Realities of the Straight-Arm Forehand
The straight-arm forehand — physics, mechanics, and the trade-off vs. double-bend geometry.
Realities of the Straight Arm Forehand
Dr. Brian Gordon
Brian Gordon changed the way the tennis world looked at the forehand almost 10 years ago now with the results of his biomechanical research, introducing the concept of the ATP forehand. What his data showed was that a compact outside backswing, a flip into what he called the "dynamic slot," (Click Here) and making contact with a straight hitting arm optimized the creation of speed combined with spin, Roger Federer being the pure model.
After collaborating with Rick Macci for many years, Brian is now creating his own research facility in Miami. His further thoughts on arm position on the on the forehand may surprise you. The obsession with the straight arm he touched off does not necessarily fit perfectly with the realities of training elite players. Hear him discuss the range of options and also give his take on forehands hit with various degrees of elbow bend.
Dr. Brian Gordon has changed the understanding of the biomechanics of high level tennis technique. His Biomechanically Engineered Stroke Technique (BEST) is the only empirically based stroke mechanics system in the world, growing from three decades of both academic and applied on court research. He is a founder of the Tennis Center for Performance Research in Miami, Florida, which is creating a new paradigm for player development. The center has assembled an unprecedented group of specialists with cutting edge knowledge across the entire range of tennis performance.
To visit his website, Click Here!
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Source: tennisplayer.net archive — Realities of the straight arm forehand.docx (John Yandell teaching library, 2002-2022). Extracted and rendered as HTML for Tennis Future Lab.