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Because of recent topics about Kohlschreiber, Donald Young and The Reverse Forehand Revisited I want to add the following.
Why is it that Federer, Nadal, Kohlschreiber, Tommy Haas have such high rankings? Ofcourse there are a lot of answers. I want to mention one they share with each other. They use a different technique on either the Fh or the Bh or both. Because I see it as a real different technique I call it Fh2 and Bh2 in comparison to the “old” technique Fh1 and Bh1.
It is not only my vision but I can hit and teach all the strokes myself from the beginning of this year (2008). They give the same results like they do with the top players mentioned before. So I am convinced this is not just an opinion.
Let’s start by explaining who is hitting what.
Federer: Fh1, Fh2, Bh1 and Bh2.
Nadal: Fh2, Fh2A, Bh2 and Bh2A. Because of the double handed Bh of Nadal I still have some questions about this. (I am a one hander.) For me it was more important to know that he can hit the same ball trajectories on both sides. Most of the time he defends in baseline ralley’s with Fh2A/Bh2A and builds points with Fh2, Fh2A and Bh2. Towards finishing points and passing shots most of the time with Fh2/Bh2. (Nadal is using a reverse Fh2. He is also hitting a Bh2 with the same principles. First I wanted to call that a reverse Bh2. Somebody explained to me that that wouldn’t be correct. So I call them Fh2A and Bh2A because they are similar to each other. Maybe it is also better this way. The reversing is only a caracteristic of the shot and not the essence. The basis of both strokes is Fh2/Bh2.)
Kohlschreiber and Haas: Fh1, Bh1 and Bh2 (Not Fh2!?). The last forum thread about Kohlschreiber shows pictures of a Bh2. In the last match with him I saw him hit also Bh1.
Maybe there are other top players. Maybe Justine Henin hit Bh2? Sometimes I see beginners with Fh2-techniques. Very interesting where they loose that.
Fh2 and Bh2.
In principle the Fh2 and Bh2 can be hit with a bend arm and a straight arm. But I think that like the bend arm is more connected to Fh1 and Bh1 the straight arm is more connected to Fh2 and Bh2. Fh2/Bh2 is more circulair than lineair compared to Fh1/Bh1. That is why you can see more body turn in the preparation fase. The Fh2/Bh2 technique requires other racket preperation as well. Because the arm has to straighten during the backswing, backswings (in Fh2/Bh2) will be bigger than Fh1/Bh1. To compare backswings from Nadal with Donald Young or other players is therefore in this view not relevant. Maximum extension of the arm you see only with Fh2/Bh2 and it belongs there. Therefore in my opinion players with Fh1/Bh1 shouldn’t strive for the same extension.
Two further remarks about this:
1. In earlier Tennisplayer articles you could see that Fh1 can be hit with a straight arm. All other players mentioned there use Fh1 technique.
2. Some people mentioned that Federer can hit around 20-60 kinds of Fh’s. I only see Federer using Fh1 and Fh2 technique. Sometimes Fh1 with a little straighter arm. Sometimes Fh2 with a little bend arm and all the variations in between. Just like players with only Fh1 who also vary the shape of their arm.
Reverse Fh1 (Fh1A) versus reverse Fh2 (Fh2A).
I assume that Kohlschreiber and Haas can hit a reverse Fh1. I know that Federer can. But in my opinion only a reverse Fh2 is worth mentioning as a baseline stroke. At least with those men. A reverse Fh1 for them is “only” interesting as a special shot like a passing shot/lob etc.. Like it was with Sampras?
Sharapova is hitting a great Fh1A though. It is the only shot I can’t do. I can reverse a shot but the secret of her shot doesn’t lie in the obvious things we see. You think you see the same caracteristics and you think it is the same. Well in this case it is not. It is just a caracteristic of the shot. I still wonder how Sharapova can create so much power with so less upper arm follow through. Nadal is hitting a real different shot.
Hitting zone. (Where I mention Fh you can read Bh as well.)
I think it all culminates in the hitting zone. Because of the increased speed of the game it is getting more and more important to maintain maximum power in the largest zone. I think the player who has the same power in a bigger zone will be the better player. Especially when hitting zones are really bigger.
My feeling till now is that hitting zones Fh1:Fh2:Fh2A compare themselves as 1:4:8. And I tend to go to 1:4:10 rather than going down in numbers.
A straight arm stroke enlarges your hitting zone to the side with the difference between your bend arm and straight arm (30-40 cm.). The straight arm Fh1 has that advantage as well. But the Fh2 has also the advantage that you can hit the Fh from very close to the body (at Tennisplayer you can see some very good Federer examples) and also very close to the ground. Because of the earlier mentioned arm extension of this technique the hitting zone is enlarged to the front as well.
But the real advantage is with Fh2A. It has all the advantages of Fh2 but also:
1. Your hitting zone is amazingly enlarged backwards.You can see Nadal (also at Tennisplayer) hitting strokes with the weight on his backfoot and leaning backwards. In this way you can even hit a powerfull Fh2A even from behind the back foot.
2. Your hitting zone is amazingly enlarged upwards. You can still hit really high bouncing balls far above the head (at least 30 cm.) in stead of slicing them or by adjusting your position.
Fh2A/Bh2A is giving you the possibility to defend in a very offensive way! Like Nadal is doing.
Questions:
1. Federer and Nadal hit the same strokes Fh an Bh. I have the feeling that Roger developed this naturally at both sides. I think that Nadal naturally developed the Fh and than later consciously mirrored the stroke to the Bh. I wonder why Haas and Kohlschreiber don’t mirror the stroke to the Fh?
2. So that leads to the next question. Are Haas and Kohlschreiber aware of what they are doing? And Federer? Maybe the stroke is so natural with him that he is just doing it. In my opinion Nadal is exactly knowing what he is doing. For his tactical play he really is dependent on which trajectories he produces.
3. Is there a German connection? Are more Germans hitting Bh2? (The Swiss Tennis Federation couldn’t recall any connection between Kohlschreiber-Federer. Kohlschreiber grew up very close to Switserland.)
4. What would the mentioned players be without Fh2(A)/Bh2(A)? I am sure that Nadal wouldn’t be number 1!!! What could a top ten player with “only” Fh1/Bh1 achieve with Fh2(A)/Bh2(A)? I am sure that Federer and Nadal are at their places because of the extra’s of Fh2(A)/Bh2(A).
5. I am convinced that Federer, because of his talent, will beat Nadal again when he can use Fh2A/Bh2A..
6. Why is Federer not making efforts to understand and use the Fh2A/Bh2A technique? Most players are two steps away from Fh2A/Bh2A but Federer only one.
- Please don’t get disturbed about my grammar and spelling. My native language is not english.
- I could write this article solely because I came in contact with Tennisplayer!!!
Nico Mol
Amsterdam
Holland
Why is it that Federer, Nadal, Kohlschreiber, Tommy Haas have such high rankings? Ofcourse there are a lot of answers. I want to mention one they share with each other. They use a different technique on either the Fh or the Bh or both. Because I see it as a real different technique I call it Fh2 and Bh2 in comparison to the “old” technique Fh1 and Bh1.
It is not only my vision but I can hit and teach all the strokes myself from the beginning of this year (2008). They give the same results like they do with the top players mentioned before. So I am convinced this is not just an opinion.
Let’s start by explaining who is hitting what.
Federer: Fh1, Fh2, Bh1 and Bh2.
Nadal: Fh2, Fh2A, Bh2 and Bh2A. Because of the double handed Bh of Nadal I still have some questions about this. (I am a one hander.) For me it was more important to know that he can hit the same ball trajectories on both sides. Most of the time he defends in baseline ralley’s with Fh2A/Bh2A and builds points with Fh2, Fh2A and Bh2. Towards finishing points and passing shots most of the time with Fh2/Bh2. (Nadal is using a reverse Fh2. He is also hitting a Bh2 with the same principles. First I wanted to call that a reverse Bh2. Somebody explained to me that that wouldn’t be correct. So I call them Fh2A and Bh2A because they are similar to each other. Maybe it is also better this way. The reversing is only a caracteristic of the shot and not the essence. The basis of both strokes is Fh2/Bh2.)
Kohlschreiber and Haas: Fh1, Bh1 and Bh2 (Not Fh2!?). The last forum thread about Kohlschreiber shows pictures of a Bh2. In the last match with him I saw him hit also Bh1.
Maybe there are other top players. Maybe Justine Henin hit Bh2? Sometimes I see beginners with Fh2-techniques. Very interesting where they loose that.
Fh2 and Bh2.
In principle the Fh2 and Bh2 can be hit with a bend arm and a straight arm. But I think that like the bend arm is more connected to Fh1 and Bh1 the straight arm is more connected to Fh2 and Bh2. Fh2/Bh2 is more circulair than lineair compared to Fh1/Bh1. That is why you can see more body turn in the preparation fase. The Fh2/Bh2 technique requires other racket preperation as well. Because the arm has to straighten during the backswing, backswings (in Fh2/Bh2) will be bigger than Fh1/Bh1. To compare backswings from Nadal with Donald Young or other players is therefore in this view not relevant. Maximum extension of the arm you see only with Fh2/Bh2 and it belongs there. Therefore in my opinion players with Fh1/Bh1 shouldn’t strive for the same extension.
Two further remarks about this:
1. In earlier Tennisplayer articles you could see that Fh1 can be hit with a straight arm. All other players mentioned there use Fh1 technique.
2. Some people mentioned that Federer can hit around 20-60 kinds of Fh’s. I only see Federer using Fh1 and Fh2 technique. Sometimes Fh1 with a little straighter arm. Sometimes Fh2 with a little bend arm and all the variations in between. Just like players with only Fh1 who also vary the shape of their arm.
Reverse Fh1 (Fh1A) versus reverse Fh2 (Fh2A).
I assume that Kohlschreiber and Haas can hit a reverse Fh1. I know that Federer can. But in my opinion only a reverse Fh2 is worth mentioning as a baseline stroke. At least with those men. A reverse Fh1 for them is “only” interesting as a special shot like a passing shot/lob etc.. Like it was with Sampras?
Sharapova is hitting a great Fh1A though. It is the only shot I can’t do. I can reverse a shot but the secret of her shot doesn’t lie in the obvious things we see. You think you see the same caracteristics and you think it is the same. Well in this case it is not. It is just a caracteristic of the shot. I still wonder how Sharapova can create so much power with so less upper arm follow through. Nadal is hitting a real different shot.
Hitting zone. (Where I mention Fh you can read Bh as well.)
I think it all culminates in the hitting zone. Because of the increased speed of the game it is getting more and more important to maintain maximum power in the largest zone. I think the player who has the same power in a bigger zone will be the better player. Especially when hitting zones are really bigger.
My feeling till now is that hitting zones Fh1:Fh2:Fh2A compare themselves as 1:4:8. And I tend to go to 1:4:10 rather than going down in numbers.
A straight arm stroke enlarges your hitting zone to the side with the difference between your bend arm and straight arm (30-40 cm.). The straight arm Fh1 has that advantage as well. But the Fh2 has also the advantage that you can hit the Fh from very close to the body (at Tennisplayer you can see some very good Federer examples) and also very close to the ground. Because of the earlier mentioned arm extension of this technique the hitting zone is enlarged to the front as well.
But the real advantage is with Fh2A. It has all the advantages of Fh2 but also:
1. Your hitting zone is amazingly enlarged backwards.You can see Nadal (also at Tennisplayer) hitting strokes with the weight on his backfoot and leaning backwards. In this way you can even hit a powerfull Fh2A even from behind the back foot.
2. Your hitting zone is amazingly enlarged upwards. You can still hit really high bouncing balls far above the head (at least 30 cm.) in stead of slicing them or by adjusting your position.
Fh2A/Bh2A is giving you the possibility to defend in a very offensive way! Like Nadal is doing.
Questions:
1. Federer and Nadal hit the same strokes Fh an Bh. I have the feeling that Roger developed this naturally at both sides. I think that Nadal naturally developed the Fh and than later consciously mirrored the stroke to the Bh. I wonder why Haas and Kohlschreiber don’t mirror the stroke to the Fh?
2. So that leads to the next question. Are Haas and Kohlschreiber aware of what they are doing? And Federer? Maybe the stroke is so natural with him that he is just doing it. In my opinion Nadal is exactly knowing what he is doing. For his tactical play he really is dependent on which trajectories he produces.
3. Is there a German connection? Are more Germans hitting Bh2? (The Swiss Tennis Federation couldn’t recall any connection between Kohlschreiber-Federer. Kohlschreiber grew up very close to Switserland.)
4. What would the mentioned players be without Fh2(A)/Bh2(A)? I am sure that Nadal wouldn’t be number 1!!! What could a top ten player with “only” Fh1/Bh1 achieve with Fh2(A)/Bh2(A)? I am sure that Federer and Nadal are at their places because of the extra’s of Fh2(A)/Bh2(A).
5. I am convinced that Federer, because of his talent, will beat Nadal again when he can use Fh2A/Bh2A..
6. Why is Federer not making efforts to understand and use the Fh2A/Bh2A technique? Most players are two steps away from Fh2A/Bh2A but Federer only one.
- Please don’t get disturbed about my grammar and spelling. My native language is not english.
- I could write this article solely because I came in contact with Tennisplayer!!!
Nico Mol
Amsterdam
Holland
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