Rafael Nadal's lefty reverse forehand is feared
by many opponents. He uses the Western Grip.
Your opponent just hit a ball that has not bounced as high as you thought it would and it is too late to move forward. So you are going to have to get your racket underneath the ball without properly setting your feet. You watch the ball intently and swing to hit it. But instead of following through across your body, you swing the racket over your head. It works and it puts enough on the ball so that you are not in trouble in the rally.
The reverse forehand is for when you cannot set up to hit a proper stroke. It is basically a shortcut for when you don't have time to move your feet. You can use it to take balls early after they bounce. You can use it to hit aggressive lobs. You can use it on the run. There are as many applications to it as the regular forehand. But use it sparingly because you need strength to hit it.
Jonathan demonstrates the Semi Western Grip1. Recognize a difficult ball early
2. Follow through over your head
I even get to be in this one. Here is my reverse forehandapproach shot (check how I change my grip without using
my other hand). Semi Western.
For the old schoolers: Pete Sampras reverse forehand. Pete uses
the eastern grip.
Learning this move is not so hard but it takes practice. You just get a ball machine or an instructor and have them feed you balls while you hit forehands and don't move your feet or turn your shoulders. You need pace with this shot so have the balls come at you at a decent speed. At first you might launch the balls but once you start to understand it an put it in your normal rallies you will never have to practice it again.
The reverse forehand is an advanced technique that you would use when the balls are coming faster than you expected. If you find yourself using it too much then it would be wise to take a step back from the baseline so you can hit normal strokes again.
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