I was out practicing with a friend who plays 4.5 and open tournaments and leagues. I hadn't seen him in 8 months, and he had told me he had changed his forehand drastically. Originally, he had a Berasetegui type Extreme Western forehand grip, which would produced gobs of spin, but would not drive through the court much. He would wail upwards on the ball and whip massive moonballs.

He told me he had changed it to a Semiwestern grip and that his previous forehand was causing him back pain from arming the ball. His balls no longer had the heavy spin, but he had more drive to his shot. So I showed him the contact point for the drive forehand and how far he had to hit it earlier. I also showed him the balance shift forward. He began shaping the drive forehand immediately.

So in essence, the advanced forehand will take on either the characteristics of a "hook shot" or a "driver". If anyone has thought of golf and tennis and the similarities of the two, the thought in golf is whether you've "hooked" the long drive, or actually "drove the ball long".

Or in the case of Nadal's forehand, the thought in my mind is how it often resembles a bowler's followthrough.

Federer has tremendous early straight ahead-ness drive characteristic to his forehand. Who else has hit the forehand as early and "in the slot" on a consistent basis?

Does Djokovic's forehand resemble a level right hook in boxing, with the insistent weight transfer to the opposite foot and the right elbow folding over finish?

All things I've thought about in the experimentation of the advanced forehand. What are your thoughts on the mechanics of the forehand?