The Left Hand’s Role in the Tennis Forehand

Don’t let the title of this article fool you. This is not for or about left-handed players. Nor is it exclusively for right-handers. We will use the word “left” to replace “non-dominant.” In other words, right-handers should read this article as is. Left-handers should understand that we are writing about their non-dominant or left hand. The goal of this article is to help improve both your game and your understanding of how to more efficiently and effectively play tennis.

We have divided this topic into four aspects. The serve, forehand, backhand, and volley. See the previous installment for the impact of the left hand on the serve.

The Forehand

My first tennis lesson was in 1958 when I was five years old. No offense to the tennis teacher, as most taught that way in those days, but I was taught vastly differently than the way today’s players hit their forehands. Tennis playing and teaching has evolved tremendously to be more athletically efficient. Years ago, it was common to see players taught to have an “arm-only” swing. The physics of sports biomechanics was a fledgling science. Since then we have learned that angular momentum (coiling and uncoiling or rotating the upper body) generates substantial amounts of power into sports like tennis, golf, baseball, and even boxing.

When tennis players appear stiff when they hit their forehand groundstrokes, it is usually because they are swinging mostly with their arm and with little body rotation. They appear to work hard to generate minimal power and are often the players with those funny armbands just below their elbows from tennis elbow.

On the contrary, efficient forehands are fluid with natural upper body and hip coil and uncoil. This is where the non-racquet hand plays a key role.

Step One: The Ready Position

Whether the left hand is on the throat of the racquet or lower towards the handle, it is important to let the weight of the racquet rest in the non-dominant hand. The reason is important. The racquet hand must be at rest in between shots since the racquet hand grip will generally change between forehands and backhands. Holding on tight to the grip in the ready position hinders any attempts to changing grips quickly and efficiently. See photo #1 for an example of a ready position with a tight grip on the racquet and little involvement of the non-racquet hand.

Step Two: The Take Back

In the years that Chris Evert dominated women’s tennis, the straight back racquet preparation she used on her forehand was common. Now it has become a dinosaur. Why? The reason is the evolution of more powerful forehands with heavy topspin, a style that Evert rarely had to confront. Nowadays the non-racquet hand is involved in bringing the racquet back, which has several practical advantages over the earlier style.

1. The non-racquet hand is more involved in setting the angle of the racquet face and therefore the grip.
2. Using the left hand as shown turns the upper body and hips to facilitate faster running in the direction of the ball.
3. This “cooperative” take back also controls the size of the backswing. Just take a look at Andre Agassi’s compact forehand groundstroke and how effective he returns serve with an efficient and small backswing.
4. This coiling effect loads more energy into the forehand which, when combined with the resulting uncoil of the racquet moving forwards, generates tremendous power as compared to the “arm only” hitter who can be observed at any tennis facility in the world.

If someone needs help linking up the racquet hand and non-dominant hand, try a tool like the Forehand Fixer. It simply connects to the wrists with Velcro to create a maximum 18-inch distance between the hands. If the hands separate further, the Velcro pulls apart to give instant feedback.

Step Three: After the Hit

In recreational tennis, there’s a common mistake that takes place right after a player hits a good shot. They stand still admiring it. The obvious problem is that if the opponent returns their shot, they are probably totally out of position with a good chance of losing the point they thought they had just won. Besides good recovery footwork, the non-dominant hand has an important role to play in recovery. Understand that you should be in the ready position before your opponent contacts the ball. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but is a critical part of solid tennis.

In our next installment, we’ll take a look the non-racket hand’s role on the backhand.

Joe Dinoffer is a USPTA and PTR Master Professional. Visit his site, Oncourt Offcourt, at www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

Since its inception in 1994, Oncourt Offcourt has become the world’s leading source for hundreds of creative training aids, books and videos for the tennis industry.