Right then, the site is just about set-up and ready for a whole heap of visitors – so invite your friends, colleagues and the strangers on the street! Seriously though, this place is going to be humming so it’s a fantastic spot to hang out amongst other tennis fanatics.

So I thought I’d better begin some proper lessons and to start the ball rolling I’m going to focus on the forehand drive. The forehand is undoubtedly my personal favourite shot whilst also being my strongest; I’m especially fond of running around the backhand to hit it inside out. In modern pro tennis every player without exception uses their forehand to dictate the play and most can hit winners with it from anywhere on the court.

One of the most frequent problems that I encounter when working with an amateur player is poor preparation on the forehand, if this is not solved then the shot will never reach its full potential. When you watch the pro’s they always use a split-step just before their opponent hits the ball, from the moment their feet touch the ground they have a great platform enabling them to change direction quickly and effectively.

Social players often find themselves with their body in the way of the stroke; by this I mean an inability to establish the correct lateral distance from the ball. Keeping your head still, tracking the ball all the way onto the strings and making sure your shoulders are level will help to alleviate this problem.

It is also vitally important to rotate hips, trunk and shoulders (in that order) until the shoulders are sideways to the target. This turn creates a kinetic chain, of which the racket is the final link.

Even when players get all this right, I constantly see them with their free hand by their side or creating the infamous scissors effect by passing it under their racket arm on the follow through – I cringe every-time I see it! During preparation the free arm should move across the body at roughly a 90-degree angle to the shoulders.

Most professionals will keep the free hand on the racket throat which helps initiate the turn and ensure correct positioning of the arm before letting go. The position of the free arm can also assist in distancing the player laterally from the ball and keeping the ball at that arm’s length will prevent crowding the swing.

The final part of the preparation involves good footwork. Special attention must be paid to plant your back foot to the inside of where the shot will be struck and not outside or even inline with the ball’s trajectory. Applying this movement correctly stops unnecessary ‘pulling’ of the shot due to lack of space. Once in position, load your weight on your back leg and you are ready to let rip and start dictating like the pros.

So remember:

• Watch the ball
• Split step just before your opponent hits the ball
• Use the ‘kinetic’ chain
• Prepare with your free arm
• Move those feet!

I’ll see you soon for more work on the forehand when we look at the follow through and finish. In the meantime make love not war.

D