TAKE-BACK-LOOP TENNIS FOREHAND

These checklists will teach you how to develop a take-back-loop to create rhythm and consistency and generate power and spin through a whipping action in your arm. With an intermediate forehand, you no longer take your racket back and wait for the ball. Instead you use a take-back-loop.

- Special Page Instructions -

QUICK TIPS

Tip - Make sure the hand legs behind the rest of the body

CHECKLISTS

LESSON PLANS

  • Intermediate Forehand Lesson
  • Intermediate Backhand Lesson
  • Intermediate Serve Lesson
  • The Guide to Mastering the Intermediate Forehand

RELATED CONTENT

WHAT NEXT?

  • Hit With Your Whole Body

INTERMEDIATE FOREHAND

  • Intermediate Forehand Fundamentals
  • Footwork of The Beginner Forehand
  • Impact Point of The Beginner Forehand
  • Low-To-High Swing Path of The Beginner Forehand
  • Take Back of The Beginner Forehand
  • The Wrist

COMMON MISTAKES

  • Hitting Long
  • No Power

MORE ADVANCED

  • Advanced Forehand Fundamentals

MORE BASIC OR SPECIFIC

  • Beginner Forehand Fundamentals

 

QUICK INFO

Fill out the longer LEARNING CHECKLIST (learn the skill)

Fill out the QUICK CHECKLIST (build the habit)

LEARNING CHECKLIST

This is the "LEARNING CHECKLIST" - use it to gain a deep understanding of each checkpoint

- fill out Checklist + Explanation -

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LEARNING CHECKLIST - VIDEO FORMAT

-https://youtu.be/Zh2KUehIRhY

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LEARNING CHECKLIST - WRITTEN FORMAT (six checkpoints)

1) Start - Both Hands High:

  • WHAT? As soon as I started moving towards the ball, I brought both hands up to chest height and slowly started to split them apart keeping both hands high.
  • WHY? Starting with my hands high as soon as I know I’m hitting a forehand will give me time to properly execute the take back loop. This loop creates a repeatable pattern for my muscles to follow each time which adds consistency to my shot. 

2) Slow Loop Up and Back:

  • WHAT? While moving towards the ball, I began to move my racket hand in a slow continuous loop that moved up and back.
  • WHY? The continuous slow movement keeps my hand stable and allows my arm muscles to relax without losing the optimal trajectory. When I have less time, I can make the loop smaller rather than trying to speed it up.
  • If I move too quickly or abruptly, my hand might go off course. In which case, I would have to engage the muscles of my hand and forearm to make slight adjustments to ensure I connect with the ball. Engaging my shoulder, forearm and wrist muscles before impact reduces the potential pre-stretch and thus limits the whipping action that creates power (pop) and topspin. Thus, moving slowly and controlled in the take-back loop ensures the muscles of my arm can stay relaxed and on the correct trajectory.
  • Relaxing your hitting muscles is a little complex, so check out the dedicated checklist to build it in your forehand.

3) Slow Drop:

  • WHAT? As I loaded my back leg, I STARTED to slowly drop my racket hand.
  • WHY? Slowly dropping my hand keeps my hand stable and allows my arm muscles to relax without losing the optimal trajectory. It also starts to add downward momentum in my racket, with the help of gravity, which will help deepen the pre-stretch.

4) Hand Lags Behind Knee Bend:

  • WHAT? My racket hand laged (was delayed) behind the loading of my back leg. At maximum knee bend, my racket was still high.
  • WHY? Creating a separation of my hand and body will allow for a whipping action when my arm catches back up with my body. This whip in my arm will create power (pop) and topspin.

5) Hand Lags Behind Weight Transfer, Knee Extension and Torso Rotation:

  • WHAT? As I started to transfer my weight forward, extend my legs and rotate my torso, I kept dropping my hand down and back. Thus, my hand and arm were moving in the opposite direction of my legs, hips and torso. This is instead of swinging my arm forward with my body.
  • WHY? Delaying the forward/upward swing of my arm behind my body means there will be a rapid change in direction of my arm and hand (from travelling down and back, to traveling up and forward). This change in direction loads my muscles and creates a whipping powerful Speed-Up towards impact. Essentially, I disconnected the movement of my arm from my body. This separation of body and arm is required because the whip is the quick movement of the arm trying to catch back up with the body.

6) Whip To End Take-Back-Loop:

  • WHAT? At the bottom of my take-back-loop, I quickly pushed my hips forward with my leg muscles and aggressively rotated my torso towards impact. My shoulder, forearm and wrist were still relaxed as they reached the bottom of the takeback loop. The jerking forward left them behind the body. It created a deep stretch in the shoulder as it opened even further, a stretch in the forearm as it turned up (supinated), and a stretch in the wrist as it caulked or laid back.
  • WHY? The stretch of each of these muscles acts as loaded energy that will whip through impact as I engage each to add power and topspin at impact.

    QUICK CHECKLIST

    Use this shorter version of the checklist A LOT to build good habits.

    - fill out the QUICK CHECKLIST -

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    QUICK CHECKLIST in VIDEO FORMAT

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    QUICK CHECKLIST in WRITTEN FORMAT (six checkpoints)

    1) Start - Both Hands High:

    • WHAT? As soon as I started moving towards the ball, I brought both hands up to chest height and slowly started to split them apart keeping both hands high.

    2) Slow Loop Up and Back:

    • WHAT? While moving towards the ball, I began to move my racket hand in a slow continuous loop that moved up and back.

    3) Slow Drop:

    • WHAT? As I loaded my back leg, I STARTED to slowly drop my racket hand.

    4) Hand Lags Behind Knee Bend:

    • WHAT? My racket hand laged (was delayed) behind the loading of my back leg. At maximum knee bend, my racket was still high.

    5) Hand Lags Behind Weight Transfer, Knee Extension and Torso Rotation:

    • WHAT? As I started to transfer my weight forward, extend my legs and rotate my torso, I kept dropping my hand down and back. Thus, my hand and arm were moving in the opposite direction of my legs, hips and torso. This is instead of swinging my arm forward with my body.

    6) Whip To End Take-Back-Loop:

    • WHAT? At the bottom of my take-back-loop, I quickly pushed my hips forward with my leg muscles and aggressively rotated my torso towards impact. My shoulder, forearm and wrist were still relaxed as they reached the bottom of the takeback loop. The jerking forward left them behind the body. It created a deep stretch in the shoulder as it opened even further, a stretch in the forearm as it turned up (supinated), and a stretch in the wrist as it caulked or laid back.

    THEORY & DETAILED INFO:

    FEATURED VIDEOS

     

    EXAMPLES & VIDEOS

    1) Model Tennis Forehand - Intermediate to Advanced (Mike)

    2) Model Tennis Forehand - Advanced (Jamie)

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