62-Year-Old Competitive Player Builds ATP Forehand and Power Serve | Private Lesson with Chris Lewit

Chris Lewit, top American development coach, works with his 62-year-old competitive tournament player to develop a modern ATP-style forehand, world-class serving mechanics, and stronger topspin fundamentals. In this private lesson filmed in Manchester, Vermont, they focus on adding more power to the serve, sharpening heavy topspin technique, and building elite stroke mechanics at any age. Throughout the session, Chris shares many valuable insights and tips from his experience as a world-class coach, offering technical gems for players and coaches alike. What you’ll learn in this lesson: ✅ How a 62-year-old competitive player is developing an ATP-style forehand ✅ Key technical checkpoints for building a world-class forehand at any age ✅ How to add more power and spin to your serve with proper mechanics ✅ The secrets to creating heavy topspin like the pros ✅ Common mistakes older players make — and how to correct them ✅ Drills and progressions for developing elite stroke mechanics ✅ Valuable insights from world-class American coach Chris Lewit based on decades of coaching top juniors and adults 🎾 Chapters 0:00 YouTube as a learning tool & AI in music 1:51 Forehand foundations – base, hips, avoiding over-rotation 2:27 Listening for the “whip” sound & landing on the balls of the feet 3:41 Neutral position, soft backhands, and smooth rally rhythm 4:09 Stepping in on shorter balls & leaving the ground for more power 4:40 Using obliques and core rotation for a heavier forehand 6:04 Biggest baddest forehand in the 60s & shoulder health talk 6:31 Story about José Higueras, injuries, and longevity in tennis 8:19 Semi-open stance, forward transfer, and Carlos Moyá reference 9:09 High, spinny forehands as a tactical change-up to the backhand 10:13 Staying loose in the distal joints & managing tension under pressure 14:39 Receiving the ball “offset” – why tennis is not like baseball or football 16:01 Push-out takeback, compact swing, and keeping the hands on the hitting side 18:56 Under-appreciated role of the core and obliques in forehand and serve 20:02 Tracking the ball with a still head & “chin on the shoulder” cue 21:18 Heavy inside-out forehands and the Spanish idea of “hitting over the backhand” 23:41 Transition to one-handed backhand – structure, stance, and grip options 31:01 Extreme closed stance & modern one-handed backhand mechanics 32:10 Three checkpoints on the one-hander & heel-up finish 34:35 Using both eyes on the ball & head stability on the backhand 36:33 Training with a high string/air target to clean up swing path 37:00 “Practice backhand” vs committing to it in real points 39:09 Grip tinkering – eastern vs (semi)-western and merging forehand/backhand grips 47:01 Modern topspin backhand vs old-school flat one-hander (Wawrinka model) 49:44 Using a merged grip to simplify return of serve 55:29 Travel, IMG Academy, Rafa Nadal Academy & summer camp chat 1:00:24 First-serve overhaul begins – power position and racket spacing 1:04:11 Looking at the toss “across the shoulder” & staying sideways 1:07:05 Tossing farther in front for a true power serve 1:10:02 Internal shoulder rotation, “football throw” analogy, and pronation 1:14:16 Recap – power position, trunk load, toss location, and ISR = more mph 1:21:22 Tossing so far you “think you can’t reach it” – then chasing it 1:26:00 Kick-serve mechanics – dirty diaper/hangman finish and tricep extension 1:36:33 Scapular mobility work & stretching for a healthier, longer-lasting serve 1:38:06 Competing in 60+ tennis, ITF senior goals & closing conversation