Boosting up the Racket Speed on Forehand

Hi Alois,

I have a few questions related to racket speed generation on the forehand:

1) How can I find and maintain the optimal grip relaxation level, so that my wrist goes back naturally during the backswing, and then goes forward during the stroke? When I do shadow swings, I can maintain this sort of relaxation, but when I come to the table, I'm afraid that my shots are going to be sloppy and I subconsciously tighten it up.

2) What is the best physical training that helps to rotate my trunk faster during the forehand?

Hi Ilia,

While you are doing the shadow swing, feel how relaxed your hand and grip are.  Also ensure that your swing is full and moving in the correct direction.

Then when you get on the table and hitting balls, see what it feels like in comparison.  It is important in all of this to ensure that your stroke remains correct.  This will stop you having a sloppy shot.

You can practice the twisting with a stick on your shoulders behind your hear and just twist slowly at first to gain a greater range of motion.  Also make sure you have your knees slightly bent to assist with the twist.

We have a lesson on the Advanced Forehand Topspin which is now available to all of our PingSkills Members.