Guides · Tennis
How to hit a tennis forehand: the swing, the grip and beginner drills
The forehand is the shot you'll hit most, and a good one is driven by the body turning while the racket head lags behind the hand and then whips through contact. Below: the grip and the swing step by step, then forehand drills for beginners in order: shadow swings, drop-feeds, a wall, then rallies.
Short answer: To hit a tennis forehand, split step, turn your shoulders and hips together, drop the racket below the ball, then swing low to high with a relaxed grip so the racket head lags and then whips past your hand. Make contact in front of the front hip and finish over the opposite shoulder.
What a good forehand looks like
A forehand is the stroke you hit on your dominant side after the ball bounces, with the palm of your hitting hand facing forward. Watch the racket head, not the arm: on a good forehand it arrives last and fastest.
- Split step as the opponent hits, so you can move either way.
- Unit turn. Shoulders and hips turn together, and the racket goes back because the body turned. The arm doesn't pull it.
- Drop and lag. The racket head falls below the height of the ball and trails behind the hand as the body starts forward.
- Low-to-high swing into contact in front of the front hip.
- Release and finish. The racket head whips past the hand, the forearm rotates, and the racket wipes across to finish over the opposite shoulder.
- Recovery back toward the middle before the ball lands on the other side.
Eastern or semi-western: choosing a forehand grip
The handle has eight bevels. With the racket edge toward the ground, number them from the top bevel (1) going clockwise for a right-hander (counterclockwise for a left-hander). The grip is named by where the base knuckle of your index finger sits.
- Eastern (bevel 3). The handshake grip: palm behind the handle, face square without trying. Flatter ball, comfortable on low balls, easy to learn. Harder on shoulder-high balls and limited on topspin.
- Semi-western (bevel 4). The palm slides further under the handle. More topspin, high balls feel natural, contact moves a little further in front. Low, skidding balls get harder. This is the default of the modern game and where most club players end up.
- Western (bevel 5). Heavy topspin, awkward on anything low. Few adults should start here.
Beginners do well with eastern or halfway between eastern and semi-western, then drift toward semi-western as the swing gets faster. The continental grip is for serves, volleys and slices. If your forehand feels like a slice, check the knuckle first.
How to hit a forehand, step by step
1. Split step and unit turn
Hop as the opponent makes contact, land, read the ball, then turn. The shoulders rotate roughly 90 degrees, the hips somewhat less, and the non-hitting hand stays on the throat of the racket for the first part of the turn before stretching across toward the ball. Stance follows the ball: semi-open for most rally balls, open for wide and high ones, neutral (stepping in with the front foot) for short balls and approaches.
2. Backswing and drop
Keep it compact. The racket goes back at about shoulder height with the tip up, then drops below the ball behind you, face slightly closed (the "pat the dog" position). A big, looping backswing looks powerful and makes you late. The turn should give you most of it.
3. Lag and whip
This is the heart of the stroke, so it gets its own section below.
4. Contact
Contact is in front of the front hip. A typical coaching guide is about 30 to 50 cm ahead with a semi-western grip and a little less with an eastern. The arm is comfortably extended, the face is vertical, and the ideal height is around the waist. Keep the head still and look at the contact point for a moment after the ball has gone.
5. Recovery
Crossover step back toward the middle and split again as the ball reaches the opponent. Hit a forehand from a great position, skip the recovery, and that's how club players lose the point on the next ball.
The forehand swing: lag, whip and release
If you want to know how to swing a forehand on a tennis racket, this is the part that matters. It's also the part most guides rush.
Lag. The forward swing starts from the legs and hips, then the shoulders, then the arm. Because the grip is relaxed, the wrist lays back and the racket head trails the hand. That's lag. You don't create it by bending the wrist; you allow it by not holding on. A tight grip kills it.
Whip and release. Through contact the wrist releases and the racket head overtakes the hand. The forearm rotates, so the strings brush up the back of the ball, and the racket continues across the body in an arc like a windshield wiper. It finishes over the opposite shoulder with the hitting elbow pointing roughly at the target, where the non-hitting hand catches it. Topspin comes from the low-to-high path plus that rotation. The release is fast, but it's a result of the body pulling the handle. Flicking the wrist on purpose gets you a different, less reliable stroke.
Cue: the non-hitting hand points at the ball during the turn and catches the racket at the finish. If it never leaves your side, you're arming the ball.
How to feel it
Lag is hard to see and easy to feel, once you know what you're looking for.
- Grip at about 3 out of 10. Firm enough that the racket won't fly out, loose enough that the head feels heavy. Most players grip tighter than they think.
- A few slow reps to find the shape. Swing slowly and notice the racket head hanging back behind your hand as your hips turn. Three is enough.
- Then full speed. Slow reps find the shape; only speed trains the timing. On a good rep the racket head seems to arrive late and fast, with a whoosh after the point where contact would be.
How to practice your forehand at home (and alone)
The stroke half of the forehand (turn, lag, contact, finish) can be built without a court or a partner. Reading the ball can't, so this is for the shape and the swing. The steps run from home to court. Only move on once the check passes.
| Step | Cue | Check |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shadow forehands, 3 sets of 15 | Turn with the hand on the throat | Hand points at the ball before the arm moves |
| 2. Freeze at contact, 10 | Stop dead at contact | Front hip, extended arm, face vertical, in a mirror or on video |
| 3. Lag feel, 3 slow then 12 fast | Loose grip, let the head hang | You hear the whoosh late, not early |
| 4. Wall rally | Forehands only, about four meters back | Ball clears a net-height line on most reps |
| 5. Drop-feed on court, sets of 10 | Same swing, real ball | 7 of 10 over the net and in the singles court |
New to the forehand? The beginner drill progression below puts drop-feeds before the wall and gives each drill a number to beat.
For the shadow reps, the forehand shadow swing drills keep them honest. The wider plans are in tennis practice at home (no court) and, if you have a court or a wall but no hitting partner, how to practice tennis alone.
Forehand drills for beginners: a step-by-step progression
If you're new to tennis or rebuilding a forehand from scratch, do these forehand drills in order. Each one adds one thing: first the shape, then the contact point, then a real ball, then a ball coming back at you, then a rally. Move on when you beat the number, not when the week ends. A slower low-compression ball (orange or green dot) makes steps 3 to 5 easier.
| Drill | How | Number to beat |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shadow forehands | No ball. Turn with the hand on the throat, drop, swing low to high, hold the finish over the opposite shoulder. 3 sets of 15. | 15 reps in a row where the non-hitting hand points first and you hold every finish |
| 2. Freeze at contact | Swing and stop dead where contact would be. Check it in a mirror or on video. 10 reps. | 8 of 10 with contact in front of the front hip and the face vertical |
| 3. Drop-feed | On a court, drop the ball beside you (or have a partner drop it), let it bounce, and hit cross-court with the same swing. Sets of 10. | 7 of 10 over the net and in the singles court, three sets running |
| 4. Wall rally | About four meters from a wall, forehands only. Let it bounce every time; catch and restart when it goes wrong. | 10 forehands in a row above a net-height line |
| 5. Cross-court rally | With a partner from the service line, then the baseline. Count only balls past the service line. | Play to 21 |
A few short sessions a week work better than one long one; how to build a daily tennis practice habit has a routine for the days in between. For steps 3 and 4 without a hitting partner, see how to practice tennis alone. For step 1, see the forehand shadow swing drills.
Common forehand mistakes and how to fix them
- Arming it. No turn, all arm, and often shoulder complaints. Fix the turn first: the pointing-hand cue above.
- Late contact. The ball is beside or behind the hip, so it sprays wide or comes off the frame. Start the turn as the ball crosses the net instead of as it bounces, and practice freezing at contact in front.
- Death grip. No lag, no whip, a slow heavy-feeling swing. Relax to about three out of ten; the racket won't fly away.
- Flicking with the wrist. The opposite problem: the hand does the work, and the ball goes anywhere. Let the body pull the handle and the release happen on its own.
- Swinging flat or down. Balls in the net, or long with no spin. Drop the racket head below the ball before swinging up.
- Going long. Usually an open face, a flat path or late contact; with an eastern grip, often high balls. Get the face vertical at contact, brush up, meet it earlier.
- Stopping at contact. A short finish means the racket decelerated before the ball. Hold the finish over the opposite shoulder for a beat on every rep.
Forehand drills on court
- Drop-feed, sets of 10. A partner (or you) drops the ball beside you; hit cross-court and aim for 7 of 10 over the net and in the singles court. No movement, so all the attention is on the swing.
- Deep cross-court rally. Only balls landing past the service line count. Play to 21. Cross-court is the high-percentage forehand: the net is lower in the middle and the court is longer.
- Ball machine or basket, 3 sets of 20. Moderate pace, same ball each time, one cue per set.
- Inside-out pattern. Feed to the backhand corner, run around it and hit the forehand inside-out. Ten from each position, recovering after every ball.
- Net clearance. Aim a meter or more over the net and still land deep. Topspin makes that possible. Plenty of club forehands clear the net by a few centimeters and miss by the same.
Questions
What is a forehand in tennis?
A forehand is the stroke you hit on your dominant side after the ball bounces, with the palm of your hitting hand facing forward. For most players it's the shot they hit most often. A good one comes from the body turning, with the racket head lagging and then whipping through contact.
How do you swing a forehand on a tennis racket?
Split step, turn your shoulders and hips together, and drop the racket below the ball. Then swing low to high with a relaxed grip so the racket head lags behind your hand and whips past it through contact. Hit in front of the front hip and finish over the opposite shoulder.
What is the best grip for a forehand?
Semi-western suits most modern club players: it gives topspin and handles high balls. Eastern is easier to learn and better on low balls, so many beginners start there or halfway between the two, then drift toward semi-western as their swing gets faster.
Where should you make contact on a forehand?
In front of the front hip, at around waist height, with the arm comfortably extended. A common coaching guide is about 30 to 50 cm ahead with a semi-western grip. Contact beside or behind the hip is one of the usual causes of a sprayed forehand.
How do I get more topspin on my forehand?
Drop the racket head below the ball, swing low to high, and keep the grip relaxed so the forearm rotates through contact into a windshield-wiper finish. A semi-western grip makes it easier. Aim higher over the net than feels natural and let the spin bring the ball down.
Why do my forehands keep going long?
Usually an open racket face, a flat swing path or late contact. Drop the racket head lower, brush up the back of the ball and meet it further in front. With an eastern grip, high balls are a common culprit, so take those a little earlier.
Should your wrist be loose on a forehand?
Relaxed, not floppy. A loose grip lets the racket head lag and release on its own, which is where the whip comes from. Actively flicking the wrist makes the forehand inconsistent. Try a grip pressure of about three out of ten and let the body pull the handle.
Can you practice your forehand at home without a court?
Yes, for the stroke half: the turn, lag, contact point and finish. Shadow forehands, freezing at contact and a wall rally all help. Reading and timing a real ball needs court time. The tennis practice at home (no court) guide has a full plan.
How do you build a forehand from scratch?
In stages, each with a target before you move on: shadow forehands for the shape, freezing at contact, drop-feeds for a real ball, a wall for a ball coming back, then cross-court rallies. Short, frequent sessions beat long ones. A coach checking in occasionally will catch faults you can't see yourself.
What are the best forehand drills for beginners?
Start without a ball, then add one thing at a time. Shadow forehands build the shape, freezing at contact checks it, drop-feeds add a real ball, a wall adds a returning ball, and a cross-court rally puts it together. Give each drill a number to beat, like 7 of 10 over the net and in the singles court.
How should I practice my tennis forehand?
Little and often. Do ten minutes of shadow forehands at home on most days for the shape, then on court start with drop-feeds before rallying. Work on one cue per set, such as the turn or the finish, and count makes rather than hits so you know if it's working.
Should beginners start with a wall or drop-feeds?
Drop-feeds. A dropped ball arrives slowly in the same spot every time, so all your attention goes on the swing. A wall sends the ball back faster and at different heights, which is better once the swing holds up. A low-compression ball makes both easier.