Topspin Forehand

Grip
- Eastern or Semi-western.

Preparation
- Keep your feet moving as you wait for the ball and have your racquet ready, supporting it at the neck with the non-dominant hand.
- As soon as you see the ball leaving your opponent's racquet start taking your racquet to the side and coil your upper body.
- The first step is initiated with the foot closest to the side of the ball.
- The racquet is taken back with both hands.
- Keep your non-dominant hand on the neck of the racquet until your body is turned sideways. This will give you good upper body rotation, storing energy that will generate some of the swing power and ensuring a short back swing providing better racquet control.
- Right elbow (for right handed players) is pointed toward the back fence and racquet is 45 degrees toward the sky with the hitting face pointed down.
- The weight is loaded on the right foot which is positioned somewhat behind the path of incoming ball.

Swing and Contact:
- The racquet forms a small C-loop in the air and drops under the path of the ball with the bottom of the racquet pointed up toward the approaching ball.
- The hips and upper body start uncoiling as the swing begins and the weight is transferred from the right foot to the left foot.
- The left arm moves across the body as part of the uncoiling process and for balance.
- The head remains still and eyes “glued” on the ball.
- Contact is made in front of the right hip about waist height. The head of the racquet travels low to high and through the ball trajectory to create topspin.
- Hips are positioned in either an open, semi-open or square stance, depending on the depth of the ball (see a description of Stances, here).

Follow-through and Recovery:
- The stroke ends with the right elbow up and pointed toward the target and the racquet over the shoulder or if a lot of topspin is applied on the ball, the follow-through is around the left elbow or by the left hip.
- Notice the 180 degrees body turn and the weight transferred onto the left foot.
- The recovery ends with a split step to get the body in balance and ready for the next stroke.

When do we use the Topspin Forehand?
- Pretty much on every Baseline rally, passing shots, and on some approach shots.