Formula for Successful Tennis
Like life, it's the preparation and execution that's important not the follow-up. If you are in position, and get a good hip and shoulder turn in all your ground strokes you will open up a straight path in which your racket can move, making solid contact. The turn will get the racket moving so it will be moving towards your target and it will keep going at the target. You don't have to worry about the follow through because the racket will move through to the right follow through position.
Three things determine your choice of shot:
Contact position; Ideal is between thigh and chest.
Weight transfer; Weight needs to be going into the direction of your target. Anytime you are moving to the side or back you do not have weight transfer.
Balance; ideally you should be able to strike the ball and hold your position. If you are leaning over back and when you swing you will fall off the shot, you are not balanced.
You will now focus on the 3 types of shots and having the right racket path for each of the shots. (In all the shots, the hip and shoulder turn is the same)
Attacking shots. You have 3 out of 3, (Contact point, Weight transfer and Balance) you are in good position and the ball is in front of you. You want to move forward and hit a low hard shot about 2-3 feet above net. The racket path moves more in a straight patch and does not go above the shoulder. Power level 5-6
Neutral or rally shot. You have 2 out of 3. This is your low to high swing with follow through over shoulder. You are trying to keep the ball deep on the opponent standing on the baseline so the ball should go 4-6 feet above the net. Power level 3-4
Defensive shot. You have 1or 0 out of 3. You are out of position and you want to keep it deep and buy time. Path way goes medium (instead of low) and pretty high, speed is at a 2 or 3 level.
1. First move is turn your hip and shoulders to the net and "load" your weight onto your backfoot.
2. To start the stroke, use the big muscles first, leg drive, hip turn and upper shoulder to initiate the stoke. This will give you the power.
3. The big muscles have started the stroke now use the smaller muscles, your forearm and wrist to keep the racket head at your target for as long as you can.
4. A good follow through will happen if you accelerate the racket through the hitting zone and extend the racket to the target. At the end relax the arm to finish the shot.