Roger Federer - Forehands from the Back Perspective

[champion1642]

WOW..... Just WOW......Seriously WOW!!!

His balance....Perfect.

[TeppTennis]

art

[michaeldbadger]

great footage. such a great example of how important moving and balance is to be able to take a clean swing.

[stndrdprcdur]

Why is it that if federer hits so well with an open stance do 99% of tennis coaches at club level in the UK tell you to hit forehands nearly fully side on?? Someone help me out here

[animeflip]

it's like watching art... it's fascinating to watch

[bengtmartin]

Federer looks like he´s playing on the moon. Doesn´t gravity apply to this guy? He´s floating around over the court even when he´s hitting the ball.

[TitaniumProAce]

I dont understand how he does it, the most conservative grip, open stance and his rips them better than 99% of the top players

[Agnotio]

@TitaniumProAce It seems like it's all timing and racket head speed/arm speed for Federer.

[23remoh]

this was the time when roger federer is still on top...

[federerownz]

its impossible to hit winners and passing shots like he does using ur wrist ur not gonna believe me anyway so im done...

[malesye]

Roger, best player in the world ! 

[Pianintendoman]

simply, to me, the most beautiful forehand in the game.

[danielas4444]

i felt like i was entranced by some magic for 1min 17secs!

[Supermanu15]

just beautiful!: )

[cj397]

this video shows perfectly how to get more power and precision on your forehand without straining your body. the turning of the upper body really kind of Sling Shots the arm and wrist into the ball, beautiful technique

[federerownz]

@cj397 first off federer never uses his wrist in any of his shots, i dont know why people think that he does. if u really think about it how is he able to return a serve going 135-140mph consistently, no ones wrist is that strong enough to go out everyday and hit at that level and not have any injuries. the fundamentals of the game will always be the same,look at sampras and agassi's forehands there wrist never break, its just the way federer finishes.there swings are long through the ball

[cj397]

@federerownz i never said he uses his wrist.

i'm talking about the turning of the upper body with the wrist laid back in the "slot" position that when hit out front of the body with correct timing, the kinetic energy of the body turning is what allows the pro's to hit with such power precision and spin.

[hattrickster33]

@federerownz He DOES use his wrist on his topspin backhand and often on his slice backhand. ALOT. When returning serve though, you're right, he just blocks it back or slices it. Watch a slow motion of his backhand and you'll see.

[federerownz]

@hattrickster33 hahaha you must not play...its the same movement but just a longer backswing and a longer finish

[hattrickster33]

@federerownz No actually, I practice most days of the week, and I've played in tournaments too. I didn't say anything about the backswing or the finish, I was talking about his wrist, since you seem to think you have to look your wrist...if you think that, I doubt you play yourself.

[aay8884]

its almost as if he was flying

[bonzaicoala]

@0:23 the shadow of the ball flying away is absolutely stunning!! ;)

[federerbestclass]

Roger is true class, Love Roger

[ppsecurito]

wow training with a rolex! thats be a millionaire, lol

[delmar1985]

why is it that when someone hits hard to me i can hit just as hard hard back with good strokes, but when a ball comes at me soft i am terrible and can only hit it soft back

[OMGitsBRYANLEE]

lol same with me

[custardapple777]

@OMGitsBRYANLEE

same with me - my favourite hitting partner is my tennis coach.

I've watched Marian Cilic on TV play REALLY badly against Bernard Tomic who was purposely hitting soft like a 12 year old

[MulletMan3108]

@delmar1985 imagine a trampoline. the higher you go, the more force you generate coming back down. have you noticed the higher you go, the higher you come back up. its the same with a tennis racquet- faster incoming ball makes the strings bend more so it has a higher 'catapult' effect. its like a catapult- the more you tie it back, there further you will go. with slow shots you have to generate all the power yourself- you dont have the extra speed of the ball incoming with it. hope this helps

[FinalFan0]

Most pro's (Including FYB2007) have said to "Shrink the Court" Aim 1 foot inside the court on every angle until you get good enough to bring the court back to size. I wouldn't expect the DVD's to cover this because they can't teach Racket speed + Topspin. We have to figure out how our body works to perform these things ourselves.

[federerbestclass]

Roger Love

[gigatron4]

LAst name is "Federer", not "Love"

[custardapple777]

@queenofcourt

I just want to clarify: when I said racquet more open, I mean the DIRECTION of the racquet should be more open (I don't mean the open racquet face of returning a drop shot.)

Another hint is to press your wrist more into the shot.

[custardapple777]

@queenofcourt : it's my pleasure

[custardapple777]

queenofcourt and terminator

yup it is annoying there's not much advice on it cos it's the pro's favourite shot. Executed brilliantly into your opponent's backhand corner of the court is going to help you win the rally.

Hit with the contact point further back in your cycle, with the racquet face more open.

[terminator8338]

does anyone know how to properly hit an inside out forehand with topspin? Cause it really is a problem in my game, usually i hit them flat (though it is useful sometimes)

[mansuliu]

@terminator8338 footwork, get to the side of the ball and strike like a regular forehand making sure you brush up the ball, i don't know how to make this simpler

[custardapple777]

For the first time I noticed Federer's "casual-looking" preparation for his forehand. The racquet almost appears rested, pointing past the north-west. Which other pro does this ? What are the advantages ?

[federerbestclass]

Roger Federer Best. Love you Roger

[wietskeane11]

that reaction was for mansuliu

[federerbestclass]

Roger Love ;

[gemriderz]

Old-school was tucking the elbow in. Now, we train almost a full extension. Watch the top girls; With smaller builds, that's how they're generating so much power. I hit with one of the nation's top girls, and she hits SO hard, and that's how she does it.

Type in 'forehand slow motion' and look at Clijsters - and the following loads. Good one of Nadal, too. Elbow is nowhere NEAR the body.

Low, short ball to the forehand? Body dynamics will probably bring the elbow in more.

Just my 2¢...

[custardapple777]

That's right. Henin has a compact swing with the elbow tucked in.

[scuzzlebutt]

he makes me want to switch teams

[mansuliu]

his hey arm isn't totally straight 0:34

[cj397]

after mastering the basic forehand, to gain more power, depth, control, and balance on your forehand, you need to bend your arm at the elbow and tuck your arm closer to your body in the swing

[mansuliu]

total bs, the straighter your arm the more power, it is like a pendulum, the longer the swing the more power and what is longer a straight or bent arm??

[wietskeane11]

wtf do you like Nadal?

[sundoeco]

what a beauty!!! no other pro hits so effortlessly. compare him to novak djokovic!! shows how you can hit with good technique timing and gettin your body into the shot..

[goraeuskadiRuisko]

Aprendes mutxo con el video. Rafa Nº1! Federer lloron!!

[huangyishi]

Guys, Federer is an all-surface player. He has won all Grand Slams at least once. The main person who stopped him winning in previous years was Rafael Nadal, and we all know how good he is on Clay.

[bballking471]

i have a question ....in a good forehand as federers...do you have to keep your right shoulder below your left so that you rotate properly....assuming your right handed? I think a problem with my forehand is that when i hit i start leaning my shoulders the other was pulling the racket up and not getting good extension...is this a problem or is it something else?

[blahhers]

your shoulders should be about leveled. the problem is prbly that ur just not rotating into the ball when you hit

[Samprasisthebest]

No no no no. I think the problem that so many players have when they try to rip a forehand ( at least in the players I've coached) is that they try to use a big loop. When they loop, the bring the racquet down way low (resulting in that shoulder drop which you thought was necessary) and then a decrease in racquet head power. Notice how Roger's arm NEVER is lower than his waist. If his racquet gets low its because he bends his knees and turns his torso. To increase racquet acceleration...

[Samprasisthebest]

...try to time the backswing so that it occurs as you are turning your body and shoulders. When you swing transfer the weight onto your front foot, accelerating the racquet, and turning your body as you do so. If done properly, I GUARANTEE you will increase the power of your forehands, almost effortlessly. But remember, you MUST bend your knees, not lower the racquet with just your arm.

[liampimp12341234]

heh his wrist action like speeds up whn hes about to hit the ball

[DarkDisaster45]

Man, that's a shiny watch federer's wearing......

[advancedtennis]

The forehands at 0:19 and 0:33 are what have earned him five US Open and five Wimbledon titles. To stand on or inside the baseline for a rally-ball forehand at the professional level is one thing, but the combination of whipping topspin, a good three feet of extension through the ball, and the ability to hit aggressively while moving backwards make him absolutely lethal on the forehand wing.

[Samprasisthebest]

What about the three Aussie Opens and the one Rolland Garros? Was it just luck that won him those?

[advancedtennis]

Federer's aggressive style of tennis is most applicable to grass and fast hard courts, such as Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The Australian Open is very similar to the U.S. Open, and Federer had not yet one the French when I made my previous comment. But yes, luck did win him his first Roland Garros title, along with considerable skill and a good competitive mindset.

[Samprasisthebest]

Yeah, sorry I got a bit cheeky, I couldn't resist seeing as you mentioned only 10 of his 14 grand slams.

[r6vgowchamp]

advancedtennis

Roger is actually very very good on clay it's just the fact that nadal is GOAT on clay.

[advancedtennis]

I'm aware, see my comment.

Federer's game is "most applicable" to other surfaces. He is without any doubt an exceptional clay court player.

[willukus]

how did he win it with luck?

[willukus]

I don't think you realise that Roger Federer is at least the second best claycourt player in the world, he's just as suited to it as any other surface.

[veniceb112]

@advancedtennis YOU FORGET THAT FEDERER IS PROBABLY THE SECOND BEST CLAY COURT PLAYER...his playing style is suited for any surface, so it wasn't luck that won him the french open it was all skill, nadal is just better at clay due to his heavy topspin and never say die attitude

[huangyishi]

Far out!! Look at how much he rotates his hips!! Amazing

[nelsonguise]

-in a robot voice-

I am Roger Federer. I will hit the baseline directly with this yellow ball every time I swing.

*plink, applause, Roger yawns*

I am spent. I require lubrication - - I mean, hydration. Bleep bleep.

Seriously though, between his step at 0:16 and contact, he makes like four micro adjustments with his feet. It's just astonishing to think of this level of precision and control at actual speed.

[supertrex2]

wow high bounce ball, low & deep, short ball, neutral ball. he always hit on the rise. his timing is impressive.

[holidaygames]

He's like a cat on his feet - lithe yet powerful

[tolendoi123]

love Federer's style he likes leaning in to his shot and taking the ball early inside the baseline^_^

[nhat8121]

my forehand is similar to federer's, except it goes out more often...my backhand is like my sister's who doesn't play tennis.

[FYB2007]

haha well at least you are halfway there

[lightmoon233]

lol

[kulanitas]

amazing Roger! You are still the number one!

[MadBanana39167]

can we please have more baseline rally footage

like that last 2 minutes of the first federer video

[FYB2007]

ya we will get that up but it's going to take several days. end of the week is a decent target date.

[sean20485]

you're doing an AMAZING job. this stuff is gold

[strojzabelu]

great vid man, thx a lot!!

[DaMnWoude]

second ball wash to low

[beneszilo]

hey man!

I just want to tell you that we love these vids. Thanks for the great stuffs, and keep them coming please.

[FYB2007]

hey ben thx! we've got a lot more on the way. holler.

[mrcalon]

awesome..keep them coming gents

[cooliosebas]

awsome vid