Federer & Nadal vs Ivan Lendl - The Forehand

Federer/Nadal - Some differences in preparation. Very similar contact point and follow through.
Grips: Eastern slightly toward the Semiwestern/Semiwestern.

Lendl/Federer - Rather different preparation, contact point and follow hrough.
Grips: Eastern/Eastern more clockwise rotated.

Lendl/Nadal - Quite opposite preparation. Very different contact point and follow through.
Grips: Eastern/Semiwestern.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• federer
• nadal
• roger
• rafael
• lendl
• ivan
• forehand
• tennis
• comparison
• technique

[caloyjp]

Sampras and Lendl's forehands are very similar. With the high elbow in the backswing. I don't see this in federer and nadal's.

Does this have an effect on power and spin? Does a higher backswing similar to Lendl more atuned to a flat forehand? Do you advise using more of Lendl's technique for a recreational player like myself to gain more power? Maybe the backswing of federer and nadal are different since they tend to use more spin on their shots as opposed to powerful flat forehands.

[matteodinenno]

The biomechanic theory says that it's simpler to take the racquet back the way Federer does, but for some works better to swing high like Lendl and Sampras. The topspin depends on the way you drop and release during the swing foreward. To get to the contact point as soon as possible in the very loopy way of Nadal, your backswing must be shorter. On the other hand a larger and convex backswing may give more power and spin to a most classic and basically flat forehand.

[ulizinho]

@matteodinenno

I agree. I would say, that this taking back the racket with a high elbow as Lendl and Sampras do is unnessary. Fed and Nadal are more direct

and create more spin.

[matteodinenno]

Is it not unnecessary. It helps to take more back the hitting arm turning inward the shoulder during the backswing, since the pectoral muscle is less stretched. Than when you turn out the shoulder opening the racquet face as you start to swing foreward, the pectoral muscle is spring loaded and produces a great foreward acceleration very effortless.

[matteodinenno]

When i assert this kind of backswing may help to add power and spin to the most classical forehands, i'm refering above all to the difensive shots. The flat classical forehand warks better when you step into the ball and is almost harmless on the defensive, but both Lendl and Sampras were able to crash running forehands flat like tracer bullets eventually adding some spin only by a wrist smack.

[dura1mater]

What does this song have to with anything? Just play Rocket Man.

[matteodinenno]

Too much short! The original track was "The last trip to Tulsa" (about 9.30') by Neil Young, but Utube did not let me use it. I'm able to publish only Elton's songs and this is one of my favorite.

[sarasmilepiano]

Nice anlaysis

[PhilippedeHerte]

Note Lendl's the very compact follow-through and no wrist pronation as in the so-called millennium forehand. I think the ball today comes too fast for a forehand like Lendl's.

[dura1mater]

@matteodinenno Fair enough. Great uploads. Keep uploading Lendl clips, thanks!