Analyzing Juan Martin's Del Potro Powerful Forehand

Juan Martin Del Potro, you made us all dream. And because you are retiring, I decided to break down your legendary forehand. If you ask other ATP players to describe Delpo's forehand with one word, they will probably say powerful. Now let's understand the mechanics behind it. The power that Juan Martin generates is the result of a combination of multiple factors. I often mention the whip effect. In Delpo's case, it definitely has a role to play. You can see that the bottom of the grip looks at the ball, sending the racket head quite far back before coming back very fast. The bigger the leverage effect, the more power. In his case, his size, the length of his arms is an asset, and the fact that his arm is fully extended while he hits the ball increases even more that leverage effect. His shoulder also plays a very big role in increasing the power. It has a big action in driving the shot before, during, and after the impact. Now look at his contact point. The orientation of his racket head with a 90% angle with the ground shows how little spin is applied to the ball. By hitting the ball so flat, he puts much more pace on the ball. And this is possible only because his height positions himself way above the net. And finally, Delpo is a master of weight dispatch. Look how early he sets his feet on the ground. We don't even see the ball yet. And he's already in place. Then he transfers his entire body weight through the ball. Look how his body moves forward during the shot, and how his right leg passes in front after the shot. This testifies for a great weight dispatch. So if you're looking for more power, watch all these elements and implement the one that feels the most natural to you. And you will see a big difference.