Ethan Gale Forehand

Force summation can be the build-up of potential energy step by step transferring from on body part to another. For the force to grow properly the timing of the transition between body parts is key, because if the energy is not passed on at the right time then the energy can be lost. In the forehand the steps of force summation are toes, legs, hips, torso and bicep/triceps. Furthermore, to maximise force summation rotational inertia in the hips and torso is needed. Also if the player follows through on the shot then they will have a greater connection time with the ball allowing for greater force summation. As seen in the image to the right, I am not maximising the use of force. When making contact with the ball it is hitting the dead spot which means that the ball will not travel very far. The force that I apply to the ball in this image is poor as I have not stepped towards the ball and therefore, I'm reaching out to try and make contact with it. Whilst it is good to use lots of force in a shot, it can be hard to control that force and accuracy can be lost. This applies to me as I'm not an autonomous performer in tennis, when I try to use a great amount of force in a shot I lose accuracy and hit the ball out.