Practicing for Power

Dear PingSkills,

A member in my club usually comments that I do not hit the ball fast enough. He encourages me to have a more forward motion in my forehand topspin, whereas I tend to have a more diagonal upward motion to the forehand topspin. Usually, I tend to try to spin the ball safely across the net. Should I practice with more power, hitting the ball faster and straighter across the net? Is there a proportion of practice time to practice for power, or should we try to hit the ball fast all the time in a practice rally?

Regards,

Kenneth

Hi Kenneth,

It is important to practice both slower and faster strokes.  You need both to have a successful game.

The strokes will vary slightly with the faster stroke going marginally more forward or having a flatter contact whereas the slower ball can have a finer contact and can be more vertical.