This Untold Forehand Should Win an Oscar (Genius)

Hi and welcome to Olivari Tennis, the first online tennis academy. My name is Junior Olivari, I've been coaching for more than 20 years, ATP, WTA and top junior players around the world. Today I'm going to teach you three different forehands that nobody talks about. Let's go! So as you know already there are thousands of variations in the forehand. Everybody has his own style, everybody teaches it differently, but there is only one mechanic. So the first one I'm going to show you is the straight arm. What is the straight arm? Straight arm is when you hit a shot and you finish with a completely straight arm. The arm should be completely extended. It doesn't have to be extended on the backswing, but when you hit the shot you should extend your arm as much as possible. What this kind of forehand will give you? This forehand will give you a lot of precision and a lot of control. So if you are tight under pressure or if you want precision and you want to hit a very precise shot, you use the forehand of the extension. Okay, this way. So you extend, even move with your legs and extend. You move, you extend. This way you can control the ball and also be way more precise. You will lose a little bit in power, but you will gain a lot in precision and if you are tight this will help you a lot under pressure. Now we have the second forehand. It's the arm wrestling forehand. This is one of my favorite forehands. If you follow me, you know exactly the way I teach it. It's the bend elbow. It's when you attack the ball like a this way. So this is great for high ball and to be very aggressive. This is great also for the return, so you don't need to have a big backswing. So you just go here and use it as an arm wrestling. So you go here, the elbow is leading and then boom, this way. This is the arm wrestling forehand. And now we have the new one that I never taught on YouTube actually. It's the flip. The flip, you can use it by up, just closing the racket as soon as possible like a pancake. I'm gonna get all these three variations a little bit deeper, but I'm very interested to know what you think about the flip because the flip is a super interesting shot. You can use it on short ball. You can use it for angles very easy this way. So I'm going to show you from a different angle and show you how to use it a little bit. Before we get into these three styles of forehand, I want to be clear about biomechanics. Biomechanics is not something that I can teach you through video for the moment. I'm trying to build something that maybe in the future I will be able to create some patterns so you can learn the basics and to understand the mechanics of the body. But right now it's really complicated. So what I'm doing, I'm doing everything live online. So first of all, we have the session in the shadow. Why am I doing shadow? Shadow is because you have to understand from where power is coming from. You really need to understand from where really power is coming from and not just generating power from your arm. You have to understand the kinetic chain. So this way I can teach you the right exercise to undo the mistake that you're doing. Because biomechanics is not just learning something more. It's to remember the right pattern that you were doing instinctively. As I said in the previous video, if you take your left arm and you never play on your left arm and you are righty, you will see that mechanic-wise your stroke will look way better. Why? Because biomechanics there is intact. Nobody has touched it. Nobody taught you anything. So your mechanic is perfect. So what I have to do is actually not to add more. I have to undo the process what you already learned. All the mistakes that you learned in the past, everything that you learned under pressure with your friend, with your coach, I have to undo everything to make you to learn the right mechanics and then after to build on in the right technique. So this is something that I want to be very clear about it that I cannot really teach you like this or in a 10 minute video. So that's why I'm trying to give you as much as possible knowledge to adapt yourself even if your mechanic is not perfect. Okay so now let's talk about the first four. And the first one as I say is the extend arm. So this is the basic one. This is one that if you want to control the game, if you want to control the shot, if you are under pressure and you're not sure about your shot, this is the best way to go out of stress. What you're going to do, you're going to try to extend your arm as much as you can. To really straighten the arm as much as you can. Don't try to extend the arm at the contact point. Don't try to find some spacing on the right side of body. Just slowly slowly start to feel how you can extend your arm and find deepness. So most of the time you will feel a little bit more stiff but with the time you understand how the straight arm is working, you will lift up a little bit more your arm and find also depth. So you want this depth when you hit, bam, this way so you can actually control the ball. So the straight arm will make you stable, will give you a structure. You will know exactly how much you have to go because there is no wristy, there is no elbow, there is nothing. So you try really to get straight as much as you can so you can actually control the ball as much as possible. And you can go across this way. So very important to understand, don't make a big deal. It's just trying to extend the arm as much as you can. Don't try to do like Federer and to extend it from. Don't try to extend behind you the arm. Just try at the contact point to start extending until you feel a structure and you feel more discipline. This will give you discipline in the shot. So you, I don't know if you have this kind of shot, you are a little bit like, you know, loose in the end too much or you are too stiff. So you're stopping here but if you go with a straight arm, it will force you to extend your arm more and to go follow through. With the time, you will find the right timing and also the right feel how much you can go. Because long, it will be very difficult to miss long when you have an extend arm. But it's possible to be short sometimes or to miss in the net. So it's important to find the right feel when you do with the extension of the arm, okay? So this is the classic one. This is the safe one. This is the one when you're under pressure, you can use it. So let's talk about the second one. This is the arm wrestling. This is the bend elbow. This is what the new generation using more and more. This is the one where you attack more with the elbow, that you pull the elbow forward and you can be more aggressive and you can attack high ball. Because today, everybody's trying to hit more and more topspin even though professionals start to go down and to hit more and more flat still. On the recreational player or even in the ITF or even in the, you know, the futures, let's say this level, they all try to stop spin the ball way too much. So what happened? You end up with a lot of high ball to attack this high ball. So this is a great way to attack high ball. So what do you have to do? You have to lean and you have to actually use it as arm wrestling. What does it mean arm wrestling? Arm wrestling is this motion, this motion. When you're on the table, you imagine you go down and then bam, this way. So you really want to be here and to use the arm wrestling this way. You want the forearm to attack. You are here, you go, you bend and then boom, this way. So even if the ball is very close, you see I have the bed bounce here and the ball is very close to my body, this is not a problem. This is even an advantage because most of you, when you go to the short ball, you go and you feel that you are too far from the ball. So what happened? You're too far from the ball and then you cannot really control the ball and this is where you miss the easy ball. But if you know the technique of the arm wrestling, then you go close to the ball. You can be very close and you see you can't miss it. Only problem that you have too much wrist, you play too much with the wrist in this area and you shouldn't use the wrist too much, especially on high ball. That's why the arm wrestling is a great way to hit the forehand, especially when the ball is high. You're here and you can go all in, bam, this way. And with the time, the more you control the arm wrestling, the more you feel comfortable in this area. You also can use it as a return. I want to show you that. Because the return, everybody tells you shortcut the backswing, shortcut the backswing. It's not going to help you to shortcut the backswing. Yes, it's going to help in some extent. You can shortcut the backswing, but the most important thing is the swing here. How you can really attack with no power. Because if you shortcut the backswing, there is no power anymore. So you try to use the power of the opponent. It's a possibility. You can do that, but the best way to do is not using the power from the opponent. It's to do your own power if you have enough control. So what you go here and now you attack with the arm wrestling. So there is so much power in this that you can create and generate so much power that even if the ball is too slow for you and the serve doesn't attack so strong, you can actually use it, boom, this way and use it very aggressively. I want to show you one more time. You're here, you split, you take and then bam, this way. You see from a dead ball, I can generate a lot of power. But if I go and I make my full swing, the chance for me to miss is going to be big. And if I just go and shortcut my backswing and I'm here and make it close, same. I don't have power and I'm going to be very risky and a lot of topspin to generate with my wrist and I'm going to be stiff with the time. Because if I miss one time or two times, we all know you get stiff and you don't want to do it anymore. So you're going to start pushing. So what you want to do, you want to use the big muscle. You're here and then bam, this way. See, no forcing, no nothing. I'm just using the armwrestling. So this is super important. You can use it for a lot of variation. I made a video about armwrestling. You can find it on my YouTube channel. Now let me bring you to the most interesting one, the flip. The flip, you can make use of it in the angles. You can use a bit on low ball. You can make use of it on short and low ball. You can open the court this way amazingly. I'm going to teach you this technique today. So what is the flip for? And this is a very interesting shot. So first of all, how you flip, it's very similar to the armwrestling, but this time it's armwrestling with the palm of the wrist this way. So you, yes, you will use also the forearm, but it's also a lot about flipping the wrist like a pancake. You're actually turning your hand from here to here. I don't know if you were young or which generation you are. When we were playing younger, we play this game that somebody's putting this hand on below. You put your hand below somebody's hand and you try to flap it. So this is the flip. You want to use this motion to be capable to generate speed and also height. What does it mean? How are you going to tell me how it's possible that the ball go up if you just close it this way? No, because you're coming on the bottom of the ball and you cover the ball this way. This is the way it works. And this is what the genius about it. So let me show you. So first of all, the best way to do it is to start with a continental grip. When you start with a continental grip, it's easier to understand because it's really similar to your palm. So you go continental grip and you just go like this and you cover. You really need to cover the racket. So if the racket is open here, you want to cover it completely here. And you will see a lot of women are using it unconsciously because they're scared to swing too much. So they go and you see them attacking this way. They're using the flip. They're learning unconsciously and they learn it this way. So one more time here and then this way. Open and this way. See? Hop and bam. Hop and bam. I want to show you how it looks like from behind because it's super interesting and you see how many variations we can do with this shot. But very important, before I go backward, I really want you to understand how does it work. Now I'm putting a semi-western grip and then bam. And even if I have a full western grip, it's not a problem. I just have to flip. Flip it this way. Let me show you from behind. So now I want to show you from this angle. Why? Because I want you to see how much the ball can go up even by doing this motion. This way. You see? I'm just using the flip. Look how easy it's for me to go over the net. And look the kind of shape do you get. So you don't get an heavy spin but you get a nice top spin and a nice shape. And I'm not forcing. I'm just using the flip and automatically I'm getting this shape with the top spin this way. You see? Hop. And it's very difficult to miss in the net. Why? Because the palm of the racket is open. And if you understand the motion and you understand how to close, it's a very dangerous shot. So if you're even in the angle shot, you go here and you go like this. Very easy. Somebody's coming to the net. You're here and bam! This way. You're closing the wrist. Boom! This way. You just use the flip. If you get used to these mechanics, how to maximize the wrist, then you can make a lot of trouble this way. Now if the ball is very short, I'm going to show you something also that I use a lot with my players. It's to make the ball bounce twice. This way you get a really low ball. So you're sitting down this way. You get a very low ball. And now you go hop this way. You see? The ball can go high as you see the first one fly because I didn't cover it fast enough. So this is something you have to practice and to train yourself. And you let bounce two times. One. Two. And then you go boom! This way. And you learn to cover the ball. Boom! This way. You see? I'm not doing anything. I'm just here. From here to here. This is the motion. Almost nothing. But it's very safe. Let's say you're running. You're running. You're running. And now you're close to the net. Hop! Closing. Opening the court this way. It's a winner. Very easy to open the court. Very easy to hit an angle. You go there. Even down the line. You go hop this way. And now the ball doesn't bounce high. Doesn't bounce too high. And it's very difficult for the player. So this is an amazing technique. It's the first time I'm showing this online. I use it also in my program. But my program as I say is more focused on biomechanics. So when your mechanics is there and after to control this kind of forehand is like nothing for you. It's really really easy. Let me show you a little bit how this angle looks like. So look. Hop! And this is only what I'm doing. You see? Hop! This way. See? Hop! This way. I'm not doing much. And I can really generate a lot of power. A lot of angle. A lot of spin. And look. If I'm doing even a full western grip. Completely close. Very easy also. Shlop! Doesn't matter which grip you have. If you do the correct motion and you use the right mechanics. Instinctively you will make use of this amazingly. Hope you enjoyed the video. Let me know what you think about this session. This is one of my favorite. This is also the first time I introduce the flip forehand. And I hope you enjoy it. Of course you always have to use the three of them. So when you're under pressure use the straight arm to get control and precision. If you want to attack and be very aggressive on high ball. Use the arm wrestling. And of course use the flip if you want to open the court. On short ball. On low ball. And also after the serve. When you serve and somebody is hitting your very strong ball to the legs. You can use also the flip instead to do a long motion and be late. Just flip this way and you can recover and be ready. Because this shot can be very also aggressive. If you want to work with me one-on-one. I have my MFX program. You can click the link below. We have unlocked so many players that struggled for many years with their stroke forehand, backhand and serve. Only in seven sessions. So don't waste your time. Hope to see you soon. Let's go!