Preparation
Your free hand should help lead the racket back and allow your shoulders to rotate.
Tennis skills: the forehand down the line
Check out our tips on how to hit a forehand down the line. This tip will explain every step to set up with good form and hit a forehand down the line.
Everyone dreams of smacking the ball down the line, but not everyone can do it. Discover the five keys to catching your opponent off guard with the perfect forehand down the line.
Get yourself in position quickly
You need to set yourself up pretty quickly and be ready to hit the shot no later than when the ball bounces.
When hitting a forehand down the line, make sure you move into the ball and try to keep your shoulder on the same line all the way through the stroke. It's important not to turn your shoulder. For example, the left shoulder of a right-handed player should be pointing towards the net.
Hitting at the right level
Bring the racket head down below the level of the ball.
Point of contact
In front of the body, between your hips and your shoulders, and with your elbow away from your body (the tighter your grip, the further in front the point of contact should be).
With a cross-court forehand, the point of contact must be in front of the body.
Completing the stroke
Moving upwards and forwards, the elbow should lead the shoulder, after the back foot starts to come through.
And there you have it. Now you know everything you need to know about the forehand down the line and how to hit it correctly. All you need to do now is practise so you can hit it to perfection.
Simon
Author
I share tips from the Artengo team to help you up your game.
