Neutral
Stance
The neutral stance allows the beginning tennis player to develop
their ability to shift their weight and rotate their baody toward
the target area.
From
the neutral stance the player begins the backswing by turning
the hips and shoulders, stepping out, and shifting the weight
to the outside foot. The player steps foward with the inside
foot and shifts the weight onto it before starting the foward
swing. The weight stays on the front foot until after contact
with the ball. Bringing the back foot up and around naturally
to maintain a strong foundation will enable the player to remain
balanced and ready for the next shot.
This
is the preferred stance to hit both single-handed and double-handed
backhands because it allows the player to move body weight in
the direction of the target. The neutral stance provides the
best foundation to execute, follow through and recover efficiently
unless they approaching a difficult ball on the run.
Open
Stance
The open stance introduces the player to the principles of stepping
out, shifting their weight to the outside foot, hip loading
and unit turn. From the normal ready posture the player begins
the backswing by turning the hips and shoulders, stepping out,
and shifting the weight to the outside foot. The player keeps
their weight on the outside foot until after contact and remains
balanced during the follow-through and recovery.
The
open stance is ideal for situations when the opponent forces
the player out of position at the baseline or when the player
must react at the net. All high forehands should be hit with
this stance because it allows the player to lead up on the outside
hip and explode into the shot.
Contact
should be made with the ball before the players weight shifts
from the outside leg to the inside leg. The hip should not load
before or during contact with the ball.
Semiopen
Stance
From the normal ready posture the player begins the backswing
by turning the hips and shoulders, stepping out, and shifting
the weight to the outside foot. As with the open stance the
key to the semiopen stance is maintaining a strong foundation.
The player must keep their weight on the outside foot until
after contact.
The
semiopen stance, is ideal for situations when the player has
little time to prepare for their shot. Both the open and semiopen
stances are products of todays power game.
Closed
Stance
It
is acceptable and even recommended to use a closed stance when
hitting on the run. Hitting from a closed stance delays recovery
and leaves the player out of position. The drawbacks of this
stance are that the weight does not move in the direction of
the target, it is almost impossible for the hips and shoulders
to open when making contact with the ball, shot options are
limited and it delays recovery time.
Contact
Zones
As a rule the more the hand is on top of the grip, the more
comfortable a low ball will be. The more the hand is under the
grip the more comfortable a high ball will be.
