My Thoughts on the McEnroe Backhand...

[tennis_chiro]

Just a thought about balls

Don_budge, Bottle,

Are you using foam balls at all? It occurs to me you are trying to feel the ball in this new stroke (new for you). I love to use the foam balls with my students to warm-up and help them find their stroke which they tend to lose from lesson to lesson. Hitting a few balls with the foam balls (the ones about the size of softballs) gives my students a chance to feel the ball on the strings as they unwind through the shot (particularly on the backhand, but also forehands) with a speed of swing that enables them to feel the weight of the racket head more easily without having to worry about knocking down the back fence. I just do this for a couple of minutes and then I switch back to the regular balls, sometimes with an intermediate step with the "orange ball". The great thing with the QuickStart "orange balls" (or green PennStars) is that the ball sits on the strings for a longer period of time and you can actually feel that contact. I like to use the PennStars (mine are actually 10 years old) with advanced players to get them to feel what it is like to hold the ball on the strings and "hit through the ball". When you hit a regular ball, it jumps off the strings in that mandatory 4-thousanths of a second; it's especially hard to feel the transfer of the momentum of the racket head to the ball when you are swinging slowly.

It just occured to me it might really help you out, d_b, if you haven't already tried it. You too, Bottle, on that bangboard although the foam ball may not be as effective there (although it is great in the garage!).

don

[stotty]

Mini Tennis balls

don is right. It's good to use mini tennis balls when discovering a stroke. You can experiment more freely...it's easier to feel what is going on within the stroke as you execute it...plus you can't miss control a shot over the fence even if you tried! Good luck...and why not post a few clips...be fun.

[bottle]

Yes, probably, thanks. And here's some fun film.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/golden_legends/rodlaver/rodlaver_sa.html?RLBHCourtLevelFront1.mov

Notice how the player's accordion, with shoulders level, is extending before his bent arm has even left the station.

Not exactly sit-and-hit, is it?

[don_budge]

Good night she said...sleep well.

Are you using foam balls at all?
don

Yeah...I believe in slowing down the action as well. Go real slow you like it more and more...take it as it comes specialize in having fun. Don't move too fast and you want your love to last. Ladies and gentlemen...The Doors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zesUGSFsjk

Take it as it Comes...The Doors

Time to live
Time to lie
Time to laugh
Time to die

Takes it easy, baby
Take it as it comes
Don't move too fast
And you want your love to last
Oh, you've been movin' much too fast

Time to walk
Time to run
Time to aim your arrows
At the sun

Takes it easy, baby
Take it as it comes
Don't move too fast
And you want your love to last
Oh, you've been movin' much too fast

Go real slow
You like it more and more
Take it as it comes
Specialize in havin' fun

Takes it easy, baby
Take it as it comes
Don't move too fast
And you want your love to last
Oh, you've been movin' much too fast
Movin' much too fast
Movin' much too fast


When I hit against the wall I use the green dot ball quite a bit...even the orange one some. When I teach I use these balls all of the time. It really helps the tennis student to give them that little bit of time to sort things out with all of the movement going on and the race against time with the approaching ball. Every little bit helps. Thanks for the tip...I thought of you since I have been working with my Coach...Rolf Almgreen. I would love to take a lesson from tennis_chiro. Or I could jet over to Britain and work with Stotty a bit...in between jiggling drinks.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHCenterRear2.mov

But this has been a lot of fun to say nothing of the therapy. I was talking to my friend Major Tom on our way out of the club last night and was making a case for the psychological therapeutic benefits of hitting things...things like golf balls and tennis balls. It seems that he has been rather stressed lately.

But John...you raised a very nice point about the execution of this swing being shoulder related and it is about the shoulders afterall. Just watching Johnny Boy working the head of the racquet with his shoulders frame by frame is probably the best visual you could help for. Focusing on the angle of the dipped shoulder and the racquet position. Kudos to tennisplayer.net again. That other Johnny Boy!

The shoulders measure the amount of backswing and the movement of leveling them gives the racquet the impetus to get below the ball. The other key is of course the supinated wrist which must furl in order that it unfurls. Repetitions is the ticket. Trial and error. The swing has gone from undependable and unfathomable to some preliminary positive results of drilling the ball into my opponents backhand corner tonight as well as coming over it with some nice topspin action cross court.

The keys? Synchronization of the shoulders and racquet and the all important position of the feet...which unfortunately are attached to some 58 year old legs. No matter. From the standard John McEnroe ready position the backhand backswing is abbreviated by merely turning the shoulders and holding the arm in pretty close to the side...allow the wrist to furl. To start the movement forwards don't rush things with the hands but let the lower body get the ball rolling and then it is just a matter of letting the thing swoosh through the path of the ball.

Darned right the slow balls do let you get a feel for things. It retards the action...which is incredibly fast and precision timed. I am very happy with the results today. It has been a lot of work. But all in all...a labor of love. Goodnight she said...sleep well.

[don_budge]

Overheads...

If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?

[don_budge]

the Delay...

Let's HUMILIATE them.

Delay is an essential feature of this and all tennis strokes.

One certainly cannot accuse John McEnroe of using a continuous loop.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHCenterRear1.mov

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHCenterRear2.mov

The delay...another excellent observation. Look and observe how the racquet does not go forwards as the shoulders level the racquet first before it drives forwards. The racquet head goes from it's highest point in the backswing about shoulder level to a point where the ass of John McEnroe is entirely within the frame of the racquet as his shoulders level before he goes forwards with the swing.

That little delay going forwards is the key...among many keys...because now the racquet is down in position and set to travel down the inside path of his feet. If he starts his swing at the top...he is over the top and doomed to slice. Well not doomed...but forced to slice or worse.

[bottle]

Across the Lagoon and Down the Marshy Creek

Right. And what I discovered, just at the bangboard but in the middle of a snowstorm, is that I may have underestimated the old wisdom to fire body before arm in a one-handed backhand.

This is what you are saying. The shoulders have leveled, which in a very connected way has brought the racket down to level too! (with exclamation point from chess notation).

The racket arm still hasn't done anything and hooray for delay.

But in my personal example, which may or may not hold relevance for others, I'm going to delay still more. I'm going to keep arm fully cocked with bend at elbow plus frisbeed wrist and start driving up from front leg same as in most people's SERVE.

The racket will then go down and up same as in a serve. And my cerebrations about sequence between arm straightening and wrist unfurl won't matter anymore since hand will be quicker than the brain and in fact will become the brain, consigning the other brain to American Republicanism, i.e., it won't exist.

That said however I was in fact consciously practicing arm extension followed by wrist unfurl as natural sequence just before I went to the snowy backboard (which is in fact white). Natural or not, I don't need to concern myself about this subject any more since all the unfurling now becomes reflexive with none of it having anything to do with John Escher-- fast but efficient and since the shoulder-bone is connected to duh wrist-bones the sequence will probably stay the same anyway.

The fully aspirated exhortation "Let's HUMILIATE them" comes of course from my one day's experience of partnering with Katharine Hepburn in doubles.

I have just now gotten around to reading her autobiography ME, a book about which I have mixed feelings since it doesn't mention ME-- guess I should have accepted the part of skinny, singing fool in COCOA, and I'm not even skinny any more.

But in most sections of the 418 pages there is mention of tennis-- she knew as a young girl where in West Hartford every court was and whether it was hard or soft, and "Lawks!" (in the book, at least) is a favorite expression.

And in a late California section, after the death of Spencer Tracy, she describes herself as playing tennis every day with Alex Olmedo so she couldn't have been as bad as she says.

I was totally surprised by that. The great Kate suggests in her one autobiography that she was a lousy tennis player. That means that when we beat her brother Dick and my brother Derek I had to carry her. Such was not the case.

Also, no mention of her lessons with Tilden, nor of how, after her late life car collision that crushed her right ankle, she refused to give up tennis but insisted on two bounces.

On the way from Fenwick, Connecticut, where my family used to live, having just crossed the long causeway to Old Saybrook, she inexplicably looked down or away-- doesn't really know-- and ran into a telephone pole.

Her longtime British secretary Phyllis Wilbourn was even more banged up.

And I had always thought they skidded in snow.

Also, in the 1938 hurricane, my friend Dick Hepburn led Kate and other family out of a window and across the low terrain to the Riversea Inn (the place where my family later lived after the people of Fenwick sold it to my father for the low price of $6,500 since he could beat them in golf).

Back to 1938 however. After leading Kate and all other family there to safety-- they all were attached by a single rope-- Dick went back and watched the large family house move across the Fenwick lagoon and down the marshy creek toward Saybrook Point.

The present Hepburn house, jacked up by ping-pong balls, supposedly is for sale again. Barack Obama is one of the persons said to have expressed interest. I would advise him instead to buy the Riversea Inn, which is on slightly higher ground.

[don_budge]

Repost...Drop shots of McEnroe backhand

reposted for easy reference...

LOB

BH Lob CourtLevel Rear1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear1.mov

this not a shot that one normally thinks of in connection with the mcenroe backhand...the topspin lob. but here mcenroe pays homage once again to the fundamentals that are ingrained into his very soul...feet, body and racquet in perfect alignment. now here comes the funny idiosyncratic nature of the mcenroe backhand...it is the wrist position that stroke has perceptively picked up on. the supinated wrist. with the wrist in this position it is a rather unique position to come up and over on the ball as mcenroe so capably does on his drives...here he merely pulls the string at the very last moment and abruptly hits up and across the back of the ball...thus the topspin backhand lob. voila!


BH Lob Slice CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

mcenroe is an out and out great lobber of the tennis ball. no doubt partly attributed to his fanatical double play. while mcenroe is largely out of position to make a good pass on this ball with his opponent securely in position on the net he does the one thing that he can do from this position...actually HE could probably do several but he does the very intelligent thing...he opens up the face of the racquet at the last second and sends a soft and floating lob deep over his opponents backhand. left-handers should be taught from the beginning this type of defensive ploy as it will get them out of all kinds of trouble during their tennis playing days.

[don_budge]

Repost...Lob shots of McEnroe backhand

reposted for easy reference...

LOB

BH Lob CourtLevel Rear1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear1.mov

this not a shot that one normally thinks of in connection with the mcenroe backhand...the topspin lob. but here mcenroe pays homage once again to the fundamentals that are ingrained into his very soul...feet, body and racquet in perfect alignment. now here comes the funny idiosyncratic nature of the mcenroe backhand...it is the wrist position that stroke has perceptively picked up on. the supinated wrist. with the wrist in this position it is a rather unique position to come up and over on the ball as mcenroe so capably does on his drives...here he merely pulls the string at the very last moment and abruptly hits up and across the back of the ball...thus the topspin backhand lob. voila!


BH Lob Slice CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

mcenroe is an out and out great lobber of the tennis ball. no doubt partly attributed to his fanatical double play. while mcenroe is largely out of position to make a good pass on this ball with his opponent securely in position on the net he does the one thing that he can do from this position...actually HE could probably do several but he does the very intelligent thing...he opens up the face of the racquet at the last second and sends a soft and floating lob deep over his opponents backhand. left-handers should be taught from the beginning this type of defensive ploy as it will get them out of all kinds of trouble during their tennis playing days.

[don_budge]

Repost...Short shots of McEnroe backhand

reposted for easy reference...

SHORT

BH Short Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...HShortRear.mov

a couple of notes with regards to the early preparation of the mcenroe backhand. notice how the racquet is always “cheating” to the backhand side in his ready position. this is possible because of the very economical move that he makes to the forehand side. he can afford to cheat to the backhand which enables him to play that much more aggressively off of that side. the other thing that is economical time wise is that he is using the same grip for everything. not having to change is an advantage. take this shot for instance...a sharply angled drive cross court. as soon as he turns his shoulders and the right hand has set the racquet into position it is all systems go. now it is merely a matter at setting the feet and pointing that left shoulder at the incoming ball. as he makes his move on the ball notice how the wrist goes shooting through the path of the ball so decisively. stroke has made a very perceptive observation that is the answer to “does he flip” on the backhand side. the flip of the continental gripped shots have the bruce lee one inch punch force behind them. the use of the wrist with this grip is a much shorter span of movement but the concentration behind it is multiplied by the leverage of the position and resulting action of the wrist. this supination that the mcenroe backhand drive has is truly unique and it opens up a lot of possibilities. that follow through of the racquet every single time is no accident...the wrist is designed to do exactly that and once you begin to understand the preparation of the shot, this ending becomes a foregone conclusion once you are in position. the versatility provides multiple options to dissect his opponent and that is exactly what he often does...a combination of least expected shots often wins for the wily veteran.

BH Short Side- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...HShortSide.mov

here is a shot that looks to be just a tad uncomfortable for the mcenroe continental gripped backhand. the ball has gotten a bit high in the strike zone for johnny boy but he makes the best of a less than desirable situation by doing the right thing. he asserts himself and takes the ball early in an attempt to be aggressive...or at least, less defensive. by merely turning his shoulders he has the racquet back in position but because of the height of the ball he must make an adjustment. note the supinated wrist once more...an inherent characteristic of the grip that he uses and how he must be in position to drive the ball. he has elected to drive this high ball so he is moving forwards and still manages to point his leading shoulder at the ball then he rotates very hard on a very level plane with the end result being that the wrist unleashes just enough energy into this semi awkward shot to effectively enable mcenroe to live to play another day. if his shot is half way decent he is position to attack the next ball...this tactician is always thinking in combinations. if this...then that.

BH Short CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

the choice of views in this series of mcenroe forehands and backhands is really extraordinary for a study such as these. here mcenroe is taking a ball from very nearly the same position of the court that he did in the first of this short series but this time he elects to go hard and low up the line. immediately after hitting his shot he realizes he has his opponent in trouble so he is scampering to the net to seal the deal. once again as always the preparation is just perfect with the feet, shoulders and racquet in perfect alignment and with this preparation and with this grip of a supinated wrist he can hold his intentions to the very last moment and spring on it. this late release of the racquet head gives his opponents all kinds of trouble reading his shots. he is unbelievably clever in his shot selection and he has a bunch to choose from.

[don_budge]

Reposts...reviewing the imaging process

Every time I go to the courts I try to review the video footage and my thoughts in order to get mentally prepared to execute the strokes. At this point I give myself an A for effort and a C+ for actual productiveness based on the expected end result. Half way home.

For the first time in game situation...yesterday I took every ball that I possibly could and drove it. For the first time my backhand began to take on the fundamental elements that are prerequisite to execute the backhand drive with the continental grip.

This experiment is also a tactical proposition as well as a technique proposition. Yesterday I found another piece of the puzzle with my ability to drive it down the line...my short slice and deep slice crosscourt became much more effective.

My key points of imaging reference are:

• ready position and turning simultaneously with racquet and shoulder for the backswing
• backswing position, get in position with racquet in line with shoulders with front shoulder dipped at the ball
• initiate the leveling of the shoulders with a hip turn and weight transfer from rear foot to front foot
• with a relaxed arm and racquet structure allow the head of the racquet to approach the ball from below and from the inside path
• trust it and follow through

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed from the CENTER...

repost for easy reference...

BH Center Front- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterFront.pct

signature mcenroe ready position with racquet in front of his body, “cheating” to his backhand and parallel to his shoulders. moving to his right with a skip step and then plants his back foot after some small measuring steps. gradually turning his shoulders on his way to the ball by the time he plants his back foot his shoulders have made most of their turn. left shoulder begins to point at the ball after the bounce. in position to go forwards...again it is the three exact lines of feet, shoulders and racquet. with a turn of the hips and driving of the legs he rotates his body with the racquet arm swinging independently up and through the ball. shoulders, arm and racquet finish in the same plane.

BH Center Rear 1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterRear1.mov

on a ball hit just slightly to his right...he never has to move his right foot. left foot steps more forwards than to the ball indicating perhaps a down the line shot. here is a beautiful view of the supinated wrist that the continental grip encourages. this supination is going to provide a booster into the ball when the wrist rotates into the ball at impact. shoulder pointing at the incoming ball. positioning of the shoulders are the key along with the working of the wrist. synchronization of the legs and body rotating into the ball as the arm comes swinging through and the wrist unwinding like a rubber band give this ball a lot of momentum. this is not a particularly aggressive swing but is played to the oppositions backhand. note that the chest stays on the ball throughout the swing and once again the follow through indicates that body, arm and racquet all finish in the same plane. a signature mcenroe finish.

BH Center Rear 2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterRear2.mov

mcenroe actually moving to his left to hit a backhand. note the catlike movement even at the ripe age of 50 something. racquet set back into position with a combination of shoulder turn and the free right hand setting the head back and up...see the supinated wrist. the back foot is set then reset...and his is in position to go forwards. a dip of the left shoulder as the ball bounces then the front foot is placed at the same time that the hips begin to turn which in turn drops the racquet hand and the racquet down into position below the ball. notice the angle of the racquet as it comes forwards with the supinated wrist. chest is squarely on the ball as mcenroe comes rotating through. the arm never gets ahead of the shoulders...indicating how much of the work is being done with the body. the finish is once again the signature mcenroe finish. an indication of an ultimately repetitive motion.

BH Center CourtLevel Front1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...evelFront1.mov

very interesting...a chest high shot played from the center of the court. standing in a rather upright stance for the approaching high ball mcenroe flexes his legs at the ball briefly then rights himself and turns sideways drawing the racquet back as an archer may draw his bow. this time his backswing is significantly higher and the wrist has a rather pronounced supination but he maintains this position until just before he strokes the ball and the wrist comes rotating through the ball along with his shoulders and arm. once again it is the same finish position only everything finishes just a bit higher than normal on the chest high ball. even from the higher position the fundamentals remain the same...the foot placement position, the left shoulder pointing at the ball and the by now familiar follow through.

BH Center CourtLevel Front2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...evelFront2.mov

the truly beautiful thing about the mcenroe backhand is the perfectly repetitive nature of it and it all begins with his meticulous preparation. every swing is prepared with the 3 line setup...the feet first, the shoulders and then the racquet. from this position it is only a matter of turning the hips and shoulders back to the ball and allowing the arm to swing and the wrist to do its magic as the last part of the series of movements. mcenroe likes to start the racquet head below the ball and swing the racquet face through without much tilting or maneuvering. it is natural tennis. everything fits...metaphysically speaking. this is a ball that is being played down the line and probably deeper into the opponents backhand corner. a couple of small steps and mcenroe has positioned himself for the next shot...always thinking ahead and anticipating.

BH Center CourtLevel- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

here is the subtle beauty of the backhand side of mcenroe. this is a rather harmless looking shot at first glance but he is in pretty darn good position to make a good pass here and he is hitting a rather flat shot skimming the net that just may have a bit of sidespin on it. this ball is going to stay down and away from his opponents backhand. when that supinated wrist comes rolling through the ball it creates a bit of a subtle extra unwinding motion giving the ball some rather deceptive momentum...which may account for some of the surprise of the mcenroe ball being on top of the opponent deceptively quick.

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed as a DROPSHOT...

repost for easy reference...

DROPSHOT

BH DropShot Front- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...pShotFront.mov

here's johnny!...two long panther like strides and the back foot is decisively set and then all of the weight is place squarely on the front foot. at the beginning of this clip he has begun to turn his shoulders and the racquet dutifully follows...his right hand sets the racquet shoulder high with an open face. from this position he is in position to one of several things. one of many things actually. he is in position to send this ball deep into the backhand corner of his opponent with some wicked underspin or sidespin. he is in position to draw this ball crosscourt...either deep into the corner or at an acute angle. the mcenroe choice is a nicely cut underspin delicately placed dropshot down the line. note how abruptly the racquet face descends on the ball and if my intuition serves me correctly he is making contact very low on the incoming ball...possibly even sliding the racquet along the bottom of the ball by the looks of the open face of the racquet in the follow through. as always...meticulous preparation. the 3 line approach to the swing is perfect...feet, shoulders and arm.

BH DropShot BHLob CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

a tactic out of the john mcenroe book of tactical tennis or how to make your opponent feel awful. with his opponent deep in his forehand court mcenroe plays a relatively short backhand with pronounced underspin in the form of a drop shot. his opponent gets to the ball rather comfortably however ever and slides a ball deep into the mcenroe backhand corner. while moving backwards mcenroe deftly opens the face of his racquet and calmly lifts a lob over his opponents head that will in all probability land inches from the far baseline. dropshotnlob...don’t we have a guy on the forum with that moniker. a great tactic to use against the modern day baseline player.


BH DropShot BHLobV CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelFront.mov

i adore this clip. mcenroe moving forwards to a short backhand has the option to pin his opponent deep in the backhand corner or to bring him forwards...desperately forwards. mcenroe immediately recognizes that his opponent is going to just barely arrive at the ball in the nick of time to avoid the second bounce so he is creeping in to apply the coup de gras. in this case it is a touch lob volley over borg’s head leaving the two of them face to face at the net. check out the expressions. mcenroe looked as if he may of applied some sidespin on the ball in order to get the ball to drift away from the charging borg. these are the subtle tactics in the mcenroe repertoire that are all designed to do one thing...to get his opponent off balance in order for him to apply the stiletto. while mcenroe hits his fair share of winners...i wonder what percentage of his points won are from drawing his opponent off balance just so they will play into his capable hands. chess anyone?

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed as a LOB...

repost for easy reference...

LOB

BH Lob CourtLevel Rear1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear1.mov

this not a shot that one normally thinks of in connection with the mcenroe backhand...the topspin lob. but here mcenroe pays homage once again to the fundamentals that are ingrained into his very soul...feet, body and racquet in perfect alignment. now here comes the funny idiosyncratic nature of the mcenroe backhand...it is the wrist position that stroke has perceptively picked up on. the supinated wrist. with the wrist in this position it is a rather unique position to come up and over on the ball as mcenroe so capably does on his drives...here he merely pulls the string at the very last moment and abruptly hits up and across the back of the ball...thus the topspin backhand lob. voila!


BH Lob Slice CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

mcenroe is an out and out great lobber of the tennis ball. no doubt partly attributed to his fanatical double play. while mcenroe is largely out of position to make a good pass on this ball with his opponent securely in position on the net he does the one thing that he can do from this position...actually HE could probably do several but he does the very intelligent thing...he opens up the face of the racquet at the last second and sends a soft and floating lob deep over his opponents backhand. left-handers should be taught from the beginning this type of defensive ploy as it will get them out of all kinds of trouble during their tennis playing days.

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed playing SHORT...

repost for easy reference...

SHORT

BH Short Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...HShortRear.mov

a couple of notes with regards to the early preparation of the mcenroe backhand. notice how the racquet is always “cheating” to the backhand side in his ready position. this is possible because of the very economical move that he makes to the forehand side. he can afford to cheat to the backhand which enables him to play that much more aggressively off of that side. the other thing that is economical time wise is that he is using the same grip for everything. not having to change is an advantage. take this shot for instance...a sharply angled drive cross court. as soon as he turns his shoulders and the right hand has set the racquet into position it is all systems go. now it is merely a matter at setting the feet and pointing that left shoulder at the incoming ball. as he makes his move on the ball notice how the wrist goes shooting through the path of the ball so decisively. stroke has made a very perceptive observation that is the answer to “does he flip” on the backhand side. the flip of the continental gripped shots have the bruce lee one inch punch force behind them. the use of the wrist with this grip is a much shorter span of movement but the concentration behind it is multiplied by the leverage of the position and resulting action of the wrist. this supination that the mcenroe backhand drive has is truly unique and it opens up a lot of possibilities. that follow through of the racquet every single time is no accident...the wrist is designed to do exactly that and once you begin to understand the preparation of the shot, this ending becomes a foregone conclusion once you are in position. the versatility provides multiple options to dissect his opponent and that is exactly what he often does...a combination of least expected shots often wins for the wily veteran.

BH Short Side- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...HShortSide.mov

here is a shot that looks to be just a tad uncomfortable for the mcenroe continental gripped backhand. the ball has gotten a bit high in the strike zone for johnny boy but he makes the best of a less than desirable situation by doing the right thing. he asserts himself and takes the ball early in an attempt to be aggressive...or at least, less defensive. by merely turning his shoulders he has the racquet back in position but because of the height of the ball he must make an adjustment. note the supinated wrist once more...an inherent characteristic of the grip that he uses and how he must be in position to drive the ball. he has elected to drive this high ball so he is moving forwards and still manages to point his leading shoulder at the ball then he rotates very hard on a very level plane with the end result being that the wrist unleashes just enough energy into this semi awkward shot to effectively enable mcenroe to live to play another day. if his shot is half way decent he is position to attack the next ball...this tactician is always thinking in combinations. if this...then that.

BH Short CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

the choice of views in this series of mcenroe forehands and backhands is really extraordinary for a study such as these. here mcenroe is taking a ball from very nearly the same position of the court that he did in the first of this short series but this time he elects to go hard and low up the line. immediately after hitting his shot he realizes he has his opponent in trouble so he is scampering to the net to seal the deal. once again as always the preparation is just perfect with the feet, shoulders and racquet in perfect alignment and with this preparation and with this grip of a supinated wrist he can hold his intentions to the very last moment and spring on it. this late release of the racquet head gives his opponents all kinds of trouble reading his shots. he is unbelievably clever in his shot selection and he has a bunch to choose from.