My Thoughts on the McEnroe Forehand...

**don_budge** · 12-21-2012, 03:08 AM

The Continental Grip according to Bill Tilden...

From Bill Tilden's book..."How to Play Better Tennis...a complete guide to tactics and technique" (page 37).

"This grip which is also known as the Eastern Service grip or the Universal grip, is used for the chop and slice stroke, the volley, the smash, the lob and the drop shot...as well as for the slice, twist and cannonball service. It should never be used to drive, particularly off the forehand, where it lacks power. Halfway between the handle positions of the forehand and backhand grips is a slanting surface of the handle. Starting from the original forehand key position, move the hand an eighth circle turn backward or counterclockwise (which is half of the way to the backhand grip), until the palm of the hand lies on this slanting surface of the handle. Then close the fingers firmly across the handle and depress the wrist making an angle with the handle of the racquet that will bring the head of the racquet above the wrist. The hand in position is not materially changed only eased between forehand and backhand."

McEnroe was never accused of listening to conventional wisdom...I don't think. He shows that there are exceptions to the rule or the book...he strokes his forehand with power and he allows for the head of the racquet to drop below his wrist.

**stotty** · 12-21-2012, 03:09 AM

Post 13 from 10splayer.

Great to see you posting again, don_budge.

For me the most insightful post from the "Is McEnroe Flipless" thread was post 13 from 10splayer. That post REALLY opened up my mind and got me thinking.

**don_budge** · 12-21-2012, 11:31 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed from the CENTER...

CENTER

FH CenterFront- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

back foot perpendicular to target...right hand stretched out in front of the body in order to turn the right shoulder at the ball...racquet back in perfect alignment with the shoulders. even though hitting from an open stance the alignment of the upper body and racquet is as if the stance were closed. hips initiate the swing followed closely by the shoulders in order to swing the arm and finally the racquet through the ball. the path of the racquet face is directly through the path of the ball. wrist action...as a completion of the back swing the wrist is “laid back” into position and at impact it delivers the “bruce lee” one inch punch effect. effectively, a very compact stretch shortening cycle (i hate that term).

FH Center Side1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball hit directly at mcenroe...he back steps himself into position with no less than 5 small steps into perfect alignment to hit a closed stance forehand...shoulders, racquet and feet in 3 neat lines ready to go forwards...swing initiated with the lower body, feet, legs and then the hips...working its way up to the shoulders as indicated by both hands moving in the same direction at the same speed...at the same time. all of the moving parts kept neatly in the same plane. left shoulder driving into the ball with minimal stretch shortening in the wrist action. but even though this is minimal movement and barely detectable at full speed...it is delivering the payload in a perhaps more efficient use of motion. this accounts for his accuracy, power and deception.

FH Center Side 2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball hit slightly to his left...he again positions himself with 5 small steps...notice the backswing and how small a distance his left hand actually has to travel to get in position to swing...the hand is definitely leading the racquet head, butt first to the ball...contact perhaps even or even slightly behind leading hip. impressive use of body once again to encourage a free swinging arm throughout the entire swing as indicated by the full follow through with the hand finishing shoulder high. the arc of his swing tends to be from the waist at the initiation of the forwards movement and depending upon the height of the ball the head drops slightly below the ball...the hand generally finishes in the shoulder height area.

FH Center CourtLevel Front 1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

mcenroe is playing this ball with a slightly open stance...the reason is that he is going to play the shot with a little additional topspin. he sets himself in his standard 3 neat line stance (even though the foot is not perfectly in line his body, his stance has all the characteristics that it is)...to generate the extra spin he drops the racquet a bit more below the ball and comes over and across it a bit quicker with the assistance of his semi open stance following through more pronouncedly to the right with the racquet head doing a bit of the “wiper” motion that is being hyped as something new in modern tennis.

FH Center CourtLevel Front 2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

this appears to be a bit of a defensive shot. he does not appear to have had the time to get his feet in perfect alignment and stabilize himself...so he does the smart thing and plays the ball safely in the court with a neutralizing ball. even so his alignment with his racquet and shoulders is perfect and the follow through at shoulder height indicate a safe percentage play from a less than balanced position.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball that bounces inside of the service line mcenroe is set to pounce and angle this ball sharply cross court with top spin. his abbreviated and open stance give him the proper angle from which to launch himself into this shot driving with his legs forwards so that once his shot is finished he is scampering to the net to more than likely finish things with a nice tidy volley. notice the perfect alignment with his racquet and shoulders. the abbreviated backswing allows him the split second to decide...and deceive. the follow through is quickly over the ball and the momentum will carry him forwards to the net.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

less than perfect balance but the alignment is again as good as it can possibly be. racquet and shoulders in alignment with the stance slightly open. it appears he will play this ball reasonably safe with extra topspin as indicated by the path of his racquet. i think it is interesting to note that it appears that mcenroe could very well catch his follow through up at shoulder high with his free hand but he elects to let it drop downwards into his free hand waiting below. this makes sense as this is where he will initiate his backswing without the tracking movement of showing the face of the racquet to the ball that is a part of federer’s approach to swinging on the forehand side.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear3- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

i love this shot. mcenroe is anticipating a short ball as he is standing well inside the baseline but instead the ball has him retreating a bit backwards. he gets himself self set up as solid as a brick wall on his back foot and elects to drive the ball down the line for an apparent winner. placement and lack of spin are a winning combination in this instance.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear4- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

one of the most distinguishing features of the mcenroe forehand is his ability to disarm his opponents with his control and disguise. here he is simply playing one of his many neutralizing balls from an open stance before he resumes his attack. he appears to have hit something in an off speed manner with perhaps a little extra spin and extra net clearance...after he strikes this ball you can see that he is confident that from where he has hit this shot his opponent will not be able to hurt him and he rather calmly prepares for the next ball.

**10splayer** · 12-21-2012, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by don_budge

FH CenterFront- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

back foot perpendicular to target...right hand stretched out in front of the body in order to turn the right shoulder at the ball...racquet back in perfect alignment with the shoulders. even though hitting from an open stance the alignment of the upper body and racquet is as if the stance were closed. hips initiate the swing followed closely by the shoulders in order to swing the arm and finally the racquet through the ball. the path of the racquet face is directly through the path of the ball. wrist action...as a completion of the back swing the wrist is “laid back” into position and at impact it delivers the “bruce lee” one inch punch effect. effectively, a very compact stretch shortening cycle (i hate that term).

FH Center Side1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball hit directly at mcenroe...he back steps himself into position with no less than 5 small steps into perfect alignment to hit a closed stance forehand...shoulders, racquet and feet in 3 neat lines ready to go forwards...swing initiated with the lower body, feet, legs and then the hips...working its way up to the shoulders as indicated by both hands moving in the same direction at the same speed...at the same time. all of the moving parts kept neatly in the same plane. left shoulder driving into the ball with minimal stretch shortening in the wrist action. but even though this is minimal movement and barely detectable at full speed...it is delivering the payload in a perhaps more efficient use of motion. this accounts for his accuracy, power and deception.

FH Center Side 2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball hit slightly to his left...he again positions himself with 5 small steps...notice the backswing and how small a distance his left hand actually has to travel to get in position to swing...the hand is definitely leading the racquet head, butt first to the ball...contact perhaps even or even slightly behind leading hip. impressive use of body once again to encourage a free swinging arm throughout the entire swing as indicated by the full follow through with the hand finishing shoulder high. the arc of his swing tends to be from the waist at the initiation of the forwards movement and depending upon the height of the ball the head drops slightly below the ball...the hand generally finishes in the shoulder height area.

FH Center CourtLevel Front 1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

mcenroe is playing this ball with a slightly open stance...the reason is that he is going to play the shot with a little additional topspin. he sets himself in his standard 3 neat line stance (even though the foot is not perfectly in line his body, his stance has all the characteristics that it is)...to generate the extra spin he drops the racquet a bit more below the ball and comes over and across it a bit quicker with the assistance of his semi open stance following through more pronouncedly to the right with the racquet head doing a bit of the “wiper” motion that is being hyped as something new in modern tennis.

FH Center CourtLevel Front 2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

this appears to be a bit of a defensive shot. he does not appear to have had the time to get his feet in perfect alignment and stabilize himself...so he does the smart thing and plays the ball safely in the court with a neutralizing ball. even so his alignment with his racquet and shoulders is perfect and the follow through at shoulder height indicate a safe percentage play from a less than balanced position.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

on a ball that bounces inside of the service line mcenroe is set to pounce and angle this ball sharply cross court with top spin. his abbreviated and open stance give him the proper angle from which to launch himself into this shot driving with his legs forwards so that once his shot is finished he is scampering to the net to more than likely finish things with a nice tidy volley. notice the perfect alignment with his racquet and shoulders. the abbreviated backswing allows him the split second to decide...and deceive. the follow through is quickly over the ball and the momentum will carry him forwards to the net.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

less than perfect balance but the alignment is again as good as it can possibly be. racquet and shoulders in alignment with the stance slightly open. it appears he will play this ball reasonably safe with extra topspin as indicated by the path of his racquet. i think it is interesting to note that it appears that mcenroe could very well catch his follow through up at shoulder high with his free hand but he elects to let it drop downwards into his free hand waiting below. this makes sense as this is where he will initiate his backswing without the tracking movement of showing the face of the racquet to the ball that is a part of federer’s approach to swinging on the forehand side.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear3- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

i love this shot. mcenroe is anticipating a short ball as he is standing well inside the baseline but instead the ball has him retreating a bit backwards. he gets himself self set up as solid as a brick wall on his back foot and elects to drive the ball down the line for an apparent winner. placement and lack of spin are a winning combination in this instance.

FH Center CourtLevel Rear4- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

one of the most distinguishing features of the mcenroe forehand is his ability to disarm his opponents with his control and disguise. here he is simply playing one of his many neutralizing balls from an open stance before he resumes his attack. he appears to have hit something in an off speed manner with perhaps a little extra spin and extra net clearance...after he strikes this ball you can see that he is confident that from where he has hit this shot his opponent will not be able to hurt him and he rather calmly prepares for the next ball.

Totally agree with the last paragraph, but would offer another point of view on the video analysis. Looking at this closer, i would suggest that Mc has the the very least amount of lag (even in comparison with other continental users) of anyone I've seen.

At the end of the backswing the wrist is not laid back at all. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a more neutral wrist position. Look at the lack of angle formed between the forearm and shaft of the racquet. It's essentially a straight line. So i would disagree that just because the butt cap is pointed forward means that the wrist is laid back. That's one point.

The other would be that "lag" is really observed, reveals itself in the initial part of the forward swing. As the butt cap is pulled, the racquet head snaps backwords, to form the right angle (more or less) between the shaft and forearm. I see very little of this angle formed in johnnie M's forward swing. In fact, the unitary movement of the handle and tip is amoungst the most pronounced I've seen. Very, very, little lag even by continental standards.

**stotty** · 12-21-2012, 01:54 PM

Lag and control

Originally posted by 10splayer

Totally agree with the last paragraph, but would offer another point of view on the video analysis. Looking at this closer, i would suggest that Mc has the the very least amount of lag (even in comparison with other continental users) of anyone I've seen.

At the end of the backswing the wrist is not laid back at all. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a more neutral wrist position. Look at the lack of angle formed between the forearm and shaft of the racquet. It's essentially a straight line. So i would disagree that just because the butt cap is pointed forward means that the wrist is laid back. That's one point.

The other would be that "lag" is really observed, reveals itself in the initial part of the forward swing. As the butt cap is pulled, the racquet head snaps backwords, to form the right angle (more or less) between the shaft and forearm. I see very little of this angle formed in johnnie M's forward swing. In fact, the unitary movement of the handle and tip is amoungst the most pronounced I've seen. Very, very, little lag even by continental standards.

I agree about Mac's lag being almost non existent. It's what drew me to post the "flipless" thread in the first place.

I was thinking today...

Would Mac's lack of lag be a contributive factor to his incredible control? I watched Mac many times at Wimbledon. He could almost "carry" the ball around on his racket strings, especially on the forehand. No other player has had the ability to steer a ball quite like Mac (Nastase excepted). Laying back the wrist to slap at the incoming ball, as most players do, releases the ball from the strings fractionally quicker, doesn't it?....compared with Mac's method...where wrist, arm and racket seem to act as one...the ball kind of has to get "carried"? I realise talent/feel are perhaps innate qualities...but the combination of Mac's feel/control with his flipless forehand could have created his ability to carry the ball on the strings seemingly longer han anyone else.

Mac is the only player I can think of who is completely unique...

**don_budge** · 12-21-2012, 10:06 PM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed going WIDE...

WIDE

FH Wide Front- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

while moving to his left the racquet swings back into position with just enough momentum to lay the wrist back into position. the shoulders and leading hand are in exactly the same position every time whether he is moving or stationary. the shoulders rotate back to the ball and the arm and racquet follow. there is no excessive wrist activity...in fact there is minimal. there is a always a generous amount of energy engaged with the lower body.

FH Wide Side1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

this looks like a sharply angled forehand pass on an approaching net rusher as evidenced by a sharper and more abrupt pass on the ball upwards in motion. a nice angle of the camera shows that mcenroe is pulling the butt cap at the ball in the early stage of his forward swing. there is plenty of energy loaded into the wrist action in the mcenroe forehand. the term “weaker grip” is a bit misleading. his eyes on the ball remind me of someone...federeresque.

FH Wide Side2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

good view from the backside of the backswing on the run. notice how the last bit of backswing swings the wrist into the slightly laid back position. much less lay back than the stronger grips being played in the “modern game”. even while moving the shoulders and body are meticulously positioned to rotate into the swing. mcenroe elects to hit this one from an open stance probably to add to his deceptiveness on this particular shot.

FH Wide CourtLevel Front- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

mcenroe moves well into the court to take this ball early and possibly on the rise to hit it sharply into the backhand side of his opponent. this ball is going to be on top of the opponent in a hurry due to the flatness of the stroke. the placement tends to be uncanny as well. the backswing and later contact also contributes to his ability to disguise his intentions until the last split second. this ball could easily have been rocketing up the sideline down the line.

FH Wide CourtLevel Rear1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

moving to his left mcenroe takes this ball that bounces on the service line from the cross court and sends it down the line with a little higher trajectory. you can see a good view of the position of the wrist and the gentle flex in the backswing and the pulling of the butt of the racquet towards the ball to initiate the forward motion of the racquet. using a bit of a jumping motion to propel the ball back mcenroe never allows the arm and racquet to get ahead of the shoulders.

FH Wide CourtLevel Rear2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

an almost identical location as the preceding shot mcenroe using an almost identical motion except that he appears to be a bit more stable in his stance hits the ball sharply up the line on a lower trajectory for what appears to be a clean winner.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 02:54 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed while RUNNING...

RUNNING

FH Running Rear1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

running to his left mcenroe arrives at the ball having perfectly measured his steps striking the ball just before his front foot meets the ground. the preparation of the racquet while hurrying to get into position is done a great deal by merely turning the shoulders again swing the arm backwards into position to deliver the standard payload of the continental grip loaded wrist. the pulling of the butt cap appears to be abbreviated but i think that the racquet face is more exposed to the ball and stays that way longer before and after impact thereby insuring more contact with the sweet spot of the strings. by driving off of his back leg with his last step towards the ball he has also engaged the lower body to do its part of the work. more golf on the run.

FH Running Rear2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

an interesting angle of the mcenroe forehand hit on the move. here at the “bottom” of his backswing the racquet head is partially below his knees...at this point of the backswing his wrist is not in the position that it will need to be in to go forwards so the racquet will be “lagging” behind his hand. this shot is hit in a rather open stance after moving somewhat backwards but the weight yet appears to be in a stable position without giving any ground to the ball at impact. this shot will most likely be played in a neutral mode.

FH Running CourtLevel Front1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

a great shot of the mcenroe “ready position” at the start of this clip...the ready position sets up the backswing and this ready position is custom suited for the mcenroe backswing with the position of his racquet and hand. by using the same grip for forehand and backhand he is equally ready to go either way at all times. this in itself is an advantage in terms of the split second timing tennis requires. here he is a bit out of position from an aggressive shot by his opponent so he has returned to a position where he anticipates that he will have another play to seek the advantage and at the same time is returning into the court for better position. like federer...mcenroe seems to have the uncanny ability to gather himself as he swings without appearing to be off balance.

FH Running CourtLevel Front2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

in an era where topspin is deemed king the mcenroe technique shows much more flexibility in the repertoire of shots that he has command over. here on the run he demonstrate the ability to flatten out the forehand. the racquet starts forward barely below the ball and rises up barely over the level of his shot with his follow through. notice how stable the face of the racquet is and how long the face stays on the path of the ball. mcenroe is always smoothly rotating his shoulder through his shots. he never seems to consciously be using his wrist to manipulate his shots. it merely behaves as it should...as a passive hinge.

FH Running CourtLevel Rear- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

here is a shot that mcenroe appears to be steering into an area of the court to neutralize a fairly aggressive play from his opponent. he is a master of neutralizing points and then immediately turning the tables to get on top of the situation. it appears that his opponent has hit aggressively reverse cross court to the forehand and mcenroe may have been anticipating a backhand. he has to make a long trek wide to the far side of the court to play something low and cross court to once again turn the tables of control back to him.

**stotty** · 12-22-2012, 03:50 AM

McEnroe analysis

This is great stuff, don_budge. It's like a mini body of work.

The most striking thing about the clips, along with your analysis, is that how similar the stroke looks on all the shots. The only downside is there are no clips of Mac in his youth, using a wooden racket.

All the forehands are stroked, caressed, guided. As always with a lot players from that generation, the non-hitting arm stretch is less pronounced, quite limp at times. The follow through is also minimal in many of the clips, and he seldom hurls himself at the ball to leave the left shoulder pointing at the opposing court after the strike...something nearly all players do today.

The most impressive thing about Mac in the clips is the time and balance he seems to have.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 08:02 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed INSIDE OUT...

INSIDE OUT

FH InsideOut CourtLevel Front- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

one of the big advantages of the mcenroe continental forehand is his ability to deceive and hold onto to his intentions until the very last moment. here it appears that he has set himself up on the backside of his court in a closed stance and he is going to drive into his opponents backhand court but instead he has turned around and hit something that looks like it is going to be deep into his opponents forehand corner. no doubt he is already thinking about all of the likely responses and deciding on his next move. mcenroe plays a lot of chess on tennis court as he always seems to be one step ahead of his opponent...tactically speaking.

FH InsideOut CourtLevel Rear- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

just to the right of center mcenroe is set in an open stance and once again it appears that he may be leaning on hitting a cross court shot but instead he elects to go down the line with a low bullet. his opponent was clearly unsure as to what side to commit to and now he will be chasing and hitting up to an approaching mcenroe as he has sensed that he has his opponent in all kinds of trouble and is sneaking into the net to seal the deal.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 08:53 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed SHORT...

SHORT

FH Short Front- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

one of the most interesting features of the continental forehand is the variety of shots that can be played inside the baseline...as in approaching the net. here mcenroe is moving slightly to his right electing to play on the forehand side and in a semi open stance he hits his trademark low slightly flatter forehand to his opponents forehand. the continental forehand has the distinction of landing the player with the weight moving forwards and with less falling over to the opposite side. by directing the weight more forwards for playing approach shots the natural inclination will be to move towards the net.

FH Short Front1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

here from virtually the same position in the court mcenroe elects to close his stance to a semi closed and now he sends a dart to the opponents backhand side. his hooking left handed spin will have the additional effect of keeping the ball moving away from his opponent as well. these two forehands are also an excellent example of the element of disguise and control built into this shot. on the first short forehand it appears to me that the normal approach from an open stance would be cross court and not the inside out that he plays. in this second example the reverse is true...it appears that his natural inclination from this setup would be to play reverse cross court but instead he has tucked it neatly into the opponents backhand side where no doubt they will be digging it out of the pavement and hitting up to the catlike mcenroe ready to pounce at the net.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 08:59 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed SLICE...

SLICE

FH Slice Wide CourtLevel Rear- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

of course one cannot complete a study of the mcenroe forehand without mentioning the slice. we have talked about the disappearance of the slice forehand and it could very well of gone extinct when johnny said good bye. johnny bye bye for all of you springsteen fans. take a look at this little defensive gem because he may play this slice in a variety of ways ranging from purely defensive purposes to subtle attack. just before impact this shot from behind the baseline has all of the appearances of a volley like stroke. the racquet head is even higher than the level of his hand. this particular shot hit off a very aggressive ball from his opponent has the appearance of a safe play into the middle of the court which will leave mcenroe with only option on the next ball...to guess where his opponent will be trying to finish the point. if he guesses right my money is on his trying to further neutralize things or to try to his some kind of brilliant winner. if he guesses wrong he will only be hoping for an uncharacteristic miss from his opponent. you cannot rule out the miss either because keep in mind that mcenroe has been jerking his opponent all over the court for the duration of the match and nothing seems to be a given...even the sitters take on the sense of an adventure. the unpredictability of the mcenroe game takes its toll on you as an opponent...that is without even factoring in the mental gymnastics.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 09:02 AM

The John McEnroe forehand as viewed as a DROP SHOT...

DROP SHOT

FH DropShot CourtLevel Front1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

after having elicited the weakest of returns from his opponent...perhaps after torturing him with four or five variations and combinations of forehands and backhands he is looking at a ball that he just plays safely and softly over the net and assumes the ready position just in case his hapless opponent manages to get to this before the second bounce. he just used a bunting technique on this ball with no muss and no fuss.

FH DropShot CourtLevel Front2- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

here is a drop shot with a little more delicate nature. like a federer featherer only much riskier...johnny can hold on to his intentions until the last moment by assuming his normal take back stance and the racquet in backswing mode. at the last possible moment he lifts the racquet face up and behind the ball and applies the knifing action to kill the ball from bouncing significantly. although he is using quite a bit of arm motion on this shot the rotation of the shoulders is doing the brunt of the work even on this touchy feely drop shot.

FH DropShot CourtLevel Rear- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

here you go...some brilliant disguise. assuming the backswing stance and halfway through the backswing it turns into something totally different. the opponent never saw it coming until it was way too late. mcenroe sort of cupped this attempt which is the ultimate demonstration of touch and risky wrist movement on the forehand side. well...afterall he is a genius with a tennis racquet. say what you want.

FH DropShot Rear1- https://www.tennisplayer.net/tp_player/john-mcenroe/

after viewing all of the different things that he is capable of pulling off from this position on the court the opponent has the daunting task of guessing what is going to come off of that racquet. he may have driven the previous three balls deep into the forehand corner from this position but here he decides to kill him softly...ever so softly.

**don_budge** · 12-22-2012, 09:16 PM

Video study...

Keep in mind that when studying the McEnroe forehand I have looked at each video many times. I use the mouse to stop the video at key points trying to decipher what I am seeing at full speed. I use the mouse to drag the video through frame by frame. I used every conceivable approach to study each shot in intimate detail. Each swing has been looked at and scrutinized from ready position to the end of the follow through and all points in between...particularly at the transition point where the backswing becomes the forward swing. Remember...the hand is quicker than the eye.

The acid test is on the court with the racquet in hand. Years ago there was a movie titled "Being John Malcovich" that starred John Cusack. I have done my own pilot of "Being John McEnroe's Forehand" as like our local literary fellow, bottle, I have adopted McEnroe's forehand as my own with some rather remarkable results which I would like to share with all of you. Just for...clarity's sake.

Here is some more John McEnroe for you to ponder. I was there in the crowd...somewhere in a different life. 1984...let's see...I was thirty years old. A mere shadow of my present self. See the real Don Budge with his wife Lori in the champions box.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KZgqB_BVQI

**10splayer** · 12-23-2012, 03:50 AM

Originally posted by licensedcoach

I agree about Mac's lag being almost non existent. It's what drew me to post the "flipless" thread in the first place.

I was thinking today...

Would Mac's lack of lag be a contributive factor to his incredible control? I watched Mac many times at Wimbledon. He could almost "carry" the ball around on his racket strings, especially on the forehand. No other player has had the ability to steer a ball quite like Mac (Nastase excepted). Laying back the wrist to slap at the incoming ball, as most players do, releases the ball from the strings fractionally quicker, doesn't it?....compared with Mac's method...where wrist, arm and racket seem to act as one...the ball kind of has to get "carried"? I realise talent/feel are perhaps innate qualities...but the combination of Mac's feel/control with his flipless forehand could have created his ability to carry the ball on the strings seemingly longer han anyone else.

Mac is the only player I can think of who is completely unique...

This is a terrific description of Mc, and yes, I do think that the lack of layback, is a contributing factor to his control....It comes at the expense of RHS, but it served him just fine. While on the surface, his groundstrokes were unspectacular, this "steering", "carrying" of the ball served a greater purpose from a strategic standpoint, which of course was court position to attack. But yeah, I'm with you, he is an incredible talent. Never seen anyone able to pick up balls on the baseline or transition like him... One of buddies works and plays with him, and he is just amazed at what he can do with the ball...

Anyway, the intent behind my posts, were not to argue that a continental cannot be used, but rather that it is not preferred.....I view it as more of a "'catching" grip, which is why it's so useful on the volleys

My Thoughts on the McEnroe Forehand...

My Thoughts on the McEnroe Forehand...

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