Article by Jimmy Arias, Photos
By Manuela Davies
Exceptional
preparation, great extension, and big-time upper-body rotation are key elements
of the Spaniard’s much-feared weapon.
Nadal has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2010, he became the seventh player in history and youngest of four in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam. He is only the second male player, after Andre Agassi, to complete the Career Golden Slam.
He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. His success on clay has earned him the nickname "King of Clay
1.
Nadal’s preparation for his forehand is outstanding. Here you can see that
he’s loaded and ready to go. His racquet is back, his shoulders are fully
turned, his back is pretty straight— which I really like—and his legs are low
and spaced well, giving him a wide base from which to hit. He’s using a full
Western grip, which is great for generating topspin.
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2.
Nadal’s racquet is in virtually the same place as in the first frame, but
he’s still adjusting his feet, leading me to think he may have gotten a bad
bounce. Normally, I like to see continuous momentum with the racquet
throughout the swing. Here it looks as if he might have checked his swing
slightly. Even so, he’s doing a good job of getting his back leg almost
behind the ball.
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3. His
base is set and his left leg is planted. The racquet head is starting to drop
and you can see that the face is completely closed. This is common in today’s
game. Nadal’s right shoulder is just now starting to come through the contact
zone. His legs and back are in perfect position, and he’s low to the ball. I
prefer to see a player get down with his legs like Nadal does rather than
bend at the waist.
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4.
Nadal is pulling the right side of his body around first, and his left side
is dragging behind. This helps him load up more power until he’s ready to let
his swing rip. He’s beginning to come up with his legs, but, contrary to what
you might expect, his weight is shifting toward his back foot rather than to
his front, the way tennis players are traditionally taught.
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5. Here
you clearly see one of the more unusual aspects of Nadal’s forehand.
Typically, players who use a Western grip make contact close to their bodies
and with a pronounced elbow bend. But Nadal strikes the ball with his left
arm almost fully extended. Plus, he’s hitting the ball completely off his
back foot, but his right side has come through and his upper body is
open.
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6. In
this frame we can see how today’s forehand differs from the typical forehand
of the 1970s and ’80s. Nadal and most pros these days have what I call a
“windshield wiper” swing. This means that after he makes contact, Nadal
swings his racquet across his body and flips it over, using the same motion
as a windshield wiper. In the past, players typically extended through the
hitting zone before following through to the other side of their
bodies.
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7.
Another difference between today’s forehand and the one used in my era is
that we were taught to follow through high and in the direction of our target
and catch the racquet with our opposing hand. That’s not the case here;
Nadal’s racquet has gone past his right hand and continues to wrap around his
midsection. His weight has finally started to move to his right foot.
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8.
Amazingly, Nadal’s racquet has finished completely around his body. Look at
the position of his right shoulder in the first photo and notice his left
shoulder in this one. He was looking over his right shoulder at the beginning
and ended looking over his left. This rotation is a great checkpoint for
everyone, regardless of the forehand you use. If you can go shoulder to
shoulder, you’ll ensure a full stroke.
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