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"When My Opponent Comes To The Net, My Forehand Passing Shot Down The Line Is Usually Off Target"
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"When My Opponent Comes To The Net, My Forehand Passing Shot Down The Line Is Usually Off Target"
Cause # 1
Your racquet is pulling around and across your body instead of out away from
your body and towards the intended target. When you swing around across the
body
the
racquet is facing the target for a split second only, and does not stay on line
towards the
intended target. This means your timing must be absolutely perfect to hit to
your desired
target.
Solution A: To hit a ball straight ahead you must be able to implement an inside
out
swing. The ability to hit a straight ball is important for down the line shots.
Also, once you
know your opponents weakness you'll want to hit it `straight' to that weakness.
It's very
difficult to consistently hit the ball straight without this type of swing pattern.
When you
swing inside out the racquet stays on line longer giving you a much better chance
of hitting
towards the intended target.
To learn an inside out swing stand at the center of the baseline by the center
mark. Turn sideways with your racquet back ready to hit a forehand. Your hitting
hand
is now in the inside position. Now, let the hitting hand and racquet go out away
from the
body towards the right net post (for a right-hander) or towards the left net
post (for a lefthander).
As you let the hitting hand and racquet go towards the net post it will feel
as
though you're going to hit the ball onto the adjacent court. As you continue
to swing out
towards the net post however, you'll soon realize, that when you reach the contact
point
the racquet is facing in the direction you want, straight ahead. At the contact
point, the
palm of the hitting hand should be facing your target as well. Here's the key
point: It's
much easier now for the racquet and the hitting hand to stay on line and directed
towards
the target, that's because you're swinging inside out away from your body. Actually,
the
racquet and the palm of the hitting hand can stay on line towards the target
for a foot (12
inches) to a foot and a half (18 inches) when you swing inside out. This gives
you a good
chance to hit the ball to your desired target. On the other hand, if you were
pulling the
racquet around and across your body, the racquet and palm of the hitting hand
are facing
the target for only a split second. When this happens the racquet and palm of
the
hand are on line for only that moment, meaning if your timing is not perfect
the ball will
not go to your intended target. For more instruction on the inside out swing see
the
videos Consistent Tennis Wins IV and V.
THE-INSIDE-OUT-SWING
Two Key Points To Concentrate On During Your Swing:
- Swing inside out
- Palm of the hand towards the target
Fig. 16 The hitting hand and racquet are
now at the inside position. From this point swing out, away from
your body towards the right net post.
Fig. 17 The hitting hand and racquet
are now swinging out, away from the body. At this point it looks as
though you'll hit the ball to an adjacent court.
Fig. 18 The racquet has
now reached the contact point and notice, it's facing straight down the
middle. By
swinging inside out it's easier now to keep the racquet on line as if you're
hitting four balls in a row as
opposed to just one.
Fig. 19 The palm of the hand and the racquet face are
closely related. To increase your accuracy, keep
the palm of the hand on target as if you're hitting four balls.
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED FOR PASSING SHOTS DOWN THE LINE AND
HITTING STRAIGHT TO AN OPPONENTS WEAKNESS. |
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Arlington, Virginia
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