December 11, 2007

Greatest Shots in Tennis History

The Forehand: Roger Federer

What are the greatest shots in tennis history? We pick out the game’s most fearsome weapons stroke by stroke, concentrating on the Open Era (since 1968).

By Joel Drucker, TENNIS Magazine

Part III: The Forehand

Final Pick Roger Federer Shortlist Roger Federer Pete Sampras Ivan Lendl Andre Agassi Jim Courier John Newcombe Jack Kramer Fred Perry Steffi Graf Today's Best Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Andy Roddick Fernando Gonzalez Igor Andreev James Blake Justine Henin Ana Ivanovic Lindsay Davenport Serena Williams Sania Mirza — TENNIS.com

Next to the serve, no shot is more terminal than the forehand – i.e., no single shot is best-poised to end a point more emphatically than a forehand. With increasing frequency since the days of Ivan Lendl, the big forehand has replaced the first volley as a primary offensive shot.

And no one has done more to demonstrate everything you’d ever want in a forehand than Roger Federer. In one sense, his forehand is utterly 21st century. Taking full advantage of his string mix of Luxilon and gut, Federer’s drive is lively, heavy, deep and just about always struck on his terms.

When pressed in a baseline rally, he can roll the ball with enough topspin for margin – and attain impressive depth. Should an opponent dare come to net against Federer’s forehand, his preparation is so good it seems that he always has the widest possible range of options. And at the other end, lay one in short – and the point is over, Federer able to flatten it out, or lace it with topspin, the ball exceptionally heavy and often unreturnable. Though perfectly content to drive his share of backhands, he is wise at using his backhand – such as when he slices it and forces opponents into awkward positions – to set up his forehand.

But as contemporary as Federer’s forehand is, it’s also a remarkable amalgamation of many great forehands from prior years – from the powerful topspin of Andre Agassi to the crackling penetration of Pete Sampras, or back to the forceful discipline of John Newcombe, the opportunism of Jack Kramer and even the flexibility of Fred Perry.

Able to change his grip to adjust with bounces – even when forced able to slice the old-school squash shot with underspin – Federer’s mechanics are at once austere and elegant. His head is always balanced, his eyes tracking the ball keenly, his feet rarely out of position. As any recreational player knows, the forehand’s very range of options make it easy to become lax. Never is this the case with Federer.

The best women's forehand surely belonged to Steffi Graf – often terminal like Federer, usually struck with offense in mind and quite adept at whipping boldly from comprised court positions.

Joel Drucker is a contributing editor at TENNIS magazine. The author is grateful for the assistance of many experts and former pros, including Brent Abel, John Barrett, Steve Flink, Mary Carillo, Trey Waltke, Chris Lewis, John Newcombe, Owen Davidson, Fred Stolle and Brian Gottfried.

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