Techniques: Hit through the Ball

By Tony Lance, TENNIS Magazine

Almost everyone who’s taken a tennis lesson has had an instructor tell them to hit through the ball on their forehand because that’s the way to produce solid, penetrating shots. But judging by the technique used by many recreational players, not too many people completely grasp this concept. If your forehand often lands short and lacks bite, try this:

Imagine that you’re standing next to a waist-high desk or table that’s cluttered with stacks of paper and you want to clear it from one end to the other using a forehand. The motion that you would employ to do this, hitting along one plane as long as possible--in this case, the desk or table is the plane--is the idea that instructors are trying to get across when they ask you to hit through the ball. There is one notable difference that you should keep in mind though. In this example, the surface of the desk is perpendicular to the floor. But the ideal forehand stroke starts lower than the oncoming ball and finishes higher. That aside, whenever you feel you need to hit through your forehand more, pretend to clear a desk top with your racquet to add more sting to your shots.