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@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial It is good to hear your opinions on the forehands and that you are not dogmatic about style. I have a very natural classic forehand that I've tried to incorporate elements of the modern forehand as I can appreciate the advantages, however I seem to be able to get enough power and consistency with it so I limit how much I really tinker with it. I always want to attack the net anyway and maintaining my continental grip makes it easier to transition to volleys quickly.
Next generation forehands will see many visits to the doctors in the future as their bodies breakdown due to age. too many moving parts in a system always lead to breakdowns. Federer's forehand like his other strokes utilizes sound fuid motion dynamics. he has made some adjustment over the years, triming down the motions, compacting his swings but overall his game does not require so much effort. That's why he can still play his game competitively at his age.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Agreed. Just looking at the full western grip and the forehand motion here baffled me. The body is taking a tremendous toll. Having played TT and Badminton earlier, I am naturally drawn to an eastern grip and use it for both the backhand and forehand.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial could you say that motion makes the next gen players less consistent? For example I see with shapovalov it looks like his shoulder will break in every hit, and that takes a lot of energy when in tough matches he can lack energy and start to easily loose depth and consistence on rallies
Excactly! If you pause the video at the 7:22 mark....you can see a very unorthodox approach to swinging a tennis racket! I'm compelled to slap the person who taught him this! ;-)
Best UA-cam tennis coaches to explain the tennis technique theories. Look no further. It’s important to know these things before hitting on the court. For the first time I found out the grip has something to do with the contact point. Very useful. Great lesson!
I will be sure to serve to that "next gen" FH and slice my BH into it as well. Good luck with that unless you are on the level of Thiem or Kyrgios. If I see that FH on most players I see something to exploit, there are exceptions of course
Great video. Massive forehands have always used high elbow, except now there's a lot of pointing the tip forward for extra whip. Gonzalez, Blake, Basilashvili, Thiem, Delpo, Shapo, Kyrgios, Sock, Edmund, Khachanov - the list goes on.
I'm a modern forehand sort of guy, and one-handed backhand. The racquet I'll play with for the rest of my life is the Wilson RF97A, strung with a natural gut / luxilon hybrid. That brings me to my point. The classic f/hand died out when the wooden / alu framed racquets died out. New composite materials and a larger racquet head brought about the modern forehand. The next gen forehand was introduced with new co-poly strings which generated much more spin. What do you think about that assessment? Changes in equipment allowed the players to develop a new swing path. Finally -- Watching guys like Sock, Kyrgios, Khachanov, I always wondered about the stress on the shoulder, elbow & wrist. Good point to make on the potential for injury.
I'd agree with your points on technology, however I also feel that even with the newest technology, the modern forehand will prevail due to the injury risks/rewards Thank you for watching Are there any lessons you would like to see from us in 2020? All the best Simon
well you are right , i also use a similar Wilson Racket but RF97L i chose it to be less in weight relatively 290g and hoping to be less in the stress and pain happening in the arm muscles when hitting powerful forehand the modern way :)
I completely agree. The technology with the strings has changed things dramatically. I tried a hybrid setup after a long hiatus from tennis and it feels like cheating sometimes. Wish I had those in my racquet when I used to compete!
I'm surprised Top Tennis didn't mention the physical dangers in these strokes. The classic can cause a lot of repetitive stress knee issues. The rise of wrist/elbow injuries are going to pop up more with kids imitating the full western. The "next-gen" will be showing health issues by their mid to late 20s. Remember Sania Mirza... -- definitely you got to have a light racquet for full western to try to mitigate some of the wrist dangers.
The secret to the modern forehands is the relaxed wrist. As the racquet is moving back the relaxed wrist allows the racquet face and some of the handle to continue going back as you rotate your hips and hand forward. The racquet face rebounds like a whip or pendulum, accelerating the swing. You do not have to roll your wrist into the ball, it rolls naturally. I used to play with a straight back swing where I laid my wrist back on the drop and consciously rolled my wrist into the ball. When I learned to lag, I learned with a stick. I also learned with a mid take back. If my timing was not perfect I just rotate forward and maybe my arm did not go back as far as I wanted - but I get the whip affect. There can be no pause between going back and forward. It has to be immediate to get the whip affect. I do it now with the high drop but it is hard to time. To see if you have a relaxed wrist hold your arm out - move it back a foot or so and then immediately forward. You should see your fingers lagging behind. A good drill you can do to tell if you are lagging is stand against the net with your right hip pressing into it and hang your arm on the other side of the net and at least a foot clear. Do some swings and you can hear the racquet clip the net if you lagged. You can even hit balls (it would be into the chair umpire or fence). As far as injuries go, your wrist lays back farther than you can make it go back statically. A lot farther. Kind of like stretching your hamstrings and someone pushes you down farther. I have been doing it for 10 years and no problems with my wrist but I worry when I see 10 year old's doing Federer's swing. Sock's even worse. When I did the mid take back it was more like Sock (but without the drop). So I think there are 4 generations of forehands. Classic, open or semi open manual wrist lay back and manual rolling into the ball, open or semi and lagging like Federer, open and semi lagging like Sock. I think for most players outside of talented academy kids, the manual lay back and manual rolling of wrist in open or semi open is the best forehand.
Thanks a lot for the good video. I considered myself an "old school" player because I started playing in 1978. My style has been dictated a lot by the old style and now I can see the difference to the modern style.
This is great. I'm getting back into tennis. I'm glad to see I was taught the modern forehand. I've seen people doing nextgen, but I'm glad to know I don't need to change :)
LOVE YOU GUYS PUTTING UP THIS MOST ENLIGHTENING VIDEO. PLAYING TENNIS 4X A WEEK FOR A SOLID 34 YEARS NOW. MY GAME EVOLVED FROM CLASSIC OF THE OLD DAYS WHEN THERE WAS NO INTERNET YET. NOBODY PLAYS THE CLASSIC ANYMORE. AND WATCHING MC ENROE SWING HIS RACKET LIKE THAT IN THE PRESENT SETTING OF TENNIS INDEED LOOKS UNATTRACTIVE AND EVEN AWKWARD. PRESENTLY, I 'M PLAYING MODERN FOREHAND BUT QUICKLY LEARNING THE ROPES OF THE NEXT GEN OWING NOT ONLY TO ITS COMPELLING POWER BUT TO ITS BEAUTY AS WELL. CONGRATS FOR BEING ABLE TO PRESENT VERY CLEARLY HOW THE NEXT GEN FOREHAND IS DONE AND ITS DIFFERENCE TO THE OTHER TWO. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE MOTIVATED TO LEARN IT THAN AFTER WATCHING YOUR VIDEO. THANKS A MILLION.
For sure you can experiment and see what works best for you, but it's better to stick to one motion and master it, rather than trying to use two or even three different forehands
This was really interesting and timely! I learned to play tennis as a teenager in the 1960's. I didn't have a teacher, but I did have a book, that as you'd expect taught the classic forehand - Eastern grip, stiff wrist, closed stance, swing from the shoulder - with one exception to the way you demonstrated it: the backswing was more like Federer's, with the top of the racquet first pointing up, then circling down below the ball. It's so interesting to see how the forehand has evolved. I'm teaching a friend, a beginner, and your lessons are very useful for me, until I can find her a proper teacher. Thanks so much!
This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been researching the Next Gen (multi segment) forehand for a while but there isn’t a whole lot of info out there. Totally agree with your points about timing (particularly on quicker courts or when under pressure). For me it has to be the modern forehand, consistency and versatility are the priority otherwise a tactically astute opponent will expose you. Quality content 👌
Hi Simon, Would love to see footwork techniques compared and discussed in a similar style. For example, return of serve split step, transitioning to net and end range groundstrokes. Thanks, Will
Absolutely brilliant technical breakdown guys - thank you so much. Of course, I've learned a lot of this over the years, would have been so nice to meet you 25 yrs ago. I was caught in the classic teaching style the industry moved to new rackets and poly strings, so I was all messed up for a long time. Now that I 'get it' better, I have experimented with the Next Gen style, and while it certainly created some WTF forehands for me, it was very hard to time and even shadow swinging you can feel the extra tension. And nobody gets 'tight' during a match we all know that. :)
Also a great point to emphasize is that the more western you go on your grip the easier it gets to control the high balls, but at the same time, hitting those low balls gets extremely difficult.
This video answers a lot of questions for those whose first forehand lessons were of the classic forehand. I still see coaches teaching classic to novices.
@@elmac2127 Have her stand very loose on the baseline both eyes and body facing down court no racquet in hand. Have her turn to hit a forehand while keeping both eyes down court looking at an oncoming ball. Depending on flexibility shoulder should be getting close to going under chin. If after completing the turn and keeping both eyes down court her hand naturally comes up into a power position before dropping and swinging through its the modern forehand. If the hand stays down naturally its the classic. I see most peoples hands naturally come up into the power position. Stick a racquet into the open hand should be a comfortable drop and swing through the ball from the power position.
The classic forehand was what worked back in the day for the majority of people given wood rackets were 60-70 square inch, rackets were 13-14 ounces & the sweetspot barely the size of the ball (if that). You can't whip the ball anywhere near as easily, although some did impart more modern technique and topspin like Laver & Borg, but not the trend. And besides, the courts were so fast & passing shots so difficult, serve and volley was king for winning tennis (I watched the epic 5 setter of the 1972 wimbledon final & Literally the server came to the net on EVERY Point)
I am 57 years old and until recently have not played tennis since high school. Currently trying to develop a good forehand and have to say the next-gen forehand feels the best for me. But even though the next-gen feels natural at the same time it also feels wrong because I learned the classic forehand as a kid. Looking forward to continuing the development and glad I found this video comparing the forehand styles.
Well explained! To me, the grip decides your future style and the coach plays a very important role in developing this skill, which we can see that the next gens.are using the wester grip more and more now.
Great vid guys, this seems to be one of the first videos ever (on youtube) making a distinction between the modern and nextgen forehand. Helped me a lot distinguishing the minor technique differences between them
Omg I’ve been using the next gen forehand without knowing it and started recording myself and wondered why my strokes looks so ugly and forced compared to the pros. But I guess I never really watched slow mo vids of Nick or Jack. Since then I’ve started to adjust and transition myself to the modern forehand and found that my consistency have gone way up. I always play good during practices but my match performance is terrible, this makes so much sense thanks for the vid guys :)
I can attest to these changes in the forehand, really interesting that you brought it up. I hv been playing tennis for more than 35 yrs and moved from classic in the 80s 90s to modern in the new millenium. The best for me is also the modern, most stable and generates good Topspin. New age or Netgen is just too showy and overdoing it.
Not really as i am quite a well rounded player already. Way past the basics. At my stage and age, missing a shot is mostly attributable to fitness. 😂🤣 so we are basically playing doubles only. Late 40s to early 50s, me and my mates
I don't think the NextGen forehand is in it's final form yet. It shares so much with the Modern forehand that it seems to be a transition type forehand like Agassi's, where it wasn't quite classic, but not quite modern.
It will adapt over time but for sure Agassi used a modern forehand (version 1.0) Full swing, racket above head level in prep, racket lag and full follow through
I would take the modern forehand anytime. The fact that both Roger and Rafa use it, and even Tsitsipas, which is for me the most consistent player of the nexgen, show that it still is the most effective stroke in the game, providing power, topspin, control, and reliability. Great video!
Tsitsipas forehand has even traditional forehand elements in it. That's why his strokes are more consistent than the rest of the next gen. Also his wrist lags a bit sooner & more sideways even than the modern forehanders and that helps him aim better while maintaining enough power
I was kinda stuck in limited power and unable to finish shortballs with my modern forehand(6 years experience, semi western grip). After a frustrating day, i decided to go for kyrgios style. From day one i was able to hit consistently. It feels natural and i can generate way more power with next gen forehand. It worked for me amazingly because i guess the initial elbow separation is creating a super racket head speed. Dont hesitate to try it if you feel the same with me.
Super useful video. I'm an older player who probably slips between the classic and the modern. The next gen looks like time in Physical Therapy. Thanks for the end thoughts.
Thank you guys for the video and the explanations. Since I saw that on your site and others I have tried to practice the concept of the "next Gen" Forehand and to do similar change in Backhand. If I get it right the main outcome of the style change is a Whip motion that give you much more spin and power - resulting in more aggressive Tennis. After some practice it pays and I love to see the changes ! :-). Some questions on the down sides of the technique are: 1st - reduced stability - I would like some tips on how to improve control on this style (beside practice); 2nd - how to handle hard balls where quicker and shorter preparation is beneficial (like serve returns etc.); 3rd - how to improve versatility and disguise - with flat, slice and drop shots with this style; 4th - last but not least - the physical pressure on the hand joint is increased no doubts on including shoulder, elbow and wrist - while it is understood that the responsibility choosing this style more and not risking yourself is on the player - or at least on the direct coach - you may want to provide some fitness drills to support that by strengthening the muscles and how to help people keep the motion within the reasonable limits and avoid "over hitting" that may increase the risk; Thank you again for the great video and in advance for your response Omri
I think Medvedev's forehand is so effective because it's so hard to read for his opponents, not because it's next gen. It's more that his swing and footing is so hard to read on his forehand, opponents have no clue where it will go. Which is key in a pro environment because you have so little reaction time.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial hi Simon, of course I'd like to see backhand and slice backhand techniques.. (with Djokovic and Agassi as BH examples, Fed and Murray as Slice BH examples, etc)
I’d say my forehand is more ‘next-gen’ and that’s probably why I struggle a lot. I had a hit the other night, and I was completely in the zone, hitting with loads of power and spin - but most importantly feel. I felt like I had plenty of time even when returning fast balls. Unfortunately this is a rare occasion, and most times I struggle just hitting a clean ball. I certainly crave a more consistent ‘modern’ forehand. It’s tough to change though. Especially when I'm always chasing the memories of the good days with the ‘next-gen’ swing.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Right on! Never had the chance to experience playing on real clay yet. We only have artificial clay courts in Hawaii. After thinking, a nice dirty slice on grass & ripping grounds on clay does sound awesome!
As a trainer, I use the classic forehand for training beginners that aren't used to much topspin yet, and the modern forehand for everything else. I also try to teach a modern forehand. It's easier, and even though the next-gen forehand has more potential, I don't want my students to get injuries after a few years.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial I've watched some, but not all of your videos, so I can't really give you advice on that. From what I can see, you seem to cover pretty much everything already. I personally have problems with footwork and looking at the ball. I always had quite good technique, and improved even more over the years, and it partly made up for my mistakes with the basics. I know where I've got to improve, but I'm struggling. Can you recommend any drills for training these basics?
Great video...I have been hitting Modern for the past 30 years. Tried the next generation past Monday and my shoulder popped out and had to re~attach it after my outing. Wrist fared a little better, but still had to screw it back on clockwise. With that said, I have never had a ball travel so blistering fast. I am a 4.0-4.5 and was hitting against 5.0s: Played singles & dubs for 3 hrs. I had the most powerful forehand among the 5 players. My racket specs are as follows: 12.5 HL, 350g, 330SW+/-, 18x20, Semi-West, Righty, & One-Handed. Because of my experience, I never had and timing issues. I clocked in at every shot nicely. The extra spin kept the balls dipping faster and more acutely compared to my Modern forehand. I suspect it is due to the forced follow-thru of the swing path. Because I don't play on tour, I can see myself changing to this Next Generation forehand. I play at a club and I always watch a kid (shorter than me) kill every shot with extreme pace and power and couldn't figure out how... It was the next generation technique along with his hip rotation. We call this kid the "Mighty Mouse". Anywayz.... great video and analysis...My plan is to continue on this new path, at my NEW old age, to get an upper edge on these younger Mighty Mouses and their super hero~s Long live Tennis!
With doing a full western, I would highly suggest dropping the racquet weight to try to mitigate the stress on your wrist/arm. A lot of these "Next Gen" learned tennis on a clay court, Full Western was the "clay courter" grip for many years. It can wear out the wrist inevitably. One of the benefits of using a full western forehand with a 1-handed backhand, you can pretty much use the same grip on both wings! Like Francesca Schiavone...
@@colin6612 Hi Colin... I never thought of dropping the weight... I probably would get more spin too..plus saving the body parts... I have made so much modification on my current racket that i need to get new rackets.... I tried on other rackets lately as well...i had 16x15 wilson steams around the house and i tried the full western and it was like WOW... I just can't go back to semi-western flat shots on the forehand cuz it flies through to the next court... Forehand full western with next generation swing is my new choice... Can't understand how the backhand doesn't fly out like forehand with 16x15 pattern... I can control spin and flat shots from backside... Maybe its cuz i hit everything early.. Anyways... Ty for the reply and short lessons
@@im2o286 You probably swing through the ball more on your backhand, combined with the spin - lessens the sailing effect. Have you tried Yonex? I switched from Wilson last year to Yonex. Been loving the solid hit and spins. Gotta test them all though.. I ultimately settled on the Wawrinka racquet (330).
@@colin6612 I have been struggling with consistency all my life. I went through 16x18, 16x15, 18x20..etc... All my shots are driven. I use to hit with heavy with top spin like Nadal (all shoulders and arm) but I stopped that cuz it was too much on the body. I like the effects of the lowball skidding effect or extreme bounce. I am at the point where I have all the strokes. I can't do it all with a single stroke...that was my desired goal... I now hit with forehand western grip. I can have it land with heavy bounce or make it skid. It depends on the follow through. The most important is that I am consistent and I have control of the ball. Backhand has always been reliable for me so I don't worry too much. With that said, western grip with new generation swing, and your suggestion with lighter racquet will bring that much more on to the court. I tried it last night to great delight. My only issue last night was that....I hit with bunch of flat hitters. I had to hit mostly using western/semi-western to get some lift on the ball....I am really enjoying it when the ball is within my strike zone. Anyways...thanks again Colin for the dialogue. Tennis community is small... I like to send you some vibration dampeners that I manufacture in appreciation. LMK. ua-cam.com/video/zOhIqs1j-Zw/v-deo.html
My coach used to teach something closer to a modern forehand but my elbow used to get higher than normal this is why I tried to learn something like a Nick Kyrgios forehand I saw the video that u made about his forehand and it actually helped a lot ( till now I think about my technique even during matches which is making stiffer so I don’t know how effective it is yet but with all that I still like it a lot I think the more comfortable I become with it the more I will like it)
Ok i have to admit this was an absolutely amazing video explanation! Well done! This channel will grow super fast if you keep this up! Great vieing quality, great production and great education, cant beat that combination even if you try!!!
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Personally i would love to see something like this forehand video but for the backhand, double handed backhand vs the killer one handed backhand and the different variations. I find it really great when you show people these kind of shots with the styles and grips so that they can go test things out and feel what feels best for them!
At some point I naturally evolved mine toward a hybrid, quasi-next gen with the raised elbow, but still semi-western grip. I think it is partly related to having played baseball as well, batting with the raised elbow. I've been consciously going toward the modern forehand lag, specifically to simplify it and remain loose. We will see, thanks for the video!
I think Roger Federers modern forehand is the way to go. It's fairly simple in terms of technique but he can hit all of the shots with it. But at the end of the day, the style you use depends on the person and their style of play so there is no perfect technique to use really as long as the fundamentals are nailed.
To me a defining difference between the classic forehand and the modern forehand, is from where the swing generates. In the classic forehand, the swing generates from stepping into the ball and swinging across the torso with the shoulder. In the modern forehand, the swing generates from stepping out across the path of the ball, and swinging from the hips/twisting the torso while keeping the arms relatively firm at the shoulders.
The classic forehand is the vw Beatle of forehands, the modern forehand is the Toyota corolla, and the next generation forehand is the prosche 911. I'd rather use the corolla and not have to worry about reliability or adequacy.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial i have can you teach us how to have a consistent forehand technique i find my forehand sometimes i have a bent shoulder sometimes i have a straight
Good analogy. Even pros who had forehands with a lot of moving parts when they were practicing or playing hours a day, you see them in a legends match as a retired player and you see they've often simplified their motions big time.
This is another great video, guys! I tend to be leaning towards the next generation forehand more, personally. Ive found that pointing the racquet towards the net, rather than up, has helped me hit harder, while gaining more consistency. And I love the feel of it!
Update - I have recently gone back to more of a modern forehand instead, because my topspin technique has improved, and I find it to be more comfortable!
I've been taught the modern forehand. The next gen looks a little awkward to me, I don't think I would be very good at it and like you said more prone too injury.
Great stuff! I’ve been playing for 3 years, 3.5 level now. I’m always amazed by all the intricacies of the sport that I had not considered. Great insights here!
I would strongly advise against trying to hit a "next gen" forehand. They are idiosyncratic shots even amongst their peers. For most people, a classic eastern forehand, like Agassi or Scheng Schalken, is way better.
@@ChaunceyDos That's a safe approach, sure. It's useful to try different shots/styles/tactics as it gives one a deeper and also broader understanding of the game, and a greater understanding of not only what works, but why.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Thanks. :-) I still have to watch a lot of the content you've uploaded. In terms of new content... the standard stuff is always great because you add different and helpful perspectives even when talking about the standard topics. I would like to see more of the coaches do transition videos. Just as workout programs have the before and after pics - I'd like to see more coaches do an extended coverage of someone they're training - like 6 months - 1year. Would be great to watch and also great advertisement for the coach.👍 And then it's an automatic series if you do weekly check-ins. Find a handsome 2.0 player, and offer them free lessons in return for appearing on the show every week.
Great video guys. One advantage of the full western grip (or even semi western) is that if you are a one handed backhand player it has the added advantage of not needing to make a grip change. I don't know about you, but I find having to change my grip between backhands and forehands 'most inconvenient' lol In all seriousness though, I do believe that a lot of errors occur at the point of grip change, yet it is something seldom mentioned....perhaps it is just me?
A valid point Terry, although I think the more you play and engrain that grip change, the easier it becomes and errors due to it become minuscule. You can work on it off court, hold the racket with your forehand grip in the ready position and change as quickly as possible into your backhand grip along with the start of the swing (the coil)
Thank you for this great video! I learned the classic forehand and it was so difficult for me to bring spin into my forehand and I was not able to strike high balls. By trying to bring spin into the balls I even injured my wrist. This video explains everything. 👍👍👍
For what it is worth, I really like this video. Not so much so it teaches you what you should be doing but It opens my eyes to realise there are these different styles and techniques at play with each pro player. So if the pros don't even argue which is the best or the worst, I think those people who get offended should really face the brutal reality that: not everything is about you, kid.
Great video with clear analysis and excellent demonstrations of the three different forehands. Keep up the great work. All the best to you both in 2020!
You have a lot of excellent content in general. Perhaps a series of lessons showing how you go about establishing the fundamentals in younger players ages 7-8, then how you build on those fundamentals when the kids become interested/invested in competitive play. Also, how you go about developing a younger player's tactical awareness.
Started with the modern forehand the first year, moved to the next gen one the second year, hurt my wrist badly, developed dendinitis, went back to modern now and my wrist is slowly healing. I know next gen is more stylish and all, but boys you better watch out
Great video as always! I have a next gen style FH with a strong SW grip and I definitely experience the problems dealing with low balls that Simon was referring to. I can return heavy balls with pace and spin, but I often shank low bouncing balls. Either that or I have to focus on whipping it up so much that it doesn’t have much pace. My coach keeps trying to change my grip but I keep reverting back to what I’m used to. How do Thiem, Kyrgios and Sock handle low balls? I’d like to see if I can improve without changing my grip or my FH style
Thiem uses the semi-western so wouldn't struggle as much on those low balls, Sock and Kyrgios will always have a slight disadvantage on low balls, simply due to their grip but they've mastered dealing with them. Lots of whip up the ball plus years of training
I started playing tennis a long time ago whit the classic contintal grip for all strokes, now I have more time to play and I trie to learn and practic new strokes like this one watching this kind of videos, with sucsess, being my style in continious improvemnt, with more control and a lot of fun in court, congratulations for your videos, I follow also the mathes, are so interesting and the videos with only court sound or without music, Thanks And the guy from Javea is a fantastic, partner for the channel ;-)
Thanks a lot for this cool video. Its been very educative. I play modern forehand but sometimes on a good day when my wrist is really well warmed up I do try playing next gent or at least semi nextgen. You can also try doing that in the beginning on the smaller scale when playing within service box before the serviceline and once you get a bit of control you can try playing it form the baseline or even further.
Here in Germany we primarily play on clay and thus I've been using a NextGen forehand since age 15. However, our team coach wants to modify our technique more towards a modern forehand for the reason you mentioned, i.e. easier timing. I am still uncertain if this is a good idea, because I've never struggled with my forehand and now I start thinking about my stroke in competition matches. On the other hand I appreciate the easier timing on fast surfaces, lower balls and against fast hitting opponents. I guess a slight adaptation depending on surface and opponent is the way to go, since I think there is continuous spectrum between the different types (e.g. Khachanov is an extremer example than Thiem).
I think you are on the right track, it's SITUATIONAL. If you are good at what you do and it's working someone changing it to put their brand on it seems like ego to me. Not only that it makes you think about mechanics instead of strategy, which is fine during the off-season. Personally, I like the modern FH but you seem to be one of the guys I would consider an exception and perhaps the next-gen FH is your best shot. Your way of looking at it is 100% spot on.
i was taught and played as a junior the modern forehand. when i came back after some years i tried the nextgen grip and all i got was a bad wrist injury that annoys me to this day. needless to say i’m back to the modern grip. great video.
Great insights. Really enjoy your analysis I’m an old guy and grew up playing wooden rackets and classic forehand was the way Very difficult to hit modern /next gen forehand with wooden rackets I think the invention of larger head graphite rackets made it possible to create modern forehead as the standard stroke Classic forehand players who cannot change have migrated to pickle ball
Another great video fellas, and a great explanation of how the forehand has changed through the years. I know you are often asking what videos we would like to see. I would love to hear your thoughts on the technique/drills to hit a forehand return against a deep defensive ball in doubles. I find I am fine rallying cross court playing topspin vs topspin, but when they hit a higher ball which lands deep I struggle. I don't want to just spoon one back, and they don't generally bounce high enough for me to play a smash.
One important detail to evaluate the use of the next-gen forehand, is to way until any of those players start winning Masters and Majors tournaments. So far, they have been mainly participants in all tournaments but never, so far, protagonists. Until now the three musketeers have been the protagonists and the makers of good money. Orlando. Dec/21, U.S.
I use the Sampras forehand and for me I bend my knees a lot more that what you showed in the video just so you can get under the ball and roll up easier and the step step or double step footwork allows you to use open or closed stance easily you definitely need to be ready to move because those high balls are gonna make you move but there is also the plus side of not having to switch your grip for your forehand backhand serve or volley which makes the Sampras grip extremely dangerous up close at net
Next gen technique will accelerate wrist elbow issues. Huges stresses. Shorter career prospects. Still it appears the modern technique is still winning more championships /trophies
I recently made the switch from a full western forehand to semi western to preserve my wrist. I like how much cleaner I am hitting the ball but really struggle to keep the ball in the court now, especially on high balls. I miss that extra spin for sure, but in the long run my wrist will thank me.
I believe quest for more simultaneous power and spin will prevail and more and young players will be taught next generation forehand: as adoption grows for young players, they will find it easier to use consistently and with control, so it is a win-win.
i have not read them all, but tennis australia coaches in the 90s taught the multisegment forehand- which is like a new generation forehand - leading with the elbow with a semi western grip- top 10 atp player richard fromberg was a good example- - i still use it - mostly.
Great video. Great slow motion pictures. The funny thing is, that The Next Gen forehand reminds me of the Ivan Lendl forehand. Lendl possibly introduced the power forehand to tennis. Big difference between Lendl and Modern forehand is surely the grip. Lendl still used the classic forehand. Boris Becker had a nice forehand, too. His swong introduction was a bit like Federer but without that outstretched arm of Federer.
Great vid folks. Definitely the Modern FH. the biomechanics of the Nextgen is too severe and we are seeing more wrist injuries as a result. Fed has never had a major wrist injury only cos of this. For the basics, I advocate teaching the Classic, then moving to the Modern.
when all else fails i go back to the classic to gain back control for some reason. sounds a little unorthodox but then i can open up and eventually start playing with the modern forehand as the game progresses
It seems that more athleticism and careful attention to more moving parts are required for the Modern and Next-Gen. I was trying to help my son with his forehand and came looking for videos to help with that. I hadn't realized that I was teaching him the Classic form.
What a great and timely video! After watching a lot of tennis this past year I also notice the difference between the modern and nextgen forehands being used. I am a skeptic on the long term success. I wonder if some players careers will be shortened using the NextGen Fh due to compounding arm injuries, or consistency issues that constantly flare up in the big moments. Either way you guys may have ignited an interesting debate for the upcoming decade of Tennis!
May be you can make lesson about footwork : how many steps should a player make,if he is running to a ball.how big are steps. how firm you should put your feet on court.
One of the key elements not mentioned with the Modern (Fed) forehand is with his Eastern/SemiW grip he can take balls earlier on the rise and hug the baseline taking time away from his opponent. 🤔
Best way to understand why the classic forehand is the way it is (? was), grab an old 14oz woodie and have a few hits on grass or a fast, low bouncing hard court. The small head (with ultra small sweet spot and poor twist stability) and heavy weight means that a level swing path, perpendicular face and firm wrist gives the best margin for error. Lighter racquets and larger heads allow for a much more wristy, tangential strike to facilitate spin and power. The same evolution has happened with the classic vs modern one handed backhand. I would know, given that I started playing on grass with a Dunlop Maxply in 1985. My forehand has evolved from classic to modern without much conscious effort over the years due to changes in racquet technology. Even though my current preferred set up is relatively old school (335g, 335SW), I use plenty of wrist snap on both FH and BH. It wasn’t an especially difficult transition to make. That said, I do remember my old coach in the 80s telling me I had a bad habit of being too lose with my wrist! That might explain the ease of transition in my case!! PS: Love the way you both execute the classic style perfectly! That high over the shoulder finish was once the aspirational position!
Thanks for the support Jerome The technology has lead the evolution in tennis 100% Are there any lessons you would like to see in the near future? All the best Simon
Download our Forehand Guide here (It's FREE) - www.top-tennis-training.com/forehand-guide/
Inside the PDF, we'll teach you five of the most important fundamentals to building a reliable and consistent forehand
Hello sir, I would like to see beginners slice tutorial for my 6 year old kid. If you want I can send his video to let you analyze.
@@satwindersaini4541 We offer a video analysis on our website, head over to top-tennis-training.com and use the pop up chat that shows up, we'll send you details there
@duckdri limited Classic is the best for some players, for the vast majority, the modern is the way to go.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial It is good to hear your opinions on the forehands and that you are not dogmatic about style. I have a very natural classic forehand that I've tried to incorporate elements of the modern forehand as I can appreciate the advantages, however I seem to be able to get enough power and consistency with it so I limit how much I really tinker with it. I always want to attack the net anyway and maintaining my continental grip makes it easier to transition to volleys quickly.
Thanks for detailed NextGen forehand explanation 😊 9:00
👍
Next generation forehands will see many visits to the doctors in the future as their bodies breakdown due to age. too many moving parts in a system always lead to breakdowns.
Federer's forehand like his other strokes utilizes sound fuid motion dynamics. he has made some adjustment over the years, triming down the motions, compacting his swings but overall his game does not require so much effort. That's why he can still play his game competitively at his age.
Couldn't agree more!
I feel it in my wrist even with just a few next gen forehands with the western grip
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Agreed. Just looking at the full western grip and the forehand motion here baffled me. The body is taking a tremendous toll.
Having played TT and Badminton earlier, I am naturally drawn to an eastern grip and use it for both the backhand and forehand.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial could you say that motion makes the next gen players less consistent? For example I see with shapovalov it looks like his shoulder will break in every hit, and that takes a lot of energy when in tough matches he can lack energy and start to easily loose depth and consistence on rallies
Excactly!
If you pause the video at the 7:22 mark....you can see a very unorthodox approach to swinging a tennis racket! I'm compelled to slap the person who taught him this! ;-)
players with extreme grips from Courier, Berasategui, Jack Sock all ended up with wrist/arm injuries in their careers.
Best UA-cam tennis coaches to explain the tennis technique theories. Look no further. It’s important to know these things before hitting on the court. For the first time I found out the grip has something to do with the contact point. Very useful. Great lesson!
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My timing and topspin improved a ton when I switched to the Kyrgios next gen forehand, my old sidearm baseball throwing motion feels super similar
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I will be sure to serve to that "next gen" FH and slice my BH into it as well. Good luck with that unless you are on the level of Thiem or Kyrgios. If I see that FH on most players I see something to exploit, there are exceptions of course
I still love Andre Agassi's forehand, so clean.simple and effective! Roger also very simple! Djokovic great too.Del Potro tremendous!
Agassi was the DON!
Love Andre’s too. Del Potro’s is awesome but causes too much stress on the arm
Great video.
Massive forehands have always used high elbow, except now there's a lot of pointing the tip forward for extra whip.
Gonzalez, Blake, Basilashvili, Thiem, Delpo, Shapo, Kyrgios, Sock, Edmund, Khachanov - the list goes on.
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I'm a modern forehand sort of guy, and one-handed backhand. The racquet I'll play with for the rest of my life is the Wilson RF97A, strung with a natural gut / luxilon hybrid.
That brings me to my point. The classic f/hand died out when the wooden / alu framed racquets died out. New composite materials and a larger racquet head brought about the modern forehand. The next gen forehand was introduced with new co-poly strings which generated much more spin. What do you think about that assessment? Changes in equipment allowed the players to develop a new swing path.
Finally -- Watching guys like Sock, Kyrgios, Khachanov, I always wondered about the stress on the shoulder, elbow & wrist. Good point to make on the potential for injury.
I'd agree with your points on technology, however I also feel that even with the newest technology, the modern forehand will prevail due to the injury risks/rewards
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well you are right , i also use a similar Wilson Racket but RF97L i chose it to be less in weight relatively 290g and hoping to be less in the stress and pain happening in the arm muscles when hitting powerful forehand the modern way :)
I completely agree. The technology with the strings has changed things dramatically. I tried a hybrid setup after a long hiatus from tennis and it feels like cheating sometimes. Wish I had those in my racquet when I used to compete!
My fellow RF97A user👌🏻 I have an Eastern forehand grip with a one handed backhand too, but I use a full poly string bed at 45lbs.
I'm surprised Top Tennis didn't mention the physical dangers in these strokes. The classic can cause a lot of repetitive stress knee issues. The rise of wrist/elbow injuries are going to pop up more with kids imitating the full western. The "next-gen" will be showing health issues by their mid to late 20s. Remember Sania Mirza... -- definitely you got to have a light racquet for full western to try to mitigate some of the wrist dangers.
The secret to the modern forehands is the relaxed wrist. As the racquet is moving back the relaxed wrist allows the racquet face and some of the handle to continue going back as you rotate your hips and hand forward. The racquet face rebounds like a whip or pendulum, accelerating the swing. You do not have to roll your wrist into the ball, it rolls naturally. I used to play with a straight back swing where I laid my wrist back on the drop and consciously rolled my wrist into the ball. When I learned to lag, I learned with a stick. I also learned with a mid take back. If my timing was not perfect I just rotate forward and maybe my arm did not go back as far as I wanted - but I get the whip affect. There can be no pause between going back and forward. It has to be immediate to get the whip affect. I do it now with the high drop but it is hard to time. To see if you have a relaxed wrist hold your arm out - move it back a foot or so and then immediately forward. You should see your fingers lagging behind. A good drill you can do to tell if you are lagging is stand against the net with your right hip pressing into it and hang your arm on the other side of the net and at least a foot clear. Do some swings and you can hear the racquet clip the net if you lagged. You can even hit balls (it would be into the chair umpire or fence). As far as injuries go, your wrist lays back farther than you can make it go back statically. A lot farther. Kind of like stretching your hamstrings and someone pushes you down farther. I have been doing it for 10 years and no problems with my wrist but I worry when I see 10 year old's doing Federer's swing. Sock's even worse. When I did the mid take back it was more like Sock (but without the drop). So I think there are 4 generations of forehands. Classic, open or semi open manual wrist lay back and manual rolling into the ball, open or semi and lagging like Federer, open and semi lagging like Sock. I think for most players outside of talented academy kids, the manual lay back and manual rolling of wrist in open or semi open is the best forehand.
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Thanks a lot for the good video. I considered myself an "old school" player because I started playing in 1978. My style has been dictated a lot by the old style and now I can see the difference to the modern style.
This is great. I'm getting back into tennis. I'm glad to see I was taught the modern forehand. I've seen people doing nextgen, but I'm glad to know I don't need to change :)
Vamosss
If Federer goes with the modern one, who am I to consider otherwise?
Can't argue with that!
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I haven't seen the Next Generation forehand achieving any greatness but early retirement.
LOVE YOU GUYS PUTTING UP THIS MOST ENLIGHTENING VIDEO.
PLAYING TENNIS 4X A WEEK FOR A SOLID 34 YEARS NOW. MY GAME EVOLVED FROM CLASSIC OF THE OLD DAYS WHEN THERE WAS NO INTERNET YET. NOBODY PLAYS THE CLASSIC ANYMORE. AND WATCHING MC ENROE SWING HIS RACKET LIKE THAT IN THE PRESENT SETTING OF TENNIS INDEED LOOKS UNATTRACTIVE AND EVEN AWKWARD.
PRESENTLY, I 'M PLAYING MODERN FOREHAND BUT QUICKLY LEARNING THE ROPES OF THE NEXT GEN OWING NOT ONLY TO ITS COMPELLING POWER BUT TO ITS BEAUTY AS WELL.
CONGRATS FOR BEING ABLE TO PRESENT VERY CLEARLY HOW THE NEXT GEN FOREHAND IS DONE AND ITS DIFFERENCE TO THE OTHER TWO. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE MOTIVATED TO LEARN IT THAN AFTER WATCHING YOUR VIDEO.
THANKS A MILLION.
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Let’s remember that you don’t really have to choose one and forget the others. I say experiment with all 3. Modern and next gen probably more useful
For sure you can experiment and see what works best for you, but it's better to stick to one motion and master it, rather than trying to use two or even three different forehands
Thanks Admin! Nextgen forehand 7:02 9:06 10:53
👍
This was really interesting and timely! I learned to play tennis as a teenager in the 1960's. I didn't have a teacher, but I did have a book, that as you'd expect taught the classic forehand - Eastern grip, stiff wrist, closed stance, swing from the shoulder - with one exception to the way you demonstrated it: the backswing was more like Federer's, with the top of the racquet first pointing up, then circling down below the ball. It's so interesting to see how the forehand has evolved.
I'm teaching a friend, a beginner, and your lessons are very useful for me, until I can find her a proper teacher. Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing that, very interesting. That book was ahead of it’s time
This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
I’ve been researching the Next Gen (multi segment) forehand for a while but there isn’t a whole lot of info out there.
Totally agree with your points about timing (particularly on quicker courts or when under pressure).
For me it has to be the modern forehand, consistency and versatility are the priority otherwise a tactically astute opponent will expose you.
Quality content 👌
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Hi Simon,
Would love to see footwork techniques compared and discussed in a similar style. For example, return of serve split step, transitioning to net and end range groundstrokes.
Thanks,
Will
Really liked the production values on this video (and of course the content was great too!). The slo-mo clips were awesome.
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Absolutely brilliant technical breakdown guys - thank you so much. Of course, I've learned a lot of this over the years, would have been so nice to meet you 25 yrs ago. I was caught in the classic teaching style the industry moved to new rackets and poly strings, so I was all messed up for a long time. Now that I 'get it' better, I have experimented with the Next Gen style, and while it certainly created some WTF forehands for me, it was very hard to time and even shadow swinging you can feel the extra tension. And nobody gets 'tight' during a match we all know that. :)
Absolutely, the next gen is unique but it won’t replace the modern forehand for sure. Risk of injury is way too high
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Simon
Very well explained and demonstrated! Simon, is amazing how all the three forehands look natural for you! Thanks for sharing.
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Best explanation so far (and I have seen and read so many) of the forehand evolution. Tremendous job as always !
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Also a great point to emphasize is that the more western you go on your grip the easier it gets to control the high balls, but at the same time, hitting those low balls gets extremely difficult.
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Great chemistry here. Really liked this with the both of you
Thank you for the support 🙏
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This video answers a lot of questions for those whose first forehand lessons were of the classic forehand. I still see coaches teaching classic to novices.
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@@elmac2127 Have her stand very loose on the baseline both eyes and body facing down court no racquet in hand. Have her turn to hit a forehand while keeping both eyes down court looking at an oncoming ball. Depending on flexibility shoulder should be getting close to going under chin. If after completing the turn and keeping both eyes down court her hand naturally comes up into a power position before dropping and swinging through its the modern forehand. If the hand stays down naturally its the classic. I see most peoples hands naturally come up into the power position. Stick a racquet into the open hand should be a comfortable drop and swing through the ball from the power position.
The classic forehand was what worked back in the day for the majority of people given wood rackets were 60-70 square inch, rackets were 13-14 ounces & the sweetspot barely the size of the ball (if that). You can't whip the ball anywhere near as easily, although some did impart more modern technique and topspin like Laver & Borg, but not the trend. And besides, the courts were so fast & passing shots so difficult, serve and volley was king for winning tennis (I watched the epic 5 setter of the 1972 wimbledon final & Literally the server came to the net on EVERY Point)
I am 57 years old and until recently have not played tennis since high school. Currently trying to develop a good forehand and have to say the next-gen forehand feels the best for me. But even though the next-gen feels natural at the same time it also feels wrong because I learned the classic forehand as a kid. Looking forward to continuing the development and glad I found this video comparing the forehand styles.
Good luck with the transformation
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Well explained! To me, the grip decides your future style and the coach plays a very important role in developing this skill, which we can see that the next gens.are using the wester grip more and more now.
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Great vid guys, this seems to be one of the first videos ever (on youtube) making a distinction between the modern and nextgen forehand. Helped me a lot distinguishing the minor technique differences between them
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Top Tennis Training - Pro Tennis Lessons would love to see another touchtennis video with Rashid if u guys have the time, this first one was hilarious
Omg I’ve been using the next gen forehand without knowing it and started recording myself and wondered why my strokes looks so ugly and forced compared to the pros. But I guess I never really watched slow mo vids of Nick or Jack.
Since then I’ve started to adjust and transition myself to the modern forehand and found that my consistency have gone way up. I always play good during practices but my match performance is terrible, this makes so much sense thanks for the vid guys :)
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I can attest to these changes in the forehand, really interesting that you brought it up. I hv been playing tennis for more than 35 yrs and moved from classic in the 80s 90s to modern in the new millenium. The best for me is also the modern, most stable and generates good Topspin. New age or Netgen is just too showy and overdoing it.
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Not really as i am quite a well rounded player already. Way past the basics. At my stage and age, missing a shot is mostly attributable to fitness. 😂🤣 so we are basically playing doubles only. Late 40s to early 50s, me and my mates
I don't think the NextGen forehand is in it's final form yet. It shares so much with the Modern forehand that it seems to be a transition type forehand like Agassi's, where it wasn't quite classic, but not quite modern.
It will adapt over time but for sure Agassi used a modern forehand (version 1.0)
Full swing, racket above head level in prep, racket lag and full follow through
Top Tennis Training - Pro Tennis Lessons I don’t think Agassi broke his wrist.
I would take the modern forehand anytime. The fact that both Roger and Rafa use it, and even Tsitsipas, which is for me the most consistent player of the nexgen, show that it still is the most effective stroke in the game, providing power, topspin, control, and reliability.
Great video!
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Tsitsipas forehand has even traditional forehand elements in it. That's why his strokes are more consistent than the rest of the next gen. Also his wrist lags a bit sooner & more sideways even than the modern forehanders and that helps him aim better while maintaining enough power
I was kinda stuck in limited power and unable to finish shortballs with my modern forehand(6 years experience, semi western grip). After a frustrating day, i decided to go for kyrgios style. From day one i was able to hit consistently. It feels natural and i can generate way more power with next gen forehand. It worked for me amazingly because i guess the initial elbow separation is creating a super racket head speed. Dont hesitate to try it if you feel the same with me.
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@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial
Ripping high balls with one handed backhand
Fantastic demonstration. Thank you.
Many thanks 🙏
Super useful video. I'm an older player who probably slips between the classic and the modern. The next gen looks like time in Physical Therapy. Thanks for the end thoughts.
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Thank you guys for the video and the explanations.
Since I saw that on your site and others I have tried to practice the concept of the "next Gen" Forehand and to do similar change in Backhand. If I get it right the main outcome of the style change is a Whip motion that give you much more spin and power - resulting in more aggressive Tennis.
After some practice it pays and I love to see the changes ! :-).
Some questions on the down sides of the technique are:
1st - reduced stability - I would like some tips on how to improve control on this style (beside practice);
2nd - how to handle hard balls where quicker and shorter preparation is beneficial (like serve returns etc.);
3rd - how to improve versatility and disguise - with flat, slice and drop shots with this style;
4th - last but not least - the physical pressure on the hand joint is increased no doubts on including shoulder, elbow and wrist - while it is understood that the responsibility choosing this style more and not risking yourself is on the player - or at least on the direct coach - you may want to provide some fitness drills to support that by strengthening the muscles and how to help people keep the motion within the reasonable limits and avoid "over hitting" that may increase the risk;
Thank you again for the great video and in advance for your response
Omri
The best ( or worst? ) example of a next gen forehand is Medveded.. My God that forehand is hideous but effective
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I think Medvedev's forehand is so effective because it's so hard to read for his opponents, not because it's next gen. It's more that his swing and footing is so hard to read on his forehand, opponents have no clue where it will go. Which is key in a pro environment because you have so little reaction time.
I don't think Medvedev has a next gen forehand. It looks like a longer backswing, modern forehand that relies on precise timing- which he has.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial hi Simon, of course I'd like to see backhand and slice backhand techniques.. (with Djokovic and Agassi as BH examples, Fed and Murray as Slice BH examples, etc)
Medvedev's forehand looks like a Wii video game.
Check out Alberto Berasategui in the 90s! I believe he was hitting forehand and backhand with one side of the racket..
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I’d say my forehand is more ‘next-gen’ and that’s probably why I struggle a lot. I had a hit the other night, and I was completely in the zone, hitting with loads of power and spin - but most importantly feel. I felt like I had plenty of time even when returning fast balls. Unfortunately this is a rare occasion, and most times I struggle just hitting a clean ball. I certainly crave a more consistent ‘modern’ forehand. It’s tough to change though. Especially when I'm always chasing the memories of the good days with the ‘next-gen’ swing.
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true..the pleasure of that power and spin generated from the 'next gen' is hard to give up.
Must feel very satisfying ripping some forehands on a grass court! Hoping to experience that for myself one day.
I much prefer knifing a slice and finishing with a volley on grass.
Clay is where I love ripping the ball for winners, grinding it out on the dirt
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Right on! Never had the chance to experience playing on real clay yet. We only have artificial clay courts in Hawaii. After thinking, a nice dirty slice on grass & ripping grounds on clay does sound awesome!
As a trainer, I use the classic forehand for training beginners that aren't used to much topspin yet, and the modern forehand for everything else.
I also try to teach a modern forehand. It's easier, and even though the next-gen forehand has more potential, I don't want my students to get injuries after a few years.
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@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial I've watched some, but not all of your videos, so I can't really give you advice on that. From what I can see, you seem to cover pretty much everything already.
I personally have problems with footwork and looking at the ball. I always had quite good technique, and improved even more over the years, and it partly made up for my mistakes with the basics.
I know where I've got to improve, but I'm struggling. Can you recommend any drills for training these basics?
Great video...I have been hitting Modern for the past 30 years. Tried the next generation past Monday and my shoulder popped out and had to re~attach it after my outing. Wrist fared a little better, but still had to screw it back on clockwise. With that said, I have never had a ball travel so blistering fast. I am a 4.0-4.5 and was hitting against 5.0s: Played singles & dubs for 3 hrs. I had the most powerful forehand among the 5 players. My racket specs are as follows: 12.5 HL, 350g, 330SW+/-, 18x20, Semi-West, Righty, & One-Handed. Because of my experience, I never had and timing issues. I clocked in at every shot nicely. The extra spin kept the balls dipping faster and more acutely compared to my Modern forehand. I suspect it is due to the forced follow-thru of the swing path. Because I don't play on tour, I can see myself changing to this Next Generation forehand. I play at a club and I always watch a kid (shorter than me) kill every shot with extreme pace and power and couldn't figure out how... It was the next generation technique along with his hip rotation. We call this kid the "Mighty Mouse". Anywayz.... great video and analysis...My plan is to continue on this new path, at my NEW old age, to get an upper edge on these younger Mighty Mouses and their super hero~s Long live Tennis!
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With doing a full western, I would highly suggest dropping the racquet weight to try to mitigate the stress on your wrist/arm. A lot of these "Next Gen" learned tennis on a clay court, Full Western was the "clay courter" grip for many years. It can wear out the wrist inevitably. One of the benefits of using a full western forehand with a 1-handed backhand, you can pretty much use the same grip on both wings! Like Francesca Schiavone...
@@colin6612 Hi Colin... I never thought of dropping the weight... I probably would get more spin too..plus saving the body parts... I have made so much modification on my current racket that i need to get new rackets.... I tried on other rackets lately as well...i had 16x15 wilson steams around the house and i tried the full western and it was like WOW... I just can't go back to semi-western flat shots on the forehand cuz it flies through to the next court... Forehand full western with next generation swing is my new choice... Can't understand how the backhand doesn't fly out like forehand with 16x15 pattern... I can control spin and flat shots from backside... Maybe its cuz i hit everything early.. Anyways... Ty for the reply and short lessons
@@im2o286 You probably swing through the ball more on your backhand, combined with the spin - lessens the sailing effect. Have you tried Yonex? I switched from Wilson last year to Yonex. Been loving the solid hit and spins. Gotta test them all though.. I ultimately settled on the Wawrinka racquet (330).
@@colin6612 I have been struggling with consistency all my life. I went through 16x18, 16x15, 18x20..etc... All my shots are driven. I use to hit with heavy with top spin like Nadal (all shoulders and arm) but I stopped that cuz it was too much on the body. I like the effects of the lowball skidding effect or extreme bounce. I am at the point where I have all the strokes. I can't do it all with a single stroke...that was my desired goal... I now hit with forehand western grip. I can have it land with heavy bounce or make it skid. It depends on the follow through. The most important is that I am consistent and I have control of the ball. Backhand has always been reliable for me so I don't worry too much. With that said, western grip with new generation swing, and your suggestion with lighter racquet will bring that much more on to the court. I tried it last night to great delight. My only issue last night was that....I hit with bunch of flat hitters. I had to hit mostly using western/semi-western to get some lift on the ball....I am really enjoying it when the ball is within my strike zone. Anyways...thanks again Colin for the dialogue. Tennis community is small... I like to send you some vibration dampeners that I manufacture in appreciation. LMK.
ua-cam.com/video/zOhIqs1j-Zw/v-deo.html
My coach used to teach something closer to a modern forehand but my elbow used to get higher than normal this is why I tried to learn something like a Nick Kyrgios forehand I saw the video that u made about his forehand and it actually helped a lot
( till now I think about my technique even during matches which is making stiffer so I don’t know how effective it is yet but with all that I still like it a lot I think the more comfortable I become with it the more I will like it)
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Honestly some tips for a consistent toss
Ok i have to admit this was an absolutely amazing video explanation! Well done! This channel will grow super fast if you keep this up! Great vieing quality, great production and great education, cant beat that combination even if you try!!!
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@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Personally i would love to see something like this forehand video but for the backhand, double handed backhand vs the killer one handed backhand and the different variations. I find it really great when you show people these kind of shots with the styles and grips so that they can go test things out and feel what feels best for them!
At some point I naturally evolved mine toward a hybrid, quasi-next gen with the raised elbow, but still semi-western grip. I think it is partly related to having played baseball as well, batting with the raised elbow. I've been consciously going toward the modern forehand lag, specifically to simplify it and remain loose. We will see, thanks for the video!
Good luck with the improvements John 👍
I think Roger Federers modern forehand is the way to go. It's fairly simple in terms of technique but he can hit all of the shots with it.
But at the end of the day, the style you use depends on the person and their style of play so there is no perfect technique to use really as long as the fundamentals are nailed.
Couldn't agree more with that, as long you you use the fundamentals and can execute under pressure!
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Simon
very nice lesson ever. thank you.
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To me a defining difference between the classic forehand and the modern forehand, is from where the swing generates. In the classic forehand, the swing generates from stepping into the ball and swinging across the torso with the shoulder. In the modern forehand, the swing generates from stepping out across the path of the ball, and swinging from the hips/twisting the torso while keeping the arms relatively firm at the shoulders.
Very valid points there Patrick.
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You guys laid this out so well. Great video!
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I have a modern takeback but can vary the actual swing path depending on the situation.
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The classic forehand is the vw Beatle of forehands, the modern forehand is the Toyota corolla, and the next generation forehand is the prosche 911. I'd rather use the corolla and not have to worry about reliability or adequacy.
Thank you for watching and a good analogy!
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Simon
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial i have can you teach us how to have a consistent forehand technique i find my forehand sometimes i have a bent shoulder sometimes i have a straight
Good analogy. Even pros who had forehands with a lot of moving parts when they were practicing or playing hours a day, you see them in a legends match as a retired player and you see they've often simplified their motions big time.
This is another great video, guys! I tend to be leaning towards the next generation forehand more, personally. Ive found that pointing the racquet towards the net, rather than up, has helped me hit harder, while gaining more consistency. And I love the feel of it!
Awesome to hear Ross!
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Simon
Update - I have recently gone back to more of a modern forehand instead, because my topspin technique has improved, and I find it to be more comfortable!
Really nice overview of the different forehand variations - thank you 🙏 😊 guys!
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I've been taught the modern forehand. The next gen looks a little awkward to me, I don't think I would be very good at it and like you said more prone too injury.
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Great stuff! I’ve been playing for 3 years, 3.5 level now. I’m always amazed by all the intricacies of the sport that I had not considered. Great insights here!
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I would strongly advise against trying to hit a "next gen" forehand. They are idiosyncratic shots even amongst their peers. For most people, a classic eastern forehand, like Agassi or Scheng Schalken, is way better.
@@ChaunceyDos That's a safe approach, sure. It's useful to try different shots/styles/tactics as it gives one a deeper and also broader understanding of the game, and a greater understanding of not only what works, but why.
@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Thanks. :-)
I still have to watch a lot of the content you've uploaded. In terms of new content... the standard stuff is always great because you add different and helpful perspectives even when talking about the standard topics. I would like to see more of the coaches do transition videos. Just as workout programs have the before and after pics - I'd like to see more coaches do an extended coverage of someone they're training - like 6 months - 1year. Would be great to watch and also great advertisement for the coach.👍 And then it's an automatic series if you do weekly check-ins. Find a handsome 2.0 player, and offer them free lessons in return for appearing on the show every week.
Great video guys. One advantage of the full western grip (or even semi western) is that if you are a one handed backhand player it has the added advantage of not needing to make a grip change. I don't know about you, but I find having to change my grip between backhands and forehands 'most inconvenient' lol
In all seriousness though, I do believe that a lot of errors occur at the point of grip change, yet it is something seldom mentioned....perhaps it is just me?
A valid point Terry, although I think the more you play and engrain that grip change, the easier it becomes and errors due to it become minuscule.
You can work on it off court, hold the racket with your forehand grip in the ready position and change as quickly as possible into your backhand grip along with the start of the swing (the coil)
Agree. I'm a 1 hander using same grip for both. I use extreme semi western. I find changing grip at the last minute takes a lot of mental energy lol
Terry nicol good point there!
Thank you for this great video! I learned the classic forehand and it was so difficult for me to bring spin into my forehand and I was not able to strike high balls. By trying to bring spin into the balls I even injured my wrist. This video explains everything. 👍👍👍
Thanks for watching
For what it is worth, I really like this video. Not so much so it teaches you what you should be doing but It opens my eyes to realise there are these different styles and techniques at play with each pro player. So if the pros don't even argue which is the best or the worst, I think those people who get offended should really face the brutal reality that: not everything is about you, kid.
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Simon
Great video with clear analysis and excellent demonstrations of the three different forehands. Keep up the great work. All the best to you both in 2020!
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You have a lot of excellent content in general. Perhaps a series of lessons showing how you go about establishing the fundamentals in younger players ages 7-8, then how you build on those fundamentals when the kids become interested/invested in competitive play. Also, how you go about developing a younger player's tactical awareness.
Started with the modern forehand the first year, moved to the next gen one the second year, hurt my wrist badly, developed dendinitis, went back to modern now and my wrist is slowly healing. I know next gen is more stylish and all, but boys you better watch out
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An absolutely wonderful analysis!!! Damn, I wish this 62yr old player wasn't stuck with my classic strokes.
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Great video as always! I have a next gen style FH with a strong SW grip and I definitely experience the problems dealing with low balls that Simon was referring to. I can return heavy balls with pace and spin, but I often shank low bouncing balls. Either that or I have to focus on whipping it up so much that it doesn’t have much pace.
My coach keeps trying to change my grip but I keep reverting back to what I’m used to. How do Thiem, Kyrgios and Sock handle low balls? I’d like to see if I can improve without changing my grip or my FH style
Thiem uses the semi-western so wouldn't struggle as much on those low balls, Sock and Kyrgios will always have a slight disadvantage on low balls, simply due to their grip but they've mastered dealing with them. Lots of whip up the ball plus years of training
You guys are awesome. Thank you!
Thank you for the support 🙏
Alex is a wise guy. He stocked on good Babolat shoes
Alex was sponsored by Babolat for most of his pro career!
This video is just perfect... well done boys
Thank you 🙂
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Simon
I started playing tennis a long time ago whit the classic contintal grip for all strokes, now I have more time to play and I trie to learn and practic new strokes like this one watching this kind of videos, with sucsess, being my style in continious improvemnt, with more control and a lot of fun in court, congratulations for your videos, I follow also the mathes, are so interesting and the videos with only court sound or without music, Thanks
And the guy from Javea is a fantastic, partner for the channel ;-)
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Thank u .. so much.. This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video to show some tennis technique history
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Thanks a lot for this cool video. Its been very educative. I play modern forehand but sometimes on a good day when my wrist is really well warmed up I do try playing next gent or at least semi nextgen. You can also try doing that in the beginning on the smaller scale when playing within service box before the serviceline and once you get a bit of control you can try playing it form the baseline or even further.
Here in Germany we primarily play on clay and thus I've been using a NextGen forehand since age 15. However, our team coach wants to modify our technique more towards a modern forehand for the reason you mentioned, i.e. easier timing. I am still uncertain if this is a good idea, because I've never struggled with my forehand and now I start thinking about my stroke in competition matches. On the other hand I appreciate the easier timing on fast surfaces, lower balls and against fast hitting opponents. I guess a slight adaptation depending on surface and opponent is the way to go, since I think there is continuous spectrum between the different types (e.g. Khachanov is an extremer example than Thiem).
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I think you are on the right track, it's SITUATIONAL. If you are good at what you do and it's working someone changing it to put their brand on it seems like ego to me. Not only that it makes you think about mechanics instead of strategy, which is fine during the off-season. Personally, I like the modern FH but you seem to be one of the guys I would consider an exception and perhaps the next-gen FH is your best shot. Your way of looking at it is 100% spot on.
i was taught and played as a junior the modern forehand. when i came back after some years i tried the nextgen grip and all i got was a bad wrist injury that annoys me to this day. needless to say i’m back to the modern grip. great video.
That doesn't sound too good!
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I got answers of my own Questions after seen this thanks 🙏🏻
Happy to help!
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Very nice explanation...thank u so much...keep up ur good work...
Thank you for watching 👍
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Simon
Great insights. Really enjoy your analysis
I’m an old guy and grew up playing wooden rackets and classic forehand was the way
Very difficult to hit modern /next gen forehand with wooden rackets
I think the invention of larger head graphite rackets made it possible to create modern forehead as the standard stroke
Classic forehand players who cannot change have migrated to pickle ball
Another great video fellas, and a great explanation of how the forehand has changed through the years.
I know you are often asking what videos we would like to see. I would love to hear your thoughts on the technique/drills to hit a forehand return against a deep defensive ball in doubles. I find I am fine rallying cross court playing topspin vs topspin, but when they hit a higher ball which lands deep I struggle. I don't want to just spoon one back, and they don't generally bounce high enough for me to play a smash.
Thank you for watching and for the video idea.
We'll keep that in mind for future doubles lessons!
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Simon
Thanks. Very well explained.
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Simon
Excellent demonstration!
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Simon
Very good video and explanation guys!
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Simon
One important detail to evaluate the use of the next-gen forehand, is to way until any of those players start winning Masters and Majors tournaments. So far, they have been mainly participants in all tournaments but never, so far, protagonists. Until now the three musketeers have been the protagonists and the makers of good money. Orlando. Dec/21, U.S.
Very true!
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I use the Sampras forehand and for me I bend my knees a lot more that what you showed in the video just so you can get under the ball and roll up easier and the step step or double step footwork allows you to use open or closed stance easily you definitely need to be ready to move because those high balls are gonna make you move but there is also the plus side of not having to switch your grip for your forehand backhand serve or volley which makes the Sampras grip extremely dangerous up close at net
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Next Gen FH total GS win count = 0, Modern FH total GS win count= 70+
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Next gen technique will accelerate wrist elbow issues. Huges stresses. Shorter career prospects. Still it appears the modern technique is still winning more championships /trophies
Agreed!
I'm surprised Thiem hasn't had injuries on his hitting arm to date
English please.
Very good explanation,thank you!
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Fantastic videos excellent content! Like your channel.
Many thanks 🙏
Another great lesson gents. I see Simon’s using Blade V6 ;)
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I recently made the switch from a full western forehand to semi western to preserve my wrist. I like how much cleaner I am hitting the ball but really struggle to keep the ball in the court now, especially on high balls. I miss that extra spin for sure, but in the long run my wrist will thank me.
You'll adapt, focus on getting the brush when you hit the stroke
I believe quest for more simultaneous power and spin will prevail and more and young players will be taught next generation forehand: as adoption grows for young players, they will find it easier to use consistently and with control, so it is a win-win.
i have not read them all, but tennis australia coaches in the 90s taught the multisegment forehand- which is like a new generation forehand - leading with the elbow with a semi western grip- top 10 atp player richard fromberg was a good example- - i still use it - mostly.
Interesting!
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Great video. Great slow motion pictures. The funny thing is, that The Next Gen forehand reminds me of the Ivan Lendl forehand. Lendl possibly introduced the power forehand to tennis. Big difference between Lendl and Modern forehand is surely the grip. Lendl still used the classic forehand. Boris Becker had a nice forehand, too. His swong introduction was a bit like Federer but without that outstretched arm of Federer.
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Simon
Very Useful, happy holidays!!!!!!
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Simon
I've watched so many of the videos on this channel that I even hear Simon's voice in my head when I'm on the court playing
Edit was just fixing a typo
Thank you for watching Yaseera!
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Today I changed my Classic Forehand to NextGen. Thank you for your detailed explanation
Happy to hear that
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Simon
Great vid folks. Definitely the Modern FH. the biomechanics of the Nextgen is too severe and we are seeing more wrist injuries as a result. Fed has never had a major wrist injury only cos of this.
For the basics, I advocate teaching the Classic, then moving to the Modern.
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I hit like a modern, but finish like a next-gen. It feels really good and easy.
when all else fails i go back to the classic to gain back control for some reason. sounds a little unorthodox but then i can open up and eventually start playing with the modern forehand as the game progresses
Very good, whatever works for you, stick to it!
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It seems that more athleticism and careful attention to more moving parts are required for the Modern and Next-Gen. I was trying to help my son with his forehand and came looking for videos to help with that. I hadn't realized that I was teaching him the Classic form.
😂 you definitely don’t watch the classic FH in the modern game
What a great and timely video! After watching a lot of tennis this past year I also notice the difference between the modern and nextgen forehands being used. I am a skeptic on the long term success. I wonder if some players careers will be shortened using the NextGen Fh due to compounding arm injuries, or consistency issues that constantly flare up in the big moments. Either way you guys may have ignited an interesting debate for the upcoming decade of Tennis!
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May be you can make lesson about footwork : how many steps should a player make,if he is running to a ball.how big are steps.
how firm you should put your feet on court.
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C'est une excellente analyse.
Many thanks 🙏
John McEnroe was able to beat top players coming off the tour...right into his mid-50s....using that classic forehand
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John McEnroe had super fast reflexes and fantastic hand coordination. Not many like that then or today.
Because of his serve. volleys, and natural talent!
One of the key elements not mentioned with the Modern (Fed) forehand is with his Eastern/SemiW grip he can take balls earlier on the rise and hug the baseline taking time away from his opponent. 🤔
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Best way to understand why the classic forehand is the way it is (? was), grab an old 14oz woodie and have a few hits on grass or a fast, low bouncing hard court. The small head (with ultra small sweet spot and poor twist stability) and heavy weight means that a level swing path, perpendicular face and firm wrist gives the best margin for error. Lighter racquets and larger heads allow for a much more wristy, tangential strike to facilitate spin and power. The same evolution has happened with the classic vs modern one handed backhand.
I would know, given that I started playing on grass with a Dunlop Maxply in 1985. My forehand has evolved from classic to modern without much conscious effort over the years due to changes in racquet technology. Even though my current preferred set up is relatively old school (335g, 335SW), I use plenty of wrist snap on both FH and BH. It wasn’t an especially difficult transition to make. That said, I do remember my old coach in the 80s telling me I had a bad habit of being too lose with my wrist! That might explain the ease of transition in my case!!
PS: Love the way you both execute the classic style perfectly! That high over the shoulder finish was once the aspirational position!
Thanks for the support Jerome
The technology has lead the evolution in tennis 100%
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