important video and points about no snap!
Meanwhile, it would be more precise if you don’t say that Rublev angle stays the same: it does stay “still laid back” through contact, but it recovers quite a bit from that ~90 degree full lag. That’s typical for the “ATP-forehand” and less so for those with supinated takeback.
I think you are saying that there is a bit of a snap in the ATP style forehand. And I agree. Many call the ATP forehand, the "lag and snap" forehand. But as you say, the wrist moves from an extended position to a less extended position at contact. Many interpret "snap" to mean that the wrist is beyond neutral at contact. But that is not what is happening. There is Rublev wrist movement in the flexion direction but the Rublev wrist movement is from extended to less extended.
I can't entirely blame Mouratoglu but perhaps no one taught me the vital need to have the wrist not just open as I take back but also somewhat FIRM as I come through and make contact. I was wristing and flexing through.
But get this -- not only did my forehand become very erratic but I couldn't even reliably tap the ball over the net if they need a ball. I was loosening the wrist through the whole motion and it was terrible. Solved in one day and forehand went from 30% in to 85% in.
Yup! I am convinced YT is listening to me… lol! Was just talking out loud about my kid fixing her FH by figuring out (all by herself) 1, to stabilize the wrist on the take-back, 2, how to stabilize it while still being loose. Watching the slow-mo, racquet + forearm staying about 90 at contact, and still 90 degree at about 1 o’clock before releasing it. Btw, she injured her wrist about 2 years ago bc of the BS and we have been very careful about the wrist action ever since.
Edit: great video, just Sub’d
I totally agree with you. “The Coach” tells every kid come to his academy to use wrist. Use wrist on forehand on backhand and on serve. It’s going to ruin those kids’ wrist.
Good explanation.
I sometimes wonder if bad advice like 'use the wrist/snap the wrist etc' is genuinely misguided, or if it's a problem of communication. Eg, what if somebody saying 'use the wrist' is actually trying to say what you're saying, they just can't communicate what they do/feel properly?
Great comment 👍🏻.
First I thought that Mouratoglou was teaching the wrist action in a way Meike speaks about him.
I injured my arm, then found this video, and I now understand topspin a lot better.
Then I watched Patrick's video's in slowmotion and he showed exactly the same movement as Meike did in this video.
So, the communication in the topspin video of Mouratoglou could be a lot better, but the technique is good.
Good job young lady. THANKS!!!
Amazing clear explanation!¡ thanks .
great video, coach. Many thanks. Sure Patrick won't mind 🙂
Ha, who knows :-)
“A proper forehand is like throwing a rock. Loose wrist, do it like this. Whooossssshhhhhhhhh” (or something like that lol)
Good video highlighting the forehand . but there was something I saw in the alcaraz video , as the hitting arm extents and the forward motion stops as it reaches its maximum length toward the net. , the racket continues forward, to hit the ball, i assume because the wrist is relaxed . Then it starts to wrap around . That might be confused with a snap . but its just the momentum of the arm transferring to the racket , which would increase the velocity before striking the ball. check out the video at 7:00, am i interpreting that right?
Brilliant tutorial...
Thank you Coach Meike. Should I set or deliberately place the racquet in the lock in position, or just allow the racquet to drop to the lock in position by relaxing my wrist and then locking the wrist as it moves forward?
Nice explaination madam . Love from India❤
Very well explained, thank you ! P.S. - I have no clue how you are able to film on such amazing looking courts and you're the ONLY one there. It's really mind boggling to me. A beautiful day and you've got the whole place to yourself.... unless you are super rich and booked every single court for yourself to be able to film this video LOL LOL. Thanks again, loved it !
Great video. Question: with the butt or racket cap pointing forward - is there any “pulling it forward” split second motion - that can help with that motion or just swing? - then something that has helped me with creating the racket lag, is the rotation of the inside of the elbow more outwards - instead of just thinking wrist. That simple adjustment has helped with a more natural and effortless 90 degree bend. Any thoughts on that? Thank you as always
I'll have to try that.
Exactly, I know a guy, who does have a unique tennis technique, plays flat and really powerful - it looks effortless. He ist holding his racquet really loosely and (if he can) hits the ball on the rise - like once Agassi did. Those milliseconds during contact explain why this so called whindshieldwhiper technique is a myth. I have once heard - a follow through ist mostly to protect the the arm of the player. So holding a racquet to tight might cause injury as well.
Meike, I’m curious if you have a Vic Braden or Steve Smith background?
No, I had great coaches in Germany when I grew up and then was fortunate enough to continue to meet great coaches who I keep in touch with to keep learning.
@@MeikeBabelTennis Your content is excellent. I’ve been teaching tennis for 37 years. and was trained under Vic Braden. Braden would greatly appreciate your efforts. From here on I am a subscriber!!
I will pass on your channel to all of my students and members of my club. I’ll put your UA-cam channel in our next newsletter!!
Servus Meike, wo in den Staaten bist du? Würde zu gerne mal Stunden bei dir nehmen. Verfolge dich schon seit ca. 3 Jahren als ich das Video und deinem Coaching mit Seirea gesehen habe. Du machst das wirklich toll und der Content hilft ungemein weiter. Weiter so :) Beste Grüße
Ich bin in Denver, CO, aber am Ende des Jahres ziehen wir um nach Spanien. Wo bist Du?
@@MeikeBabelTennis Oh wow Spanien, wie toll. Ich bin in München. Scheint wohl als ob mein nächster Urlaub in Spanien sein wird :)
Die neuen Stance Videos sind auch klasse. Großes Lob an deine Arbeit
So sieht's aus. Wenn Du mir an meike@meikebabel.com schreibst, dann kann ich Deine email auf meine Newsletterliste setzen und dann bleibst Du auf dem Laufenden.
Moratouglou is giving a lot of, let's say, strange advice. Thanks for the great video and explanation.
Thanks!
Nice points. Have a dilemma here. What’s your position about having the wrist in the locked position before the swing to help aid in keeping the wrist in that position during the lag stage? If I do this, I feel my swing is slower and have less power but not so wristy and consistent. On other hand if neutral wrist at ready position my swing is faster but gets more wristy to say and strokes become less predictable but fast nonetheless. If any of that makes sense.😅
Yes, it does make sense. You don't want to force yourself into the lock-in position. It seems like you have to experiment with your grip pressure to find out exactly what the middle ground is for you
@@MeikeBabelTennis Right, was thinking same thing! Thanks
Excellent video, Meike, seasoned with a litle bit of naughtytoglou 😌
How if you make a sharp angle shot like in doubles close to the net, can you use the wrist to "flip" the ball or is that just a touch shot?
I know what you mean, but personally I don’t think stable is a great word that describes the wrist action. There is a ton of release, it is mostly a whippy motion imo. Pasive may be a better one.
Wonderfull típ 😍👌🎾🎾
Bravo
Ahhh. Someone who has a tennis teaching channel that understands the contact point. 98% of tennis teachers teach myths. When Federer releases his forearm it is anywhere between .03 and .06 seconds after contact point. Feeder’s wrist has nothing to do with hitting the ball. So the average even above average player should not release the forearm. Way too difficult.
Way too difficult and also impossible. Our wrist simply can’t move as fast
Great video. Not to mention asking 10 or 11 years old kids using wrist is surely going to get injury
Yes, there is a lot of that!
He did coach the greatest female player in history! Herstory!
However, thanks for the breakdown of this stroke.
Thanks for pushing back against the idea that there has to be a "wrist snap" to generate topspin.
You're really saving many recreational players a lot of injury and pain on your crusade to disprove this false notion that is irresponsibly being pushed on the internet.
I know you so badly want to call out this "prominent coach" by name, and I give you so much credit for holding back and not actually saying the words "Patrick Moritaglou."
I commend you for trying to correct this misconception, and I hope more tennis players can hear this.
It is difficult holding back bc I also get a lot of comments asking who the hell I am to criticize "The" tennis coach. I'll just try to continue learning and I go with the science :-)
@@MeikeBabelTennis You can respond to that question by saying "just a top 30 WTA player, that's all..."
Keep moving forward with the great work that you do!
@@MeikeBabelTennisPeople have to just realize and admit there is a huge difference between teaching rec players and pros or aspiring pros. People want some kind of flashy tip without working on the basics.
Yes, you are right! @@robertyacoub9705
It’s the entire forearm that gets you into the locked position right?
superb
The missing link. Thank you.
Wonderful lesson
Do not apply force with your wrist, right.
The best since Vic Braden,,,,,, The lag and snap is difficult Even Federer would shank,, He last wimbledon final His FH he shanked the last point
I say in the slot not lock in
That works
Internal shoulder rotation is the main movement that drives the "wiper" swing shape.
Some players have a more consistent and/or aggressive internal shoulder rotation component in their swing to add topspin to the ball.
Federer is a great study. When he drove through the ball, he "wiped" less, and when he put more topspin on the ball, he "wiped" more.
It's arguable whether there is active wrist flexion in the FH, but there definitely is passive wrist flexion due to the swing path and inertia.
The wrist is allowed to relax and flex in conjunction with the internal shoulder rotation and forearm pronation to produce a relaxed finish, to not hinder the swing and compromise racket head speed.
Tom Allsop over at TPA tennis has a great video about relaxing your arm and letting the racket swing around and through.
Please do the same lesson for the two hand and one hand backhand
LOL< WE ALL KNOW THAT COACH >> IM SUBSCRIBED TO HIM TOO>> LOL MEIKE IS MAKING FRIENDS LOL , HE IS A BIT OF A ILLUMINATED DIVO>>>IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN >>> I GIVE YOU THAT>>>>LOL
Ufff those wrists are definitely not locked back and the angle is definitely not the same at contact as it is at max lag. Many vid analyses show the angle change. The relaxed wrist will hit max lag and pre stretch the forearm muscles which release into the contact point then through follow through
Finaly someone dare to make video and say truth ..I would take licence from all Coaches which teach forhand with using wrist with the wrong way
Great explanation on the standard forehand drive, but how do you recommend adding extra top spin when it's required?
Perhaps the swing path is more upward, steeper angle. Perhaps you can add a little forearm pronation on a short sitter, but even then, timing is harder. I'm working on eliminating all that pronation stuff all the time. I have been hindered for years with trying to use forearm pronation. That's why I call myself Nate, the Shank.
"EVER LOVING BE JESUS INDEED" MEIKELOL
A lot of (all?) men use their wrist excessevely. Maybe a memory of their teenage years.
Wrong. She is totally wrong. The wrist and forearm work together to hit the ball. The wrist does not not LOCK at contact. It releases at contact. Don't listen to this person. She has know idea what she is is talking about.
讚👍！
It doesnt point to the incomming ball ffs, use ur eyes! And u have no clue.
Prey, dear sir, tell us more and enlighten us as to how to hit the forehand .
She don`t understand how it works. SORRY!