Flat vs Topspin Forehand Explained (DRILLS INCLUDED!)

What is the difference between hitting the heavy topspin vs. flat forehand? Mastering both heavy topspin and that flat bomb forehand is the key to make your forehand a dominant weapon.

💻 COURSES AND RESOURCES

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The Flat vs Topspin Forehand
0:46 Strategy - When to Use Flat vs Topspin
4:32 How To Create Heavy Spin
6:21 How To Flatten Shots
7:25 Stylistic Difference
8:38 Drill #1 - The Discuss Drill
9:10 Drill #2 - Contact & Extension Isolation
9:48 Drill #3 - Rally Variations

🐦 LET'S CONNECT!

[gilmillan]

This content is 100% gold. keep it up guys you're doing great.

[berfava]

No matter how other coaches try to explain stuff like this, I always end up **fundamentally understanding** when I watch your videos. Thanks so much.

[andreaho]

The best explanation, best demonstration, best speech speeding. No more subscription to other channels is needed.

[Jerry-ihxq]

Very good instructions! Keep it simple, always remember that the ball movement consists of two components: horizontal and vertical. More horizontal power will give the drive/flat shot and more vertical power/"brushing up" will generate more top spin.

[Josh-krcc]

The only guy who comprehensively discussed the flat forehand on youtube...

[ThethBranch]

I’ve played tennis since 11, high school an university. Seen a lot of ‘professional’ coaches of the top 10 ATP and your explanation is one of THE best out there.

[bengu]

I've said this already and I'll say it again, this content is absolute 🔥🔥🔥🔥 The production here is phenomenal. The sound quality alone is ridiculous and better than you get at actual tournaments.

[Justin.]

Ey, Justin from SD here. Miss calling you dudes and talking tennis! Glad to see you're still putting out quality content-- with a much bigger audience from the looks of that subscriber count!

[torrubirubi]

Amazing how well the guy explains this! 👏

[josefiguera]

Awesome video, to me it made a huge and instant difference on my FH the first time I try it on court, and the following times have allow me to have a more reliable and consistent mechanics on my FH. I have never hear about the horizontal shoulder abduction explain at 6:39 that way and the drills are simple and effective. Thanks a lot!!!

[RacquetFlex]

Thanks so much for watching! Let me know how the drills go and what videos you want to see next 💪

[mubashirkhan]

Thanks for fixing my shot, tried it today and worked like a charm. Well explained, couldnt figure out the same motion pretty much but with a slight spin changed the trajectory, i was muscling up each, picked the ball up in the front with a bit of hesistence but man, what power and direction. Love this!

[pearlflute]

This is so clear and unique. I love the drills.

[ilkercalskan]

One of the best tennis video I've seen. So useful. Life saver. Thanks guys.

[Sportsgirly]

Wow as a beginner, these are excellent points and he's entertaining. Thank you!

[phuonpham]

You talked the things which I never heard from my coach! Good job guy

[JP]

Great instruction and helpful tips, for a fellow that has a fairly flat game developed in the 70s and 80s. I particularly like the biomechanics discussed In the execution of a proper stroke. This has helped me develop a modern topspin forehand.

[jbc-]

Really good video guys - especially the discussion about how, why & when to use heavy top vs. flatter, more attacking shots. However, I'm less a fan of the (IMO) overly technical discussion of the swing mechanics used to achieve top vs. flat/ penetrating shots. It's not that your observations are wrong; it's more that there's no mention of the 'throwing' motion that distinguishes modern vs. old-school/ traditional stroke mechanics and which allows all the 'easy power', spin & variety of shots from different contact points that's the hallmark of modern stroke mechanics vs. old school pendulum/ weight transfer mechanics that require precise timing, preparation & footwork & which have very real contact point limitations - especially up high.

Everything that's consequential (all the overly technical machinations that you discuss re: internal shoulder rotation + pronation etc.) occurs very naturally if one utilizes a sidearm throwing motion on the FH, the overhand/ 3/4's throwing motion on a serve/ overhead and a frisbee whip/ throw motion on the one-handed BH.

The problem w/ all the slow motion demonstrations/ analysis of exactly what happens to cause the lag and snap back of the racket head thru contact and the natural deceleration of the follow thru doesn't translate well (IMO) into how real people actually learn throw to a ball or frisbee; they just do it .. over and over until the throwing motion is ingrained. But more importantly, there are lots of tennis players that know how to throw a ball very well and naturally but who can't translate that ingrained throwing motion into proper modern tennis strokes. I know, because I was one of those guys that learned tennis the 'old school' way and ended up w/ 'pretty' traditional strokes but with all the limitations inherent with the use of old school strokes re: spin and the ability to generate power and/or spin off of slow balls and especially balls high in the strike zone. And, once learned, it was very hard form me to change even though I had inherently good throwing mechanics. For some reason, I always had a pretty good & natural 1 handed BH though it's not as whip like (think a much lesser Gasquet BH) as it is now. My serve was OK, but overly mechanical and way too much shoulder and not the simplified dynamic 3/4s throwing motion I now have & utilize.

It's not that it's necessarily wrong to demonstrate in slow motion (or show via slow motion video) exactly what happens during a properly executed stroke it's just that one needs to emphasize to the student/ audience that a proper modern stroke requires 'throwing mechanics' vs. a shot put/ weight transfer mechanism or what we old school guys used to call 'throwing like a girl'.

And it's not all about being able to throw faster and hit harder. It's more about efficiency and easy power, spin and much more variety on swing paths and heights and the ability to move and hit more dynamically and generate power and spin on the move and from different positions including when moving sideways or backwards etc. Think of a short stop snagging a grounder and being able to turn and fire the ball to 1st base from all sorts of positions.

Slow or fast, the basic throwing mechanics are the same. Pitchers and tennis players warm up by 'throwing' slowly, but they still use the same basic throwing mechanics when they warm up by throwing/ hitting softly and ramp up the pace/ power and spin as they get warmed up, but using the same basic throwing mechanics but with varying levels of the dynamic release of energy from & after the wind-up thru the release/ contact point.

Anyway - long story short - it took much longer than it should have to 'unlearn' my old school mechanics. Lots of shadow strokes in the living room was key for me along w/ just hitting on the wall so there was no match play pressure. Once I 'got it' it was like 'this is so much easier' what the heck was I doing all those years. But again it would have been helpful if someone would have emphasized to me the simplicity of just winding up and releasing the racket via a throwing motion.

[jimpoole]

Really good, thanks! As a 4.0 73yo I am able to put a lot more effortless power in the shots

[mataniwi]

The best video and explanations i’ve seen so far! Does it apply to 2 handes BH? Wouldn’t be nice to make a video for the 2HBH?