Why Do Pros Let the Racket Drop on Their Forehand?

Watch any professional forehand in slow motion — Federer's is the textbook example — and you'll see the same move club players are usually taught to avoid: the racket head drops well below the hand before it ever swings forward. It looks like a mistake. It isn't. Vexo ambassador coach Gonzalo Bilbao Juarez broke down exactly why in a recent technique video that has since passed 200,000 views and brought 200+ new followers to Vexo's Instagram — proof that players want to understand the mechanics, not just copy the shape.

Meet the coach behind the breakdown

Gonzalo Bilbao Juarez is a tennis coach and Vexo training ambassador who runs Academy Juarez Tennis, working with players up to ATP tour level with a biomechanics-first approach to technique. His Instagram, @tenniscoach.juarez, has built over 13,000 followers on frame-by-frame swing breakdowns like this one — training in the Vexo TrainWell Tee.

Why do pros let the racket drop on a forehand?

After the unit turn, allowing the racket head to drop behind the hand creates several biomechanical advantages at once:

• Creates space between the body, elbow, and racket — preventing the arm from getting trapped and producing a "chicken wing."
• Positions the racket in the slot, allowing the arm to extend forward and reach an optimal contact point.
• Lets the racket approach the ball from below, creating the low-to-high swing path needed for racket-head speed and topspin.
• Increases acceleration potential — the racket head lags behind the hand, then accelerates through contact.
• Facilitates natural forearm pronation without actively manipulating the wrist.

The key: don't take the racket further back — let the racket head drop. Those are two different movements, and only one of them builds racket-head speed.

The five-step sequence: unit turn → racket drop → slot → extension → contact

The racket drop isn't an isolated movement — it only works because of what happens right before and after it:

1. Unit turn

Shoulders and hips rotate together away from the ball, loading the stroke before the racket moves independently.

2. Racket drop

The racket head falls behind the hand into the "pat the dog" position — not backward, downward.

3. The slot

From the drop, the racket sits in position for the arm to extend forward cleanly, with no trapped elbow to work around.

4. Extension

The arm reaches forward toward an optimal contact point out in front of the body, rather than jammed in close.

5. Contact

Racket-head speed peaks through the ball, with natural forearm pronation doing the rest of the work.

Watch the full breakdown

Coach Juarez films this side-by-side against a pro reference so you can see the drop happen in real time. Watch it on Instagram:

Follow @tenniscoach.juarez and @vexo.sport for more breakdowns like this one.

The one mistake that cancels the racket drop out

The most common club-level error is confusing the racket drop with a bigger backswing — pulling the racket further away from the body instead of letting the head fall behind the hand. That extra backswing feels powerful but does the opposite: it delays the slot, forces the arm to catch up, and often produces the trapped "chicken wing" the drop is meant to prevent. A simple self-check: after your unit turn, the racket head should point down toward the court, not back toward the fence.