Your Strokes: Bastiaan One Handed Backhand

[johnyandell]

Would love to get your thoughts on my latest article, "Your Strokes: Bastiaan One Handed Backhand"!

[ten1050]

Great article, the extension is extremely important. I would like to send you some video of my backhand drive. I will attempt to incorporate the concepts from this article.

Norman Ashbrooke

[johnyandell]

Norman, Send it on!

[arturohernandez]

I wonder if you could load the before and after videos in a way that I could look at them frame by frame. My sense from the original video is that he uses his shoulder to push the ball without much looseness in his wrist or arm. I tend to do the same thing. It is a bit muscled that way but it tends to produce a consistent shot. The tricky part for me is to loosen the arm and brush the ball more. This tends to feel looser and less controlled than the tighter version. But it produces more topspin and consistency. It is also MUCH less tiring.

This is not such a big issue at Bastiaan's age. But is definitely a consideration at my age. If I can produce the same shot with less energy, then I can save my effort for when I really need it.

His original backhand seems less springy and loose but I wanted to see if I could spot how he is generating his power in the original and what the difference is in the shift. My guess is that even the improved version could be looser and more explosive. Of course, the devil is in the details and half the battle is letting go of conscious "tighter" control and letting your body do its thing.

[doctorhl]

I wonder if you could load the before and after videos in a way that I could look at them frame by frame. My sense from the original video is that he uses his shoulder to push the ball without much looseness in his wrist or arm. I tend to do the same thing. It is a bit muscled that way but it tends to produce a consistent shot. The tricky part for me is to loosen the arm and brush the ball more. This tends to feel looser and less controlled than the tighter version. But it produces more topspin and consistency. It is also MUCH less tiring.

This is not such a big issue at Bastiaan's age. But is definitely a consideration at my age. If I can produce the same shot with less energy, then I can save my effort for when I really need it.

His original backhand seems less springy and loose but I wanted to see if I could spot how he is generating his power in the original and what the difference is in the shift. My guess is that even the improved version could be looser and more explosive. Of course, the devil is in the details and half the battle is letting go of conscious "tighter" control and letting your body do its thing.

Arturo, I couldn't help but comment because I think we are in the same place with age and a muscled topspin backhand. From easy self feeds, then machine feeds, I started hitting mostly down the line shots to force some needed topspin in a shorter court direction( too easy to pull across on crosscourts when learning). I had to start with a more vertical tip to get the " feel" of gravity reducing arm/hand tension to let the racket head fall about 6 to 8 inches below the incoming ball (as Brian Gordon recomends). I felt like gravity was lowering the head much lower, but the film said otherwise. This little movement, however, required that I mentally give myself more time to initiate the forward swing and still make contact at full extension. In addition, the extra time meant I had to keep my shoulders closed a hair longer so I didn't pull across my body( more a Federer look than a Warwrinka look).This felt like the deltoid stayed active a little longer to make contact at full extension and keep the core muscles from overengaging and pulling the shoulders/arm across the body too soon. The left arm throwback also helped as a brake to help with over engagement. Slightly releasing the pinkie finger on the follow through also helped reduce the hand tension a little and give that full "frisbee release" follow through look. Of course, the earlier the feet are in position with rear foot loading, the better. Our age, however, makes this somewhat problematic for significant improvement. Note that my descriptive wording for what I think I "feel" may do more harm than good, so use with caution!

Side by side, single frame advance comparison( your film and John's pro archived film) used with John's imaging protocol for practice, is the best method as it eliminates player misinterpretation of movement descriptors like mine. Stick to John's key cues to not confuse an error individual style( (Medvedev is rhe poster child for this!!) A mouse or advance wheel makes single frame forward and reverse much easier.

[johnyandell]

Arturo,
I think you are overthinking all this. Why don't you post your backhand from imovie slo mo and similar framing?

Doc,
Ditto for you...

[doctorhl]

Affirmative. As they say to primary school teachers: "show it, don't talk it".

[arturohernandez]

Arturo,
I think you are overthinking all this. Why don't you post your backhand from imovie slo mo and similar framing?

Doc,
Ditto for you...

Actually, I just want to go through the before/after videos frame by frame if possible. I have looked and worked on my backhand forever. It is pretty much where I would like it to be these days.

However, I wanted to see if I could get a feel for Bastiaan's backhand. I do it sometimes with strokes for fun believe it or not. I especially like to look at one handed backhands which I find to be the one shot that still awes me in tennis because of its fluidity and extension when hit well.

[johnyandell]

Both videos here, but even better, you can upload a video and compare yourself to Bastiaan on this page - frame by frame!
Frame By Frame With Bastiaan

If you right click over the video you can select 'Save Vudeo As..."

Bastiaan Before



Bastiaan After

[arturohernandez]

I wonder if you could load the before and after videos in a way that I could look at them frame by frame. My sense from the original video is that he uses his shoulder to push the ball without much looseness in his wrist or arm. I tend to do the same thing. It is a bit muscled that way but it tends to produce a consistent shot. The tricky part for me is to loosen the arm and brush the ball more. This tends to feel looser and less controlled than the tighter version. But it produces more topspin and consistency. It is also MUCH less tiring.

This is not such a big issue at Bastiaan's age. But is definitely a consideration at my age. If I can produce the same shot with less energy, then I can save my effort for when I really need it.

His original backhand seems less springy and loose but I wanted to see if I could spot how he is generating his power in the original and what the difference is in the shift. My guess is that even the improved version could be looser and more explosive. Of course, the devil is in the details and half the battle is letting go of conscious "tighter" control and letting your body do its thing.

johnyandell Thanks for posting the frame by frame. It revealed what I sensed was going on from the original one. The before seems to me that all the power is generated from his shoulder and then he kind of just swings through the ball. The after seems to have a little more transfer down the arm to the racket.

I know that being a backseat pro is so easy to do. But I wonder if he just kind of used just the short flicking motion in front of him very loosely whether he could loosen up even more. His contact is very good and so it is going to be a very consistent shot. A little more topspin might allow him to change the trajectory, create more angles, etc. Again, this is all without being there and seeing the actual backhand in action.

The interesting part is that the extension is really important so that he doesn't windmill around. It might also be easier to understand extension as a student.

You made my day! I love looking at one handed backhands.

[tennisskip1515]

Very nice piece, and imo you initiated an excellent shift in Bastian's backhand. An additional perq of the technical change is that now he can more easily move forwards after this shot if the situation calls for it, as his weight is not shifting backwards like it was before the change. I used to call your improvement "keeping the shoulder in the shot longer," or even advised keeping it still; I know a full-throated swing will eventually move the shoulder's spot in space but the focus on keeping it still promotes the follow through you speak of. Again, nice piece, great advice.

[don_budge]

Nice to see an article about a one handed backhand. Too many two handed backhands nowadays. Pretty good shoulder turn here from McEnroe. Showing his back to his opponent. Left shoulder rotated all the way under his chin as he prepares to unleash. Nice coil.



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[johnyandell]

Skip,
Thank you sir!