Sampras couldn't really hit with heavy spin on his forehand. It was a very flat ball. Hence the reason he was never very successful on clay. Federer can do both and has better shot placement than Sampras did. I'd honestly take either forehand. Two of the best along with Rafa.
Federer's forehand is precise because - lets face it, Federer has the best footwork I have ever seen. He gets to the ball exactly where he wants it, and he has an array of shots to go with.
Sampras was all about timing...the topspin he had to face was like child's play to him, and he has everything down to a tee - absolutely incredibly precise...he can take the ball a split second before and absolutely unload with the body rotation....like firing a bullet....shot shot BANG
@selfwarmingsocks pete's shoulder would not hold up in modern day tennis though with the likes of Nadal...you can clearly see in this comparison that pete's taking the ball a lot closer to his body with the elbow cocked all the way up...it worked for him, but with the heavy spin today he wouldn't be able to put balls away as quickly and efficiently....of course he had a fabulous net game as well so he would have still been great
The aesthetics of the shot is subjective, so it's pointless to compare them that way. Sampras's forehand is not as efficient as Federer's because it relies too much on his arm in relation to his body, but it's easily as effective.
@remnant24 Sampras is the AK47 and Federer is the M16. Sampras' forehand may not have the precision, refinement and accuracy of Federer but packs a bigger punch. Just like the AK-47 has more power than the M-15 but less refinement and accuracy.
@mrbobevans Good analogy but Pete's was every bit as precise, if not more so, it just wasn't as versatile as Feds. Pete would end a point two or three balls into a rally with his FH. Fed's not quite that explosive. He uses combinations to break people down. I like to compare them to Ali- Federer and George Foreman- Sampras.
@bqndc I have to disagree. Sampras' body is much more closed on his forehand. Federer has a very open forehand shot and that (in my opinion) makes it look more fluid and beautiful.
sampras has amazing power. Sampras's has a classic forehand swing, with little hand flexion and internal arm rotation. Almost all of his racquet speed comes from the flexion of the arm at the shoulder. Despite this, the balls coming off his forehand are faster than those of most modern players, like Roddick and Murray. What a superman.
that is because he hits with less topspin, so all the rackethead speed goes into foreward movement of the ball and not into ball spinning. I guess he hits some good forehands as fast as the fastest Nadal forehand, but due to less spin he had to hit them lower and flat, with a bigger error percentage.
I don´t understand his upward movement of his elbow, almost like Lendl. Seems almost like a hindrance in a fluid movement. But, well, his forehand was deadly.
Oh dear for Sampras here - everything about Federer's shot is so much better! Firstly, the footwork - Federer takes one or two gliding strides over to the ball, whereas Sampras does a little foot shuffle before he hits. Then the stroke...well, anyone watching this video can see how much more stylish the Federer forehand is.
Sampras couldn't really hit with heavy spin on his forehand. It was a very flat ball. Hence the reason he was never very successful on clay. Federer can do both and has better shot placement than Sampras did. I'd honestly take either forehand. Two of the best along with Rafa.
tyrone2252 2 months ago
Federer's forehand is precise because - lets face it, Federer has the best footwork I have ever seen. He gets to the ball exactly where he wants it, and he has an array of shots to go with.
Sampras was all about timing...the topspin he had to face was like child's play to him, and he has everything down to a tee - absolutely incredibly precise...he can take the ball a split second before and absolutely unload with the body rotation....like firing a bullet....shot shot BANG
selfwarmingsocks 7 months ago
@selfwarmingsocks pete's shoulder would not hold up in modern day tennis though with the likes of Nadal...you can clearly see in this comparison that pete's taking the ball a lot closer to his body with the elbow cocked all the way up...it worked for him, but with the heavy spin today he wouldn't be able to put balls away as quickly and efficiently....of course he had a fabulous net game as well so he would have still been great
selfwarmingsocks 7 months ago
in the Sampras era the spin and power were way down as well as the racquet speed .
Fed's forehand and Pete's serve were the most devastating weapons in the history of the game.
Before you call me names , please note , its the RESULTS that count (aka Grand Slam titles) .
novola1972 7 months ago
good comeback moron.
jalanmills 8 months ago
Federer form perfect - on all shots. Period.
jalanmills 8 months ago
@jalanmills Fuck off. Period.
PSneakysound 8 months ago
Sampras forehand is effective but not textbook. Everything Federer does is perfect form. Couldn't possibly look better. Period.
jalanmills 8 months ago
The aesthetics of the shot is subjective, so it's pointless to compare them that way. Sampras's forehand is not as efficient as Federer's because it relies too much on his arm in relation to his body, but it's easily as effective.
remnant24 8 months ago
@remnant24 Sampras is the AK47 and Federer is the M16. Sampras' forehand may not have the precision, refinement and accuracy of Federer but packs a bigger punch. Just like the AK-47 has more power than the M-15 but less refinement and accuracy.
mrbobevans 8 months ago
@mrbobevans Good analogy but Pete's was every bit as precise, if not more so, it just wasn't as versatile as Feds. Pete would end a point two or three balls into a rally with his FH. Fed's not quite that explosive. He uses combinations to break people down. I like to compare them to Ali- Federer and George Foreman- Sampras.
cavaleer 7 months ago
Petes forehand is by far the most lethal and effective forehand there ever was.
cammpinno 11 months ago
@cammpinno
Really? I can think of a load of players with better forehands. The guy he's compared to in this video, for example.
Chazfazzer 8 months ago
Sampras's forehand is more fluid and beautiful.
bqndc 1 year ago
@bqndc I have to disagree. Sampras' body is much more closed on his forehand. Federer has a very open forehand shot and that (in my opinion) makes it look more fluid and beautiful.
Jaygenius 1 year ago
@bqndc and also elegant
gioutube 10 months ago
sampras has amazing power. Sampras's has a classic forehand swing, with little hand flexion and internal arm rotation. Almost all of his racquet speed comes from the flexion of the arm at the shoulder. Despite this, the balls coming off his forehand are faster than those of most modern players, like Roddick and Murray. What a superman.
cys12141 1 year ago
@cys12141
that is because he hits with less topspin, so all the rackethead speed goes into foreward movement of the ball and not into ball spinning. I guess he hits some good forehands as fast as the fastest Nadal forehand, but due to less spin he had to hit them lower and flat, with a bigger error percentage.
I don´t understand his upward movement of his elbow, almost like Lendl. Seems almost like a hindrance in a fluid movement. But, well, his forehand was deadly.
ulizinho 1 year ago
Oh dear for Sampras here - everything about Federer's shot is so much better! Firstly, the footwork - Federer takes one or two gliding strides over to the ball, whereas Sampras does a little foot shuffle before he hits. Then the stroke...well, anyone watching this video can see how much more stylish the Federer forehand is.
Chazfazzer 1 year ago
2 different forehands. Sampras has a different bodybuilding
DonGiovanni008 1 year ago 2
Roger is the beautiful classic great player
federerbestclass 1 year ago