F/h topspin practice

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When I'm training my topspin F/H it breaks down when I try to speed it up. Should I focus on technique or should I always train with speed.


I also really struggle with the correct contact point. Any tips?
 
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Technique always comes before speed. Get the technique right and then try and step the speed up. Step the speed up in practice at a rate where you can maintain and adjust your technique to keep consistency and execution.

Eventually you will get to a point where your technique will be consistent at speed :)
 

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Technique always comes before speed. Get the technique right and then try and step the speed up. Step the speed up in practice at a rate where you can maintain and adjust your technique to keep consistency and execution.

Eventually you will get to a point where your technique will be consistent at speed :)

I agree with Matt here, slow things down. Right, right down and work on contact point and brushing the ball. When you slow the shot down your brain can analyse and learn from the feedback easier. I think when your playing faster your shot is recovering slower which could be causing the breakdown, quite hard without seeing it but that is likely the reason. Also practice the forehand at one timing point for now. For example slow the forehand topspin down and contact at the top of the bounce each time. Play at a speed where recovery is efficient. Me and Matt spoke recently and we talked about the Saive 10 minute challenge where he does not miss a forehand topspin for 10 minutes, pretty insane! So try and hit 20/30 forehands in a row, keep the consistency, brushing the ball and it will develop quickly :)

Then progress by doing 2 point forehand (wide forehand and then one from the middle and repeat). Then bring in some speed slowly that is at a speed where your shot maintains efficiency.

If you can post a video of your forehand that would help us also. Thanks for posting!
 
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That's right the 10 minute challenge! haha. Your game will benefit more from the ability to execute forehands consistently than it will from you being less consistent at a higher speed. It's kind of like the ability to hit 1/8 winners which has less benefit than being able to hit say 7/8 balls at 70% pace.

Everything requires foundations, the stronger the foundations the greater potential in your level you will be able to unlock and realise.
 
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Thanks guys that's really helpful.

I will focus on hitting the ball at the top of the bounce and keeping good technique on my follow through. I also break down because when I try to increase the speed I change my backswing and the racquet goes around my body instead of down to my knee. is this quite common? G
 
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When I'm training my topspin F/H it breaks down when I try to speed it up. Should I focus on technique or should I always train with speed.


I also really struggle with the correct contact point. Any tips?

You've received some good general advice from some great coaches, but as a rule, you need to provide some video to get proper feedback and advice. Especially if you are going to ask about something like contact point.
 
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I will send a video in now. Just to inform you I was a Junior Irish player and am a Tennis coach now. I have been experimenting with the follow through in recent weeks.
 
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What do you think of Tennis like drive volley multi ball feeding? I am a Tennis coach and it is one of the best ways to improve technique in topspin ground strokes. I have never seen it done on any videos though!!
 
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Muktiball training has many ways to execute, but often, coach has a bucket of balls on table or an elevated cart with a bucket of balls, stands near net or behind endline and machine gun fires balls away volley style to simulate opponent hits, they can also drop it on table and soft impact it right away to simulate a short push. Many ways to use this. it is called Multi-Ball Training. It is used by just about every coach where they can have a way to keep the balls in the training area.

Korean clubs are elaborate and have a netted off area for each training table, special ball pick-up tools that work real efficient, and a special extra large net on wheels they place behind table to keep the hit balls inside the net on wheels, they collect the balls in the bottom and funnel them down to a hole where they have a bucket to collect the balls. Every amature club in Korea has such a setup and many places in the world have similar special equipment to make multiball more efficient.
 
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Just finished practicing with my 11 year old boy who is currently ranked #3 in Ireland for his age. I am actually left handed and strangely my technique with my left hand feels perfect as I practiced a little due to an injury with my right hand. (I will send in a video soon)..The main issue I have is returning serve and generally receiving the ball in a game situation. Should I just practice hard with my left hand and not play many games or stick with my right? I really enjoy training with my left as I am not thinking much and it just feels right, but I want to compete at a high level in the next 5 years in the Veteran category. I am in turmoil lol..help!!
 
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Just finished practicing with my 11 year old boy who is currently ranked #3 in Ireland for his age. I am actually left handed and strangely my technique with my left hand feels perfect as I practiced a little due to an injury with my right hand. (I will send in a video soon)..The main issue I have is returning serve and generally receiving the ball in a game situation. Should I just practice hard with my left hand and not play many games or stick with my right? I really enjoy training with my left as I am not thinking much and it just feels right, but I want to compete at a high level in the next 5 years in the Veteran category. I am in turmoil lol..help!!

If you're left handed (like me), with an injury on your right hand, and enjoy playing with your left as its perfect and feels right, then its quite obvious that you should play with your left. Plus left handers generally have an advantage in higher level rallies as you have to worry about the dirrection of spin (mainly sidespin) and not just the type and magnitude as it will determine the correct return. A left handed forehand top+side spin loop generally spins to the right and kicks into the opponents (right handed) body and backhand. This is not common for them but will be for you. Similar for services that utilise sidespin
 
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