Unit Turn Tennis Forehand Technique – Preparation

The unit turn gets it’s name from the way your body and racket turns as “one unit” during the preparation of the tennis forehand swing. Quite often, recreational players make the mistake of turning their shoulders, arm and racket back independent of each other causing a fundamental breakdown in the all too important kinetic chain.

The top pros like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and virtually every player on the top 100 ATP tour use a “unit” turn on their forehand takeback, which makes the unit turn a super key element of sound tennis forehand technique.

The reason for this, is because you want to incorporate your larger body parts (not just your racket, wrist or forearm) to contribute to overall power and racket head speed both in producing adequate power and topspin on your forehand. Larger muscle groups carry more mass and therefore allow you to incorporate more torque and power in your forehand.

Players that only use their racket, wrist or forearm tend to get injured often (via injuries like tennis elbow) and end up producing weak, poor forehand shots with very little to no topspin on their forehands. So, it’s important to incorporate rotational momentum and torque (via torso and upper body rotation in the forehand) and not just your wrist and racket in the shot.

It’s easy to see how top players like Federer, incorporates his entire body into the forehand shot. His tennis forehand technique is comprised with help from his entire body (ala the kinetic chain) and not just the arm (like most recreational players) and just like the spark that sets off the fireworks – a good unit turn on the tennis forehand is key to sound technique.

Tennis Forehand Technique – Backswing Style 

While looking at various forehand tennis techniques, particularly those on tour – it may seem like there are countless idiosyncrasies in their forehands and that it is impossible or even futile for players at all other levels to replicate or even learn the key elements behind these player’s forehands. But the reality is that this notion couldn’t be father from the truth.

All top pro players share unique commonalities in their forehands that separates them from all other players at lower levels of the game. These commonalities are rarely – if ever taught to club players – the reason being is that most club coaches find teaching high level technique too overwhelming or even fruitless to club players – or worse they are not aware of these techniques themselves (as you would have to slow down the stroke in 60 fps or more in slow motion to truly understand what these tennis forehand techniques are)

Luckily for you, I can say for a fact that all top pro forehand on tour share unique commonalities in their backswing style.

Same Side Backswing (ATP Tour)

There is a distinction between the ATP Tour forehand and what is commonly known as the “WTA” forehand in tennis – mostly attributed to the difference in backswing styles amongst these top players.

The biggest key position to know at the height of the takeback is the same side backswing tennis forehand technique. Here the racket doesn’t go behind the plane of the body, allowing a player to drop right into the slot and allows for the cleanest and most efficient backswing style in the modern forehand.

I discuss the same side backswing in greater detail in my Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook course, which is a 70+ comprehensive guide on the pro forehand.

Now in contrast, watch Naomi Osaka’s forehand, and clearly her “laid-back” wrist is demonstrated here where her racket goes far beyond the plane of her body

Gravity Drop

One key component of the modern tennis forehand technique of the pros is that they all have an aggressive low to high swing path, which starts by players dropping their rackets below the level of the incoming ball in order to rapidly accelerate both forwards and in an upwards tranjectory for maximum power and topspin

Pro Forehand Tennis Technique and the Role of Rotational Momentum

In players of the past, linear momentum was used to control the ball as wooden rackets with tiny frames and slick grass courts made control and finesse an upmost priority. Think about players like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl et. al (in my opinion one of tennis’s last great players of the old classical modern era of tennis)

Today’s modern game however, involves players using rotational forces especially through the use of a kinetic chain in tennis to generate maximum racket head speed. Looking at the aggressive tennis footwork and side to side movement of Rafael Nadal and his use of superior fitness to outlast his opponents, or Roger Federer’s keen ability to hit wicked passing shots out of what seems like the edge of the court by the stands are some hallmarks of the modern game of tennis and only made possible by utilizing modern forehand tennis techniques and the concept of rotational momentum

Here, players are using torque and their upper body to acelerate the racket like the tail-end of a whip to generate the heavy ball, and achieving speeds that were previously unimaginable just a few years ago.

Windshield Wiper Forehand Technique

Lastly, when looking at tennis forehand technique – one crucial element is the windshield wiper forehand. The windshield wiper forehand is the last piece of the puzzle in pro tennis technique and one that should not be forgotten. Here, the finish of the racket resembles that of the windshield wiper of your car where the strings of the racket point towards the net through the entire followthrough and finish of the forehand. Hence the name, “windshield wiper” because when done correctly, this tennis forehand technique allows players to generate the heavy ball with both power and topspin for a lethal killer forehand.

In the classic tennis forehand, players would finish in a more linear manner, often times with the opposite hand catching the racket and the racket extending towards the path of the incoming ball.

As mentioned, the modern tennis forehand combines both power and topspin in a way that allows players to hit the forehand with more power than ever before, while maintaining a safe margin of error through heavy use of topspin on their forehands.

Learn to Hit a Forehand Like Roger Federer

If you want to jumpstart your forehand and play like the PROS, check out my 70+ page Tennis Ebook that will immediately show you how you can take your forehand to the next level.

The Modern Forehand Domination Ebook is guaranteed to improve your tennis technique, and increase power, topspin and accuracy of your tennis forehand!

Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

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Federer Forehand : The Roger Federer grip

Let’s start with the basics of Roger Federer’s forehand. His forehand grip is in some version of an Eastern grip, which is considered more conservative than the majority of the other players on tour. Federer is able to hit his forehand both with topspin and is able to flatten it out at times for a pure winner. Federer’s forehand is more versatile than most of the other pros on tour, which allows him to be able to use a variety of different shot selection as well as insane angles on the run.

Federer’s Forehand Preparation

When I began studying Roger Federer’s forehand in slow motion video, I was able to piece together the forehand and finally come up with logical and biomechanical principles behind tennis technique that produced better results. I knew that Roger Federer’s technique was made only through lots of practice and repetition plus refinement. Federer is hardly a muscleman, and it was clear to me that the power he was generating was not just a result of pure strength or muscle power. Instead, I realized that Federer’s forehand must be due to his flawless tennis technique that allowed him to produce the effortless and extraordinary results that amateur tennis players could not match without proper tennis technique.

What Roger Federer shares in common with the majority of the rest of the pros on the ATP tour is what I call “world class tennis forehand preparation.” Like most top pros and high level tennis players, Federer uses a “unit turn” to initiate his forehand stroke. Basically, a unit turn is a movement where the body turns and coils as one “unit.” Federer’s tennis racket, shoulders, and lower body turn together at the start of his forehand, in preparation to create the coil and store the energy for the swing. This means that as soon as Federer acknowledges the ball flight coming towards him, he does not immediately take his racket back abruptly in a backswing. Instead, what Federer does is he makes sure to get a full and complete unit turn where the shoulders turn sideways.

At the point of the unit turn, there is very little independent movement of the tennis racket, no immediate backswing and the racket “comes along for the ride” during the unit turn.

Roger Federer’s Forehand: The Fundamentals

Federer Forehand consists of a compact and fluid takeback that results in a clean and efficient swing. Federer possess equisite tennis technique that produces a great forehand even under pressure. His timing is also flawless. Roger Federer’s backswing is a relatively simple tennis stroke that starts with a good initial unit then with the left hand followed by the racket on edge until he reaches the height of the takeback.

Core Rotation

In the modern forehands on pros on tour day, it is increasingly evident that players are now using angular momentum to their advantage enabling them to generate greater power and topspin, a devastating combination that results in the high paced game of tennis we see on tour.

Not only do we see players hitting harder, but they are quicker and more agile. This is a primarily a result of racket head speed, which is partially contributed to the groundforce reaction created by the players. The pros are thrusting their bodies into every tennis shot and maximizing the torques with both upper and lower body rotation which contributes to the increased amount of power.

Roger Federer uses full upper body rotation in his forehand, meaning he engages his entire body in the motion. It begins once his body has coiled, moments before contact, Federer releases all of the energy Federer is not intending on taking a huge backswing, rather he is actually more concerned about getting a full “coil” during his unit turn, where he can then unleash all of that power into the shot later on.

Tennis Takeback and Backswing Shape

As Federer completes the unit turn, he makes sure that he is still not abruptly taking a huge backswing. Federer’s takeback resembles an upwards arc. The shape of his backswing is not loopy, or circular based as is on some of the other pro forehands on tour. Although, the shape of his backswing appears to be relatively high, he doesn’t take his racket back behind his body. The swing stays on the same side of the body. This type of backswing, where the hand and arm stays on his right side of his body gives him more efficiency and better timing.

Federer’s backswing can loosely be considered “whippy” as evidenced by the appearance of his stroke during the foreward swing. It resembles a “liquid whip” because federer utilizes a variety of mechanics that allow him to do this. This is explained further in my Optimum Tennis EBook. I go into more detail regarding federer’s backswing and some unique biomechanics he uses that are possibly responsible for the “loose whip-like” forehand.

Lowering of the Racket

Once the height of the takeback has been reached, usually the ball would have made contact with the ground. By now, Federer continues to use a relaxed wrist and arm. From the height of the takeback, Federer then lowers his racket arm on it’s own accord letting gravity do most of the work to drop the racket below the level of the ball (to impart topspin). A key point is that Federer’s Forehand is a backswing that stays on the same side of the body, and at no point in time does the backswing extend behind the back (as seen in some of the WTA players on tour). This is important from an efficiency standpoint as well as a biomechanically important structure that will allow Federer’s Forehand to achieve an incredible amount of racket head speed once contact is made. This is predominantly a result of the Stretch Shorthening Cycle (or SSC) at work.

Passive Stretch (SSC)

The main focal point in modern tennis technique, especially on the forehand side is the ability of players to generate both power and heavy topspin to create winning tennis shots as well as extreme angles. The racket head speed in today’s tennis is high velocity and this is mainly a result of player’s increased used of the stretch shortening cycle, particularly on the forehand stroke.

If we watch Roger Federer’s Forehand in slow motion, we can visualize easier how Federer’s backswing resembles a very loose “whip-like” swing. Rather than stiffening up, Federer is completely relaxed and this facilitates a very quick “whip” action at contact, allowing Federer’s forehand to brush from behind the tennis ball with tremendous force.

Essentially, the stretch shortening cycle is a passive stretch where the power is generated upon release of the stored energy. Think of it like a rubber band. If you were to pull on a rubber band, the energy would be passively stored from within the band. Once the rubber band is then released from your hand, all of the stored energy is then shot out

Contact Point

Roger Federer’s Contact point is relatively similar to that of the rest of the ATP tour pros. There are little differences here. Contact well in front of the body. The racket face is perpendicular, unless Federer hits a mishit. There are no magical elements on the contact point that are responsible for the unbelievable shots that he makes. Occasionally, Federer may utilize a straighter arm on his forehand but this is a result of the style of takeback and not anything to do with conciously forcing a straight arm.

The straight-arm forehand as it has been called, is a consequence and not a cause. Many tennis players attempt to model Federer’s forehand by replicating incorrect elements that become detrimental to their own tennis forehand. It needs to be noted that Federer’s straight arm at contact is a result, “cause-effect” of his backswing style and not by concious force.

Finish and Followthrough

Similar to the majority of pros on tour today, Federer utilizes what is commonly called the modern “windshield wiper” finish. This is where is commonly defined as forearm rotation. The right arm finishes across the shoulder and, rather than the traditional “over the shoulder” finish that is still commonly taught by teaching pros. Federer manages to get excellent extension and drives through the ball well, even though he finishes across his shoulder.

Federer does still utilize the classic “over the shoulder” finish on some returns of serve, but for most of the balls he hits on the baseline, he finishes across in a windshield wiper movement.

Should a tennis player attempt to model his/her stroke after Roger Federer’s Forehand?

Depending on the skill level of the tennis player in question, and their current needs and goals, most tennis players would not benefit from modeling their tennis forehand with Roger Federer until he/she is at a fairly advanced level. Since Federer’s forehand is more of an advanced stroke style, it is not recommendable that a novice or intermediate level tennis player attempt to model his forehand, until their foundation is solidly in place.

However, Federer’s forehand serves as a technically-sound model in his forehand, and due to his unique biomechanics he is able to combine many different powerful techniques that allow him to execute shots that many players before his time could not even imagine doing.

What Elements can we take from Roger Federer’s Forehand?

So, what elements can we take home from Roger’s unique and powerful forehand?

• First and foremost, his unit turn. This is the start of all good high level tennis forehands, and a commonality amongst all the top pros on the ATP Tour and some on the WTA tour.
• Versatility and Adaptability – Roger’s forehand contains no hitches and his forehand is fluid. This is something that everyone can immediately be sure to work on their own forehand technique. A clean, simple motion.
• Good strong posture, balanced through the entire shot.

Learn to Hit a Forehand Like Roger Federer

If you want to jumpstart your forehand and play like the PROS, check out my 70+ page Tennis Ebook that will immediately show you how you can take your forehand to the next level.

The Modern Forehand Domination Ebook is guaranteed to improve your tennis technique, and increase power, topspin and accuracy of your tennis forehand!

Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

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The Secrets Behind Roger Federer’s Forehand Technique

Roger Federer’s forehand is actually a very technically sound but yet simple & smooth stroke. Much to the surprise of many, Federer’s forehand is not difficult to model. Even club players and aspiring college and junior players alike can learn from Federer’s forehand to improve their own forehand technique. To begin, we will cover the elements of Federer’s forehand from the grip & preparation to the follow through of the stroke.

Roger Federer Forehand Grip

To begin, Federer’s forehand grip starts out with a conservative Eastern grip. Unlike many players in the modern game who advocate using the Semi-Western or even Full Western (like Rafael Nadal’s forehand), Federer’s forehand grip is actually quite conservative in today’s modern game of tennis. This eastern grip allows Federer to drive through shots more, while still producing adequate topspin for the “heavy ball” effect we will describe later on. This perhaps provides Federer the greatest amount of versatility and a blend of both topspin & power on his forehand.

Federer’s Forehand – Unit Turn

The unit turn in tennis is a key hallmark position behind the forehands of all top pro players on tour in the modern forehand. The “unit turn” as it is commonly called is a unitary body motion where the upper and lower body turns as one unit to initiate the preparation of the stroke. This means the focus is turning (or pivoting) the upper body and hips sideways as one unit, rather than just merely taking the racket back in a backswing independently. The key is all of the elements in Federer’s forehand starts out with him lowering his center of gravity and pivoting his right dominant foot and hips side ways and then allowing his shoulder to turn – which naturally brings the racket back.

This unitary body turn allows Federer to utilize the kinetic chain in his forehand, allowing the larger muscle groups to store passive energy later to be used to uncoil onto his shots. Most club players make the mistake of immediately taking a racket backswing without a proper unit turn. This will lead to a disconnection in the kinetic chain and poor power on the forehand.

Roger Federer’s Forehand Takeback & Backswing

The next key position to notice about Federer’s forehand after the unit turn has taken place is how Federer cradles the throat of his racket with the non-dominant hand and then initiates the takeback with the elbow leading. Federer keeps the racket backswing on the same side of his body, which allows him to take balls on the rise – and rarely gets caught hitting late. In the ATP style forehand, players do not extend the racket backswing behind the plane of their body unlike many WTA players ala Azarenka, Williams Sisters, etc…

This relatively compact swing allows Federer to be versatile in all areas of the court as an all-court player, unlike some less efficient swings where an elongated swing may cause a player to hit late on certain occasions.

Gravity Drop

Once Federer reaches the height of the takeback, he lowers the racket below the level of the incoming ball via gravity. There is no forced or wristy motion here. At this stage of the swing, Federer’s maintains a closed racket face angle which allows him to rapidly brush up behind the ball to create the windshield wiper forehand. Notice here, how Federer does not consciously exert any effort in the lowering of the racket, but gravity alone allows him to lower his racket whilst maintaining the correct hitting arm structure.

Hip Uncoil & Wrist Release

Federer’s forehand involves virtually perfect use of the kinetic chain. After the gravity drop is complete, Federer uncoils & opens his hips which brings his racket and wrist through and forwards into the contact point. Note here, that Federer’s hips are the driving force, causing the wrist to release and correct itself into the hitting arm slot. This motion is like a Nascar driver going from 0-60 MPH. The hips play a huge role as a the driver of the uncoiling motion, like the crack of a whip.

Commentators also note how Federer’s forehand appears “wristy” making him prone to injuries. Although his forehand appears wristy to the outside observer, there is almost no conscious manipulation of the wrist at this point. Federer is clearly fully relaxed and letting his body and racket do all the work in the kinetic chain. He almost never gets injuries, which is a testament to the efficiency of Roger Federer’s forehand.

Contact Point

Roger Federer’s forehand contact point is virtually flawless. Due to his impeccable timing, he is rarely caught off balance. His contact point is comfortably well out in front, with his hitting arm slightly bent or completely straight. Federer often utilizes a straight arm forehand contact point, whereby his elbow and arm is completely straight at contact. Other times, observers can find Federer’s hitting arm structure in the normal double-bend hitting arm position. Both are acceptable hitting arm structures – as long as players are using proper weight transfer and hitting the ball comfortably in front and not caught late or off balance.

Roger Federer’s Forehand Windshield Wiper Follow through

Once the contact point is complete, Federer rapidly brushes the ball in a windshield wiper motion. The windshield wiper follow through motion is synonymous with the modern forehand in tennis. This is a commonality amongst all top pro players in the ATP & WTA. Notice how Federer’s racket face transjectory forms a “rainbow” like arc as he completes the follow through.

The actual motion appears similar to the windshield wiper blades of a car, hence the term windshield wiper forehand. The key here is that Federer’s shoulder and upper arm is powering the windshield wiper forehand follow through, and not just the wrist alone. This is another common mistake some players make, is that they try to “wrist” the follow through artificially creating a weak ball, rather than allowing the upper arm to take control of the entire follow through motion.

Conclusion – Roger Federer’s Forehand Can be a Key Model for Players At All Other Levels of the Game

While many coaches and players often suggest that Federer’s forehand is too dangerous or difficult to emulate for the average player – Roger Federer’s forehand actually contains certain unique commonalities with all other top pro forehands on tour that are easily seen in slow motion. These unique commonalities are the EXACT elements that aspiring players can emulate and model to achieve better results on their forehand. While Federer does possess great natural talent, it is definitely possible for players at all other levels of the game to learn from Federer’s forehand technique

Learn to Hit a Forehand Like Roger Federer

If you want to jumpstart your forehand and play like the PROS, check out my 70+ page Tennis Ebook that will immediately show you how you can take your forehand to the next level.

The Modern Forehand Domination Ebook is guaranteed to improve your tennis technique, and increase power, topspin and accuracy of your tennis forehand!

Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

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