The 3 Parts of a Ground Stroke – “TTF”

Comment First

What are the basic parts of a forehand or a backhand ground stroke? Many factors may go into the essentials of successfully beginning and completing either ground stroke.

Footwork & positioning of the feet and the body for the stroke
Grip tension
Tracking of the ball
Intended target and direction of the ball
Desired spin and arc of the ball

However for the stoke itself, here are 3 key components:

The Preparation or Turn – getting the racquet in a position to prepare for the second step
The Contact or Touch – the impact moment where the racquet and the ball make the connection. The preparation of the racquet to approach the ball from above or below will help determine if the ball is to be contacted with underspin or topspin. The racquet angle and direction of the racquet face at the moment of contact with decide the direction, arc and spin of the ball as it leaves the racquet
The Finish – the continuation of the racquet motion following contact until the racquet has sufficiently de-accelerated

A simple way to remember is to have “TTF” forehand or backhand (Turn, Touch and Finish).

Photo Credits: marragem

Related Posts

5 Winning Keys to Lobbing, pt 3 Welcome to our third and final part of Keys to Lobbing. Number five, the last tip in this set is below. 5. 7 Tips to practicing the lob 1. Practice tossing the ball up, letting it bounce then directing the lob to a 9 foot by 9 foot area in......
A Handful of Strategy... [/caption] When you are involved in a match and need help deciding what to do, look to your hand for the answer. Make a fist and then follow these simple directions: P = In Play Stick up the thumb - the most important part of the hand which stands for......
“I” Receiving Formation – Both Back /caption]**This UDF works well at club level play, USTA league play, junior and high school matches as well as college matches. This (UDF) Unusual Doubles Receiving Formation puts the receiver and partner on the same side of the court. The receiver (let’s say – deuce court) is in regular receiving......
Ball Machines – Using them for Singles Practice Ball machines are great for practicing your singles shots – if positioned correctly. 5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine: Do not place the ball machine only on the baseline in the center of the court Do not have the ball machine oscillate only from deuce court......
What to do when things go bad? My forehand/backhand keeps missing wide? Select a target rather than just cross court. Select a safer target 2-3 feet inside the lines. Keep you eyes still until you see the blur of your racquet go past your eyes - looking up re-directs your shot. Align your feet to get......

Related Websites

Tennis Grips 101 The type of grips that you use in the game of tennis are going to have a really huge bearing on what types of strokes you are going to develop as well as a huge impact on your game overall. For example, if you want to develop an aggressive game,......
Different Tennis Ball Types If you think that all tennis balls are simply fuzzy yellow balls and that all are alike, then you are absolutely wrong! Tennis balls have a lot more to them than this. Here is some basic information on tennis balls that you may not already be aware of. If you......
A Little Bit of Tennis 101 pt 2 Serving - When you are standing with both of your feet just behind the baseline, you are going to want to take up a sideways type of stance. You should be keeping the left foot pointing in the direction of the net post on the right hand side. The left......
Tips For Improving your Tennis Game Serve - This is the first in a series on improving your serve through different tennis playing tips. Top ranking players tend to exhibit far fewer variations in terms of their style and their form in their serves than any other type of stroke in the game of tennis.......
More Tips for Your Tennis Game These tips should help you improve your tennis game in various ways. Combine them, or try different tips one at a time until you're happy with the results. 1 - Learn how to vary the length when you make a backswing. You need o learn how to tailor the......