• Home
• Forums
• About Us
• Blog
• Contact
• Links

Swing Path

The swing path is the path that your racket travels along from the start of your forehand to the finish. The fundamental thing about the swing path is that once you let go of the racket with your other (non-hitting) hand, your racket never stops moving. In the picture below of Frank hitting you can see that his racket never stops moving once he lets go of it with his other hand.

Figure 1: Frank's racket never stops moving

The reason you never stop the racket is because you are trying to generate power and build consistency. Accelerating the racket head throughout your entire motion means the racket will be moving as fast as possible at contact. This adds power and spin. Keeping the racket moving also helps you become more consistent because it makes your forehand easier to time. You can build a rhythm.

I should note that two of the best players on the women’s tour, Venus and Serena Williams, break this rule. They take their racket back immediately when they start both their forehand and backhand motions and then hold the racket in place as they wait for / move to the ball. Do not do this. They are such phenomenal athletes that they are able to overcome the losses in power, spin and timing that result from breaking this rule. I will also point out that (so far as I know) every top player on the men’s tour keeps the racket moving once they let go with their other hand – Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Roddick, etc.

Back to Step 4 «