Tennis is a sport that has evolved tremendously over the past years. Players have become taller, stronger and fitter, turning a professional tennis match into a battle of powerful hitting. The now old fashion “serve and volley” game was replaced by powerful services and ground strokes exchanges. Slice shots are much less used than before and flat shots practically disappeared, giving place to modern and heavy top spins from both the forehand and backhand wings.
Perhaps the greatest symbol of modern tennis is the open stance forehand. The traditional “turn-step-hit” pattern that establishes a linear type of hitting with momentum coming from stepping into de ball, has given place to the modern “load–explode-land” pattern, which establishes an angular style of hitting. The open stance forehand helps a player generate more power and pace to the shot, in addition to facilitating recovery and direction changing after the shot is executed.