Rafael Nadal is famous for his over-the-head forehand follow-through. But all top players use the reverse finish at times, especially when they’re on the run or pressed for time. Novak Djokovic perfectly demonstrates the importance of this technique and how it works.
1
On this running forehand, Djokovic has the same upper-body coil as you would see in any high-level forehand. The face of his racquet starts off closed, so his arm and racquet can flip or rotate at a high speed to square the racquet face at contact.
2
The difference is in the swing itself. Unlike on a regular forehand drive, Djokovic swings steeply upward on this shot and ends with a windshield-wiper finish. When you’re moving fast and have to slide into the ball or stop shortly after hitting it, this swing is more natural. It helps you with recovery, as the ball will have more height, depth and spin, and less pace.
3
As Djokovic’s racquet accelerates upward, its tip turns over 180 degrees. It starts out pointing at one sideline and finishes pointing at the other. This steep swing imparts lots of topspin and some sidespin on the ball—so it will bend into the court if Djokovic hits down the line, or curl even farther from his opponent if he hits a crosscourt angle.