Copying The Next Gen Forehand Is Wrong

The forehand is certainly the most popular shot among all levels of play and is one of the simplest to learn. Looking at the ATP Tour, players seem to be hitting their forehands bigger every year with an even more extreme grip each time. This is usually given the name “Next Gen Forehand” and is classified as one specific type of forehand. However, Boris Becker once said that if you take a look at the top 100 players in the world, you will end up seeing a hundred different forehands.

That is very much an accurate statement, for the difference mostly lies in the style in which these players execute their forehand. Hence, in this article, we will be diving deep into why it is wrong to copy the Next Gen Forehand and how to find your natural style.

Different Take Backs

I would first like to mention that we're going to see vast differences in the style of players, and we can categorize them based on how far the racket goes back prior to dropping.  In other words, all players take their racket back and then the racket drops before they go into their lag. 

This is an intuitive element of the forehand, and it's a fundamental piece of the forehand swing that all high-level and elite players have in common.

Friends With The Fence

The first style is when the racket goes towards the back fence prior to dropping. Clearly, the racket achieves the same lag position, but there are variations in how players drop the racket. Some players drop the racket more towards the side, while others drop it more towards the back.

Here are some players who drop the racket towards the back: Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Denis Shapovalov, Fernando Gonzalez, who is an older player known for having one of the greatest forehands of all time, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, and Carlos Alcaraz. To add, looking at some of my recorded practices, I would say that I fit into this category as well.

Trusty Stop Sign

Now let's discuss the players who drop their racket more towards the side of their body. These players include Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe, Alexander Zverev, Roger Federer, Lorenzo Musetti, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Holger Rune, and Rafael Nadal.

It's important to note that there are vast differences among these players in terms of the orientation of their strings as the racket drops. Some players have their strings facing towards the ground as the racket drops, while others have their strings more towards the side.

Additionally, players may have different positions of the wrist and racket as the racket is dropping. This is often mistakenly referred to as the "next-gen forehand." For example, players like Hurkacz, Tiafoe, Sinner, and Zverev start their forehand with the racket already positioned with the tip towards the outside and held high, and then the racket drops.

On the other hand, players like Federer, Nadal, Musetti, Berrettini, and Rune have the racket at a three-quarter angle, where it's not fully extended towards the outside. Then, the racket drops into position with the tip of the racket more towards the outside before entering the lag phase.

Plagiarism Difficulties

It's important to clarify that these variations in forehand styles among the players mentioned are not technical flaws; rather, they are stylistic elements that have been developed over time and work extremely well for them. Each player has developed muscle memory and a unique way of hitting their forehand.

However, if you were to try to copy one of these styles, there are certain aspects to consider. Notably, the style employed by Tiafoe, Zverev, Hurkacz, and Sinner, where the racket is pointed towards the outside, parallel to the ground, and then drops, would be the most challenging to emulate.

Copying this particular style would involve a substantial amount of movement from the initial position to the lag stage. Therefore, it would be a more difficult style to replicate accurately.

Roger’s Elegance

Many players attempt to copy Federer's forehand because it looks clean and simplified compared to styles like Sinner's, where the racket goes back at a diagonal level before dropping. However, it's important to note that even though Federer, Aliasimme, Nadal, and Berrettini achieve a similar racket head position, they do so in different ways.

Players like Federer, Nadal, and Berrettini have developed an immense amount of muscle memory over the years, allowing them to smoothly transition from their take back to the lag phase without any issues.

They possess the necessary acceleration and possibly have fast hands to execute their style effectively. However, if this style doesn't come naturally to you, attempting to copy it might lead to limitations in your forehand's range of motion.

If you try to replicate a style that doesn't align with your genetic predispositions, you might find yourself only reaching a partial lag position. This will result in a lack of power and reduced effectiveness in your forehand stroke.

Simple Corrections

As a corrective method, I advise others to take the racket a bit further back, similar to Djokovic, Wawrinka, Shapovalov, or Fernando Gonzalez.

This differs from the position of the strings, as players like Alcaraz or Rublev may have a similar take back, but with the strings oriented differently. While Djokovic and Wawrinka drop the racket towards the back fence, Alcaraz drops it towards the side fence.

The advantage of dropping the racket towards the back is that it doesn't have to cover as much ground. So, instead of going from a higher position to a lower position, players who drop the racket towards the back only need to go from the take back position to the lag position. This simplifies achieving the lag position on the forehand.

In other words, all of these forehands are cleaner than the ones of Nadal and Federer. The racket is traveling in a more natural form and you are getting more assistance from gravity.

The Sharper Knife

In an article titled "So the Forehand Is Your Best Shot, You Sure?", recently published in The New York Times, the author discusses the paradox of the forehand being both a player's greatest strength and potential weakness.

While most players hit forehands harder and with more spin to gain control of the point, it can also be less stable and more prone to unforced errors, particularly on faster indoor courts.

Around 90 percent of the time, a player's forehand is stronger, making it a shot that opponents fear. However, it may not always be the most consistent shot. According to Steve Johnson and Michael Russell, the forehand is a bigger swing and a more technically complex shot compared to other strokes.

Despite the technical complexity, it still remains one of the most powerful shots in tennis. Players often choose to run around their backhands and hit forehands because it is easier to hit winners with the forehand.

In other words, you are using your dominant shoulder, as well as hitting with the interior muscles of your arm. This holds true even for players who may have a better backhand than forehand, such as Benoit Paire.

Final Thoughts

When we're talking about the preparation stage of the forehand, trying to copy the pros and adding more length to your stroke will only complicate things even more. Mimicking players like Djokovic that take the racket all the way back will simplify your shot and allow you to accelerate more powerfully. However, remember this is why I leave it up to you to develop your own take back. Some players are going to have a faster arm, while others are going to have a slower arm.

Thus, film yourself in slow motion to see if your type of takeback is benefiting you and providing you a full lag. It certainly helped me realize I’m not so much of a walking highlight machine.