You don’t “randomly lose” your forehand. You don’t “mysteriously spray” your backhand. What actually happens is simpler—and more fixable: one technical link breaks, your timing shifts, and you start compensating.
This is where most players and even good coaches waste weeks. They chase the symptom (ball flying long, ball dying in the net, shanks) instead of solving the technical cause that created the symptom. Real tennis technical problem solutions work in the opposite direction: identify the failure point first, then apply a correction that holds up under speed.
Tennis technical problem solutions start with diagnosis, not drills
If you change the wrong thing, you can get a short-term “feel” that collapses the moment you add pace, spin, or pressure. So the first rule is non-negotiable: diagnose with the ball flight and contact, not with opinions.
Ball long with solid contact? That’s usually face control and timing. Ball into the net with heavy “arminess”? That’s usually spacing, low-to-high path, or a late contact. Ball shanked? That’s usually distance-to-ball and where your body is at contact.
Here’s the key: most breakdowns aren’t unique. They fall into repeatable patterns. Fix the pattern, and the stroke comes back fast.
Forehand breakdowns that show up in every serious player
Problem 1: The forehand flies long when you “swing harder”
This is the classic pressure miss. You want more pace, so you add arm speed. The racket face opens a fraction, contact drifts behind you, and the ball sails.
The solution is not “swing slower.” The solution is to move your contact forward and stabilize the hitting structure so you can accelerate without the face floating.
A simple on-court reset: on every rally ball for five minutes, exaggerate meeting the ball in front of your front hip and finishing with your hand traveling through the target line before wrapping. You’ll feel like you’re early. That’s the point. Most players who miss long under pressure are late and open.
Trade-off: if you overdo this, you’ll pull balls wide because you’ll rotate too early. If that happens, keep the same forward contact but delay the shoulders opening by a split second.
Problem 2: The forehand dumps into the net when you try to “brush”
Players hear “more topspin” and start swiping up the back of the ball. The racket path gets too vertical, the contact drops, and you lose drive.
The solution is to keep the racket traveling forward while it rises—drive and lift together. Think of sending the ball through the court first, then letting the spin happen.
A correction that holds: aim three feet above the net for ten balls in a row while keeping your finish high. If the ball keeps dropping, your contact is too far back or your swing is too steep. Move your contact forward and feel the racket move more “through” than “up.”
It depends scenario: if you’re playing with a western grip and heavy spin, your “through” will still look steep. That’s fine. What you can’t lose is forward travel and a stable contact point.
Problem 3: The forehand shanks when the rally speeds up
Shanks are rarely “bad luck.” They happen when your spacing changes and your racket doesn’t meet the ball at the same distance each time.
The solution is footwork that preserves spacing—specifically, a final adjustment step that sets your hitting distance.
Here’s the non-negotiable cue: if you’re reaching, you’re already late. Build the habit of one last small step right before the swing so your arm can extend naturally instead of stretching.
If you want a fast test, rally at medium pace and intentionally pause your feet (no adjustment step). You’ll start framing within minutes. Put the adjustment step back in, and contact stabilizes.
Backhand breakdowns that sabotage matches
Problem 4: One-handed backhand floats weak or slices accidentally
This is usually a collapsing hitting arm and a shoulder line that opens too soon. The result is a “push” instead of a drive.
The solution is structure: extend through contact with a firm wrist and a long hitting zone. If your elbow bends early, the ball dies.
A powerful reset: hit crosscourt backhands where you freeze your finish for one second with your hitting arm extended and your chest still more sideways than open. The freeze exposes the truth immediately. If you can’t hold the structure, you’re not building it.
Trade-off: if you lock up too much, you’ll lose racket head speed. You want firm, not rigid. The extension is the priority; the swing still flows.
Problem 5: Two-handed backhand pulls wide or yanks down the line unintentionally
This miss is usually caused by the shoulders and hips rotating too early, dragging the racket across the ball. Players feel “powerful,” but the ball leaks.
The solution is to delay rotation and keep the ball on the strings longer—your contact has to happen slightly more in front, with the hands moving more through the target.
A practical court cue: imagine your backhand is a straight-line punch to the crosscourt window. For the next 15 balls, do not allow your chest to face the net at contact. Let the ball leave first.
It depends scenario: if you’re late, you’ll feel stuck and jammed. In that case, the fix is not more delay—it’s earlier preparation. Turn sooner, get set sooner, then delay the open.
Problem 6: Backhand into the net against heavy topspin
Heavy topspin exposes poor spacing and low contact management. Many players let the ball crowd them, then they can’t lift it.
The solution is to create space and meet the ball at the right height. That means you either take it earlier (on the rise) or back up to hit it at a manageable strike zone. Standing in no-man’s land and hoping is not a plan.
A fast correction: for five minutes, choose one option only—either step in and take it earlier or consciously drop back and take it later. Don’t alternate randomly. Consistency in contact height is what restores consistency in ball flight.
The real root cause: timing breaks when the split step is wrong
Most “technical” problems are actually timing problems disguised as technique. When your timing is off, your swing looks different, your contact shifts, and suddenly you’re “changing your stroke” without intending to.
The fastest lever you can pull is the split step. If you split late, you’re late to the ball. If you split early and land flat, you’re slow to move. If you don’t split with intention, you guess.
This is why the best solutions are systematic. When the lower body timing stabilizes, the upper body stops improvising.
If you want a proven, results-driven method that’s built around correcting groundstroke issues quickly and permanently, Mili’s Split Method is designed specifically for that outcome.
A practical way to solve your own stroke problems in one session
You don’t need ten new drills. You need one clean feedback loop.
Start with a 10-minute rally where you only track two things: where contact happens (in front, beside, or behind you) and what the ball does (net, long, wide, shank). That pairing tells you the truth.
Then choose one correction only. If you change three variables at once, you’ll never know what worked.
Finally, pressure-test it. Most players “fix” something at 50% speed and then lose it immediately. After you get five clean balls, increase pace. After you handle pace, add direction. After direction, add a point.
If the fix disappears under pressure, the correction wasn’t stable enough—or you didn’t tie it to movement and timing.
When the fix should be different (and how to know)
Some players keep trying to “correct” a stroke when the real issue is fit. Grip, stance, and contact style have to match.
If you’re consistently late on the forehand, a more extreme grip might feel worse because it demands even more forward contact. If you’re consistently early and pulling, a neutral setup might help you control face angle.
If your backhand collapses under pace, the answer might be simplifying your takeback or changing your strike zone expectations. Not everyone should take the ball at the same height or distance.
The standard here is simple: the solution must hold at match speed. Anything else is practice theater.
A helpful closing thought: the moment you stop asking “What’s wrong with my swing?” and start asking “What broke my contact and timing?” you’ll start fixing problems in days, not months.