Footwork for Forehands

No, it's not the name of a new charity, but good footwork is an essential component to hit good forehands. As you'll see from the sequence of pictures I shot of Rafael Nadal's forehand, he sets a good example of the footwork to strive for to hit better forehands.

Plant your back foot as a strong base for your forehand Hosted on Zooomr

In the photo above, Nadal plants his back foot as soon as he knows where the ball is going and where he wants to make contact with the ball. Having a solid base to push off of is vital for getting good pace on the ball. If you can't push off toward the ball, you'll be relying completely on timing and arm strength. The more things you have working for you, the easier the shot will be to execute. He also has his knees bent and his front foot is off-weighted to begin his step forward.

Start the weight shift and stay balanced Hosted on Zooomr

In the next photo, the ball has bounced and is moving quickly toward the contact point. Nadal has his weight evenly balanced, knees bent even lower, as he starts his forward swing. You can still see his back foot acting as a solid base for the shot.

Complete the weight shift to the front foot and move foreward into the shot Hosted on Zooomr

In the final picture, his racket is out in front of him, meeting the ball at the contact point for a solid forehand. Meanwhile, look at his feet. His weight has now shifted completely onto his front foot, he's moving forward into the shot, and it looks like this shot will have plenty of pace.

Once you realize where your feet need to be, you can work on getting your feet, especially the back foot, where they need to be. This part of footwork doesn't require any exceptional coordination or skill, so it's an area where anyone improve their forehand. Most people don't have a problem with this footwork when they don't have to move, but it's important to remember that it applies just as much when you're on the move. The key is to step out with the back foot before taking the step with your front foot so that your stepping forward and not to the side (as is so commonly seen).

Work on these tips, and you'll have a better forehand in no time!