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How to Improve Your Tennis Forehand

The forehand is the most-used stroke in recreational tennis. It's the first shot most players learn, and the one they rely on most in rallies. Yet many players plateau at 3.0-3.5 NTRP because of a few fixable habits. Here's what to work on.

1. Grip: Semi-Western Is Your Friend

Most recreational players use an Eastern or even Continental grip on their forehand. While these work for flat shots, they make it hard to generate consistent topspin. The semi-Western grip naturally angles the racket face to brush up on the ball.

To find it: hold the racket out in front of you, then drop it to your side. Pick it up naturally off the ground — that's roughly a semi-Western grip. The base knuckle of your index finger should sit on bevel 4.

2. Preparation: Early Racket Take-Back

Late preparation is the single most common forehand mistake. If you're still taking the racket back when the ball bounces, you're already behind. The unit turn — rotating your shoulders and hips together — should start the moment you read the ball is coming to your forehand side.

3. Footwork: Load the Back Foot

Power in the forehand comes from the ground up. Before you swing, your weight should be loaded on your back foot (right foot for right-handers). As you swing, transfer your weight forward through the ball. This kinetic chain — feet, hips, torso, arm — is what separates a 50mph forehand from a 70mph one.

• Open stance: Back foot plants, hips rotate through. Best for wide balls and faster rallies.
• Semi-open stance: Front foot steps at 45 degrees. Good balance of power and recovery.
• Closed stance: Step directly toward the net. Maximum weight transfer but slower recovery.

4. Contact Point: Out in Front

The ideal contact point for a forehand is roughly 12-18 inches in front of your lead hip, at waist height. Hitting too late (beside or behind your body) robs you of power and forces your wrist to compensate, which leads to inconsistency.

A simple test: if your elbow is bent more than 20 degrees at contact, the ball is too close to your body. If your arm is fully extended and reaching, the ball is too far away.

5. Follow-Through: Over the Shoulder

A full follow-through ensures you're accelerating through the ball rather than decelerating at contact. For a modern topspin forehand, the racket should finish over your non-dominant shoulder (the "windshield wiper" finish). Stopping your swing short is a sign of tension or poor timing.

3 Drills to Practice

1. Shadow swings with unit turn: No ball. Focus on initiating every swing with a full shoulder turn. 3 sets of 20 reps.
2. Drop-hit forehands: Drop the ball from your non-dominant hand, let it bounce, and hit. Focus on contact point — out in front, waist height. 50 balls.
3. Cross-court rally target: Rally cross-court with a partner. Place a target (cone, towel) in the deep cross-court corner. Count how many land within 3 feet. Builds consistency under pressure.

How to Track Your Progress

Improvement is hard to see in real-time because your body adapts gradually. Recording your practice sessions and reviewing them is one of the most effective ways to spot habits you can't feel. Pay attention to your racket preparation timing, contact point position, and weight transfer direction.