Frequently Asked Technical Questions:

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THE FRONT FOOT HOP

Question:
Why is a front foot hop such a great shot to teach from a young age?
 
Answer:
You hit off a neutral stance (feet set up at an right angle to the net and front foot pointing at the net post) when you hit a front foot hop. This means you must take the ball early and make contact with the ball out in front. It is great to get young players into the habit of moving their feet down the court and use the more aggressive neutral stance, not let the short ball come to them and select the more passive open stance.

The ball that you hit when playing a front foot hop is called an opportunity ball. This is so named because you are presented with a ball that gives you the opportunity to take control of the rally and approach the net. It commonly lands around the service line. It is important for young players to feel comfortable to approach the net and try and end points quickly. Having a good approach and net game will make them more complete players.

Question:
What are some common errors made when hitting a front foot hop?

Answer:

1.) You hop before you hit. When making all hopping contact moves be it a forward, lateral or a back foot you must hit then hop.

2.) You open up the hips to early. The best way to avoid this is by using a kick back balance move.

3.) You jump up instead of staying low and keeping the angles in the legs. This tends to make you “shank” the ball (miss hit on the frame) which is also a sign of hitting the ball too early.

4.) You keep the weight too much on the front foot when moving towards the ball. Keep the weight back even though you moving forward otherwise good weight transfer and body control are lost.

Question:
What are some good teaching points?

Answer:

    * Keep the angles in the legs when hitting as this will help the swing line of the swing so you extend through the shot and it also helps you keep balance and hit with power.
    * Use a kick back balance move as this will keep you side on through the shot. After the swing look over the elbow of the hitting arm as this will also keep you balanced.
    * Don’t hop to far forward, the front foot should skim the ground and be very natural and relaxed.
    * Watch the ball not the intended target. It is very easier because the target it out in front to rush the shot because you want to get into the net quickly.
    * The split step is an important part of the front foot hop when approaching the net and should always be included in every drill.
    * It is excellent to practice the front foot hop throwing a medicine ball that bounces over the net. You don’t need to use medicine balls that weight more than 1-2 kilograms.

Question:
Do you always come into the net after a front foot hop?

Answer:

No not always! A lot of the time you are forced quickly to move forward and end up reaching for the ball (or the ball is very low). In this case the hop happens as a result of not being in a great position. Remember, the front foot hop helps you to impart more topspin than a step down move because you do become elevated after contact thus you use the hop to get a low ball up and over the net.

Sometimes you don’t approach the net because you just haven’t hit the ball well enough or your opponent has really good court position. A lot of front foot hops happen naturally due to the forward momentum of the body but are hit to far back to warrant an approach to the net.

Question:
Why do you always say the front foot hop helps Roger Federer win Wimbledon?

Answer:

At Wimbledon, Roger Federer rarely serves and volleys but at the first opportunity he will approach the net and 90% of the time he approaches with a front foot hop (especially on the forehand side). He performs the front foot hop very well and that is the key to success – use moves that feel comfortable, that work, are reliable and don’t break down under pressure. The front foot hop is a very important tool for Federer to dominate the court and very well suited to grass court tennis.

Question:
There is a lot of personal preference when selecting the front foot hop! Is that an accurate statement?

Answer:

Yes, with all the contact moves there is a combination of what suits the player and selecting the correct move on the correct approaching ball. A lot of the time it will depend on the players’ grip, how quickly they want to approach the net (some players like to let the ball drop, take it out of the air, stop before they hit etc) or the spin they want to put on the ball! i.e. slice the backhand instead of hitting a backhand front foot hop which is more topspin based.