In this lesson, we discuss the role of forearm extension in the acceleration and strike stages of the forehand. Below left is a player who uses forearm extension as a regular aspect of her stroke. In contrast to this is the player in the center, whose forearm extension is barely evident. To the right is an illustration of how much the forearm has been extended long after the ball has been struck.

The value of the forearm extension is that it provides an extra margin of safety in the stroke in producing moderate, controllable acceleration as well as a longer interval of straight-line movement for the strike stage. All top players know this stroke element and employ it as needed. Below left, the player has employed it in a defensive shot where she was out of position. The shot was improvised, not planned, and if this stroke element were not available, the player would have been unable to return the ball effectively enough to remain in the rally. In the center, the forearm extension is being used in an offensive mode. On the far right, it is used on the run in a neutral mode.

To learn to produce this stroke element, we suggest the following exercise. Place a strip of tape along a mirror and then move the racquet slowly forward along this straight line, as illustrated in the Shockwave video below.

We made this video in slow motion and then converted it to normal speeds to keep it small in size. The racquet is actually moving very slowly, even though the video is running at normal speed. The wobble in the movement demonstrates how difficult it is to keep the racquet on an even course in slow motion. Once you are able to move the racquet this evenly at slow speeds, it will move very smoothly at normal speeds. The point in moving the racquet straight is to ensure the best possible contact with the ball when engaging in high-speed rallies.

We stress that this is an exercise to develop control of the racquet path. If the racquet moves parallel to the court, it will be very difficult to strike the ball so that it clears the net unless the ball is very high or you are close to the net. For example, if you strike a ball 4 feet above the court with a racquet moving parallel to the court, and if the ball moves at 30 mph after it is struck, you must be closer than 11 feet to the net to be sure that the ball clears it. (As a reference point, the service line is 21 feet from the net.) If you strike the ball 5 feet above the court, you can be 13 feet away from the net. This exercise is designed to develop a wide range of control in that it is very difficult to do. If you master this exercise, it will be routine to move the racquet in a manner that ensures that the ball clears the net.

As a reminder, when you strike the ball, it is essential that the ball rise as it is leaving your racquet. This can be done in one of three ways: (1) with topspin, produced by shearing the ball as the racquet moves from low to high (there are various ways to do this); (2) by directing the straight-line path from low to high; (3) or by beveling the face of the racquet upward.

Copyright notice: The rights for commercial use of the photos on this page have been obtained from the originator of the photos: Sportfiles. Original clear 4x6 copies of these photos can be obtained at http://sportfiles.com/ for $2.00 each. Disclaimer: The use of any photos for commentary does not imply the endorsement of the content of this website by the individual depicted.