I mentioned last week that keeping the ball deep holds your opponent at bay and produces errors. The best way to keep the ball deep, and your opponent off balance, is with topspin. If you don’t hit your forehand with topspin you may need to devote quite a bit of practice to master this stroke. Let’s look at a few pointers.
- A semi-western grip (hold the racket like a frying pan) helps generate topspin and gives more support since your palm is behind the handle
- As you take your racket back and line up for the incoming ball, make the butt of your racket point at the ball (this gets your wrist in the right position)
- Take the racket back hip high or lower – some people take it back higher and drop it before they swing forward, that’s ok too
- Swing from the low racket back position to a high finish over your other shoulder, hitting the ball out in front of your body
Try to visualize these tips and then practice the topspin forehand. Also revisit Hit De-fence to help you remember to hit through the ball while hitting topspin. If topspin is new to you, you’re probably going to need video to see the mechanics of this stroke. Check out the master Roger Federer. Watch for the pointers mentioned above.