Developing The Overhead Shot In Tennis

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In our 6th blog, I’m excited to introduce the overhead, which is an attacking shot played from closer to the net. It is a high skill shot to execute and understanding the right fundamentals, will help you to practice the shot correctly and develop it into a strong part of your game.

I’ll start with discussing the right grip and then progress into shot preparation and execution.

The Overhead Grip:

The overhead grip is similar to the backhand grip where for the right hander, the index finger knuckle is placed on the right edge of the racquet (for left handers it would be on the left edge of the racquet) as shown in the picture below.

My grip on the overhead

Wrist Action To Impact Spin:

In the below animations, watch how the right grip enables me to angle the racquet face at contact to impact slice (# 1), and also to pronate my wrist through the strike zone and hit the ball flat (# 2).

#1 — Slice overhead

#2 — Flat overhead

Shot Preparation:

Often players while watching the lob, fail to get their racquet back quickly to prepare for the overhead. Watch how as I see the lob coming, I quickly turn my shoulders and get my racquet prepared. Develop a good visual representation of this movement and form.

Quick shoulder turn and racquet back

Point of Contact & Follow Through:

See how I stretch up to the point of contact which gives me a good angle to clear the net. Also, the point of contact is in front of my body which allows me to transfer my body weight through the shot, resulting in more power.

High point of contact and follow through towards the target

Additional Suggestions:

• Make sure to practice your overhead regularly to develop an effective net game. Many players don’t practice this shot enough and it stays as a weak link in their game.
• If you are hitting overheads with a forehand grip (where the index finger knuckle is more to the right for right-handers — see grip section above), gradually move the index finger knuckle to the correct location. The forehand grip may allow you to tap the ball back, but it will limit your ability to generate power and spin on the shot.
• Practice overheads from different parts of the net area to different locations of the court. This will get you ready for a variety of lob placements and add variation in your shot execution.

All the best with developing your overhead and see you later this month where I will share a few more tips and drills via our new video.

Best,

Harsh