Topspin Forehand For Beginners

The Topspin Forehand for beginners often proves elusive & even some experienced players can find it difficult. The key is to start with the racket head below the ball & then swing up & forward brushing up the back of the ball during contact. The most common mistake is where players swing on a more horizontal plane.

They might start with their racket head below the ball but before contact, they flatten their swing out making generating topspin & getting the ball over the net, a lot more challenging. Concentrate on keeping the racket head below the ball until contact & simply brush up the back of the ball. If you finish with your elbow level with your chin, the racket facing forwards & catch the racket at the end of the swing it will confirm you have adhered to the correct swing path.

I’ve included a short video of Djokovic to highlight this point. In this short video, I show you how to start with an abbreviated swing & then progress to a longer but still quite simple swing. I hit the ball without letting it bounce as this should make it easier to develop the topspin. Topspin ground shots are safer than flat shots as you can hit higher over the net & the dipping effect of the spin should bring the ball down inside the baseline.

This dipping effect will also allow you to hit more aggressively as the spin should drag your shot down into court even when the ball has been struck with pace. The drills I show you are done in my garden but can easily be transferred to a tennis court, once lockdown is relaxed. Good luck with your topspin. Let me know how you get on!