Choosing the right stance for the incoming ball

Watch enough professional tennis and you will see forehands hit from neutral stance, semi-open stance and open stance, sometimes within the same rally. The stance is not a stylistic preference. It is a response to the demands of the incoming ball.

Neutral stance as the foundation

The neutral stance, with the front foot stepping toward the net, remains the most biomechanically efficient position for transferring body weight into the shot. For amateur and junior players, mastering the neutral stance first builds a sound kinetic chain: ground force through the legs, hip rotation, and weight transfer through contact.

The challenge is that the modern game does not always allow time to find a neutral stance. As ball speed increases or the player is moved wider, they are forced into semi-open or open positions.

Reading the ball and choosing the stance

The choice of stance is led by the speed and placement of the incoming ball. A ball that arrives with time and lands centrally allows the player to step in with a neutral stance. A faster ball or one that pushes the player wide demands a semi-open or open stance, where the player loads on the outside leg and rotates through the hips.

Regardless of which stance the player ends up in, the kinetic chain remains the same. Power comes from the ground up, through the hips, and into contact. The stance changes how that chain is loaded, not whether it exists.