• Tennis smash is a tennis stoke to hit the tennis ball virtually as hard as one can and is in 3 principal forms, namely:

1. The Overhead Tennis Smash. 
2. The Forehand Tennis Smash.
3. The Backhand Tennis Smash.

A properly executed tennis smash stroke virtually requires the complete coordination of all parts of the body, namely: 

1. Keeping the eyes on the ball for the tennis smash, which requires coordinated neck, head and eye movement. 
2. The coordinated movement of the feet and toes for the tennis smash.
   
3. The coordinated movement of the ankles, knees and hip for the tennis smash.
4. The coordinated movement of the lower back vertebrates to the upper back vertebrates to the shoulder for the tennis smash.The coordinated movement of the shoulder, elbow and wrist for the tennis smash.
5. The coordinated movement of the hand and fingers of one hand, for a one handed stroke, or for both hands for a two handed tennis smash stroke.
6. All of these movements must be coordinated in time and together, with the tennis ball being hit in the sweet spot area of the tennis racket and tennis strings, at the point of impact, in order for an effective tennis smash to be achieved.
7. It is herein noted that the tennis smash stroke along with the tennis serve, which uses a similar form to that used in the overhead tennis smash stroke, are the most difficult to learn and master, of all of the tennis strokes.

• The overhead tennis smash is a stroke where the arm and tennis racket are brought up and over the head of the tennis player and the impact with the tennis ball ideally occurs when the tennis racket is just beyond the top apex of the swing and slightly on the way down.
• The overhead tennis smash is usually hit when the ball hit by the opponent, 1) comes over the net high and it is hit back on the fly, or 2) is a high or deep lob and the ball is allowed to bounce before hitting it back.
• At the point of impact with the ball, ideally for maximum impact. the body is moving forward as the arm is being swung up and forward and just before the impact with the ball the wrist and fingers are snapped forward providing additional impact between the racket and the ball.
• For the most effective wrist and finger snap, it is recommended that the little finger be relaxed and not held tight against the grip of the tennis racket which allows for more snap capability from the wrist and fingers.
• Most tennis players hit the overhead tennis smash with the opposite toe still touching the tennis court; however, Pete Sampras introduced the jump tennis smash where the player jumps and then hits the tennis smash in mid-air as the body is coming down, where the downward force of the body is added to the impact on the tennis ball and if hit properly is virtually un-returnable – since the introduction, this tennis smash shot is being used by many of the professional and tournament tennis players.  

• Almost all humans are naturally either right handed or left handed and for these cases the forehand tennis smash refers to either the right or left side that a person naturally inherits at birth, and in case of people born ambidextrous it is the preferred side by such a person
• The forehand tennis smash is almost always swung with one hand and arm and on the natural side of the person playing tennis.
• For a strong forehand tennis smash return, the player should try to hit the ball as it travels down the court at a height somewhere between the player’s upper knee and shoulder.
• The one handed stroke, in comparison to the two handed stroke, provides, 1) a greater possible reach in trying to chase down and hit a tennis ball, 2) for more power to be applied to the tennis ball, since more body, arm and wrist movement can be applied to the ball on impact, and 3) is the preferred forehand tennis smash stroke by almost all tennis players, although there are a few tennis players who chose to use a 2 handed forehand tennis smash stroke, for whatever reason.

• The backhand tennis smash refers to hitting the ball on the opposite side of the body from the side holding the tennis racket.
• Thus, the arm holding the tennis racket for a forehand tennis smash must cross the body in order to reach the ball for the backhand tennis smash and obviously the reach of the player and potential coverage of the tennis court is reduced, as well as the potential power that can be put on the ball at time of racket impact.
• However, there is a fairly even match of players that use either a one handed or a two handed backhand tennis smash stroke and this applies to professional tennis players as well, 1) one handed backhanded tennis smash players generally have greater coverage of the court and once the stroke is mastered, greater impact on the tennis ball, whereas two handed backhanded tennis smash players generally have greater control of the ball placement to the opponents side of the tennis court.
• As with the forehand tennis smash, for a strong backhand tennis smash return, the player should try to hit the ball as it travels down the court at a height somewhere between the player’s upper knee and shoulder.
• A few players switch hands holding the tennis racket to hit backhand tennis smash shots one handed, 1) this allows for greater coverage of the tennis court, but 2) is usually only done when the ball otherwise could not be reached, unless the player is ambidextrous.