The video begins with Andre taking a split step just as his opponent strikes the ball.   His hands and racquet are in front of him and are very still.  As he comes out of the split step, he is already leaning toward his right and turning his shoulder. This is the unit turn that is common to all good players. 

The ball is hit near him so he doesn't have to move far to be in position to return it. Andre only needs to shuffle to his right a few feet in order to be prepared for the shot.  His hands and racquet are still in front of his body.  They haven't moved much, just his shoulders have turned.

Much of this turn is initiated by his left arm pushing his racquet arm to the right.  By the time this motion is completed, Andre's left arm is perpendicular with the sideline. As he pushes this racquet to the side with his left hand, his right arm is rising noticeably.  His hitting hand has moved from near his waist to about level with his chin, yet his hands and racquet continue to appear calm and unhurried. 

From a VJTTA perspective, Andre is "showing the logo" perfectly as he moves toward the ball.

As the ball approaches, his hitting arm completes a small loop and ends with his elbow bent and his wrist laid back. This is the so-called double-bend position, which all good players achieve at the end of their forehand backswing. Indeed, the main purpose of the backswing is to get the arm and racquet into this position efficiently.  Most players take a loop backswing, but you could just as easily bring it nearly straight back and drop it down from there. Note that Andre's racquet at the end of his backswing is a little below the point where he will make contact with the ball.

Andre initiates his forward swing by rotating his shoulders back to a position parallel to the net.  It is almost as if his arm and racquet were just along for the ride.  His shoulder is supplying lots of power here.

At contact, note that Andre's wrist and elbow are still in the double-bend position. Contact is made out in front.  You can almost draw a line extending from Andre's eyes, down his hitting arm, down the racquet handle to the ball. 

As contact is made, Andre's right shoulder continues driving through the shot as he pulls up sharply with his racquet arm, moving the strings up and across the ball in a windshield wiper motion. Andre ends with his hitting shoulder pointing toward the target.

Andre has hit this shot from a semi-open stance, and some of the energy going into the shot comes from pushing off his right foot as he launches into the ball. His left foot is also off the ground, but this is more to keep his body upright and balanced through the shot (he actually does not push off the left foot much as he hits up through the shot).

Andre finishes with his characteristic "Count Dracula" follow-through, cloaking his face with his hitting arm.  Note that the hitting arm, still bent, doesn't wrap around his neck but finishes about mid-level on his left arm.

The open stance finish pulls Andre's feet off the ground, but as he lands he pushes off of his right foot and begins side-shuffling toward a neutral position in the court, where he will again split step and begin reacting to the opponent's ball.

Comparing Andre's forehand to Roger Federer's forehand, you can see that Andre's is very compact, businesslike, and efficient; Roger Federer's forehand is longer, more flowing, more eloquent. Both shots get the job done, however, and both men are excellent role models for hitting a forehand.

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