Is “hit more in front” the most common phrase coming out of the mouth of every tennis coach on the planet? Is this really an epidemic that exists or is there a disconnect between players and coaches?
Generally, the bulk of rec players are perpetually late with their contact and I think there are a few reasons, however there are some players that may hit too far in front or do not understand this phrase well enough to change behaviors in a positive way.
Is hitting late a product of not hitting out in front?
We first need to realize that using Roger Federer as an example or model of hitting in front is a mistake. Yes, you heard this correctly, video samples of Roger Federer’s contact point is not the best example to be used for rec players or juniors unless you have a good inventory of other players to compare his contact point to in relationship with the respective joint angles.
In general, straight arm (elbow) forehands (Federer, Chung, Cilic, Nadal, Del Potro, Verdasco, Dimitrov) will have a contact point more in front due to the joint angle or lack there of. Players with double bend forehands (majority) should not be compared to pro models that have the straight arm technique.
Double bend forehands will typically be less in front of the body at ball contact due to the bend in the elbow creating an inward path at and right after contact. We must also consider the angle between the shoulder and arm as a indication of how late or “in front” the racquet is at contact. For example, it is very possible to have contact in front, however be “late” in relation to the angle between the shoulder and arm.
A common coaching method is to have students “reach” for the ball. I think this is a mistake and only makes the problem worse. Being late is more of a product of the arm not traveling along the swing radius and being pulled by the shoulder. The shoulder needs to decelerate before contact to allow the swing start coming back across the chest at contact. Being late isn’t always a product of contact point, it can be related to over-rotating the shoulder. Here are examples of contact point not too far in front, but also not late because the shoulder has decelerated and has allowed the arm to travel along it’s radius.
I do recommend a video analysis to understand the root cause of hitting late or being inconsistent. Understanding the role of the hips and shoulders and the proper joint angles at contact will certainly help diagnose contact point issues. Clearly the common suggestion of preparing early is always a good one and is more than likely the root cause of late contact however there are many other elements to consider. I do believe the bulk of players do not understand these basic concepts thus slows down their development.
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