My Thoughts on the McEnroe Backhand...

[don_budge]

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

repost for easy reference...

WIDE...

BH Wide Front1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...WideFront1.mov

here’s a ball that mcenroe realizes instantaneously that he is going to be retreating somewhat and will be unable to play offense so he does the right thing with a little extra early preparation. he must take three rather long steps to get himself into position and right out of the gates his racquet is back into position so that when he arrives at the point where he will swing all he has to do is complete his shoulder turn and plant the foot. his strategy...to clear the net by a couple of meters which will give a bit of extra time to get his butt back into position to anticipate what will most likely be an attacking shot from his opponent. but even here a big part of the mcenroe game and tactics are revealed...even if his opponent has hurt him they are most likely not advancing on the net so if mcenroe can buy himself a little time with the high slower return he buys himself a pass to get back into the point...possibly.

BH Wide Front2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...WideFront2.mov

here’s another case of urgency for the mcenroe backhand hence the extra early preparation with the racquet. big steps to the ball then a series of smaller measured steps and he arrives in very nice position for being in such a hurry. he may be trying some kind of passing attempt here and if i am not mistaken there is an audible clue that it hasn’t successfully cleared his opponents reach. at any rate...successful or not he has forced his opponent to win and not given him a gift of an error. the footwork may not be as elegant as federers but it is every bit as efficient...the racquet work is much more efficient.


BH Wide Side- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...BHWideSide.mov

this is a beautiful angle of something a little special going on. at first i couldn’t quite make out what it was exactly that gave this particular stroke a slightly different look. after viewing it a number of times it seems to me that he has really lined this one up and given it a bit extra plus he has flattened it out somewhat. perhaps an attempt to drill one by an opponent who is camped out on the baseline or perhaps he has chased him wide to the forehand and is drilling this one up the line. or maybe he has his opponent leaning towards the forehand side and is simply going hard and deep behind him. the beauty of the whole mcenroe technique and tactical paradigm is the number of permutations and combinations that he has at his disposal. it’s enough to keep any tennis player guessing. hoping. wishing. praying.

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed playing SLICE...Part 1

repost for easy reference...

SLICE

BHSlice Center Front- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterFront.mov

johnny...johnny. the flesh is weak only the soul is immortal. had to throw that in there. a line from a movie...johnny angel. robert deniro talking to mickey rourke. tsk...tsk, just a couple of guys. but anyways...here he is in the flesh. the slice backhand. this a medium paced slice drive, maybe a meter to a meter and a half over the net, deep into the backhand corner. successfully pulled off judging by the lack of concern as mcenroe calmly anticipates the reply.

a turn of the shoulders and the right hand sets the racquet open faced into position shoulder high. once again the perfect 3 lines to set up in the feet, the shoulders and the racquet. a slight turn of the hips and then the shoulders take over in a deliberate attempt to come “over the top” of the ball. from a point approximately at shoulder high the shoulders cast and drive the racquet down on the ball with the racquet head reaching a low point at the knees, a bit more follow through as the momentum of the racquet and the shoulders carries just a bit to the left of mcenroe. at impact the legs give a little drive into the swing possibly to carry the ball towards or on the baseline. note the lack of exaggeration in any part of the swing and steady descent of the racquet face down through the path of the ball. perfect balance...equals laser like precision and placement.

BHSlice Center Side1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterSide1.mov

here is an interesting variation of the slice. it appears that mcenroe may have just a tad less time to prepare as his feet are rather uncharacteristically set in less than perfect position. the ball is being played just above knee high with a driving motion of the shoulders heavily leaning down on the ball as he slices with a vengeance in order impart more spin and to keep the ball down as well. this is in all probability a low and skidding ball to the backhand side. low and skidding despite the fact this appears to be a clay like surface. a little more carry on the follow through and the driving of the legs at impact perhaps for more depth...more carry.

BHSlice Center Side2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...enterSide2.mov

mcenroes opponent has managed to get one up on him...up in the strike zone that is where the perceived weakness is. he does the smart thing and plays an almost volley like stroke with very little follow through and is playing a ball with a higher trajectory back into his opponents court. purely a neutralizing shot...played to a point where mcenroe has calculated that his opponent will have the smallest possible percentage of chance to hurt him with the next shot. he may even be calculating into the equation more damage on the next shot but you can bet he is already making his best guess as to what is coming next and perhaps he may have to gamble a bit on the next shot. the racquet face is set open as a pizza plate at the top of his backswing but is practically square at impact although slightly open. even though a defensive shot the racquet face is exposed to the ball as long as possible. much of mcenroes objectives with his slice backhand can be chalked up to placement and depth. along with the off speed characteristic it is often enough to throw the opponent off balance just enough so that they won’t be able to maul him with the next ball.

BHSlice Center CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear2.mov

moving from the forehand side of the court to nearly the backhand sideline, early racquet preparation enables mcenroe to play a nice solid neutralizing ball into his opponents backhand side. again the feet are in less than perfect position but the balance is there at impact. something that mcenroe and federer seem to excel at. he sort of cuts the follow through short leaving the racquet down into the ball that is perhaps an indication that he is trying to make the ball “lay down”. a subtle tactic...techniquely speaking. the slice of mcenroe is not so complicated technically speaking but the technique is tailored to suit the tactic...so to speak. he seems to play this slice from a less than perfect “3 line” setup more than he does his continental drive which makes all of the sense in the world. in order to drive with this grip you need perfect preparation in order to get all of your ducks in a row. part of the mcenroe paradigm on the backhand is when off balance play tactically with the slice to maneuver, manipulate or just to stall your opponent. keep him off balance...make him guess in the meantime. mcenroe is like the future...one never knows what’s coming.

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

here is mcenroe with pretty decent balance taking a nice swipe at a slice and laying it down perhaps nearer to the middle of the court. perhaps to make his opponent play a low spinning ball from the middle in order to cut off the possibility of the angles. notice how far to the backhand side he is, but he makes very little attempt or hurry to get back and cover the forehand...maybe he is baiting his opponent to go to his forehand. with him it’s a constant chess game. you are very rarely going to get two balls in the same identical manner in the same spot. modern players typically will play the same ball for the duration of the match. just think...if you can find a way to neutralize the big gun, what are they going to fall back on? think tactically...like mcenroe.

BHSlice Wide CourtLevel Front2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...evelFront2.mov

here’s another story within the story with only a tiny bit of information to go on. the rest is imagination. a very high and very wide ball to the mcenroe backhand. what does he do? one thing he doesn’t do is panic. instead he uses his head and does the intelligent thing...he hits a slice drive down the middle and scampers back into recovery position to anticipate or guess at his opponents reply. interesting at the end as you see the opponents racquet back in his backswing high over his head. much of the mcenroe strategic game and tactics are to hit the ball lower in the strike zone against this type of player. so the perceived battle plan may be thought of as one of trying to get the other to play their game. this type of player will perceive that the weakness in the mcenroe game is the high ball while mcenroe recognizes that high backswings make one more vulnerable to low skidding shots. unfortunately for mcenroe opponents and critics...many times when these players attempt to go high, they end up going short as well which for mcenroe is an invitation to attack and hit the ball on the rise. it is so fun to hallucinate...don’t you think? a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[don_budge]

Repost: The John McEnroe backhand as viewed playing SLICE...Part 2

repost for easy reference...

SLICE

BHSlice Wide CourtLevel Front3- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...evelFront3.mov

there isn’t any funny business going on with the technique in this part of the mcenroe repertoire is there? it is a simple motion...turn the shoulders and place the racquet shoulder high with the free hand. made most economical with the racquet already halfway into position from the ready position to the backhand side. genius to cheat in this manner...at least he will never be late and he will give himself every chance to neutralize stronger shots than his returns...if he is weak up and in. which i don’t really believe he is. everyone wants to find a chink in the armor. it’s human nature i suppose. once again the feet are spread a bit but the shoulder also turns wider enabling him to get a bit more oomph on the ball...a bit more spin too. all part of his calculations. all of the complicated stuff in the mcenroe slice backhand are the tactical considerations...the technique is so wonderfully simple. it’s a shot he rarely misses or miscalculates. he’s a scientist too! a mathematician! with linear algebra! permutations and combinations! a physicist! a metaphysical engineer! poetry in motion! ooh...the madness of genius. wider turn towards the ball equals a wider follow through. balancing equations...do to the other side what you do to the first side.

BHSlice Wide CourtLevel Rear- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...tLevelRear.mov

I think it is safe to say at this point that whenever the feet are in less than optimal position it is going to be a slice. slice and dice. as in this case. chased wide he sends a laser beam down the line with just a bit of skidding action to throw off the rhythm and balance of his opponent. even from a seemingly awkward and defensive position he has pretty much neutralized his opponents high and spinning ball from behind the baseline. parry...thrust. like a fencer with some fancy sword play. feigning...then attacking. retreat...then suddenly a reversal of order. all retreats are tactical in nature...only to buy a little time. he is playing to win...not to draw. it is all calculated to arrive at the finish line or match point poised to plunge the sword between the shoulder blades. along the way you tire your opponent...you anger him when possible to emotionally impair his judgement and to distract him of his impending doom. then all of a sudden its the coup de gras...nice guys finish last if mcenroe has a say so.

BHSlice Wide CourtLevel Rear1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear1.mov

on a very low ball and very wide to his backhand mcenroe does the easiest thing...he sends it back on a identical trajectory and a identical angle. challenging his opponent...”let’s see you do it again”. a little psychological warfare. all of the time. it’s a bit of a mind you know what when playing johnny bad boy.

BHSlice Wide CourtLevel Rear2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...LevelRear2.mov

i love this shot. hit right into the teeth of his opponents strength. a low skidding ball crosscourt to the opponents forehand. daring him to change the direction of the rally...go ahead, make my day and try something up the line from this awkward position he is challenging his opponent. if the opponent goes for the challenge he best make good on it because now he goes into the teeth of the lefty mcenroes game. up the line into the forehand and you will be chasing the next one to the backhand or he is going to hit it behind you. all designed to make you feel awful.

BHSliceWideRear1- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...eWideRear1.mov

a beautiful angle to view a seemingly innocuous shot from mcenroe. chased to the backhand sideline and feet too far apart to play aggressively he does the smart thing...once again. he doesn’t make many unforced errors does he? he isn’t giving it away. a nice slice to the opponents backhand designed to stay low and under the radar. the options? back into the forehand of mcenroe? back to the backhand? i can see mcenroe calculating both possibilities...always one step ahead. he won’t necessarily beat you with speed all of the time...he is going to outthink you. he wins on the basis of his decisions which are made possible with the variation of his options.

BHSliceWideRear2- http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...eWideRear2.mov

same thing. it is getting boring isn’t it? he never out and out messes up. this time from almost the same position as the preceding shot he sends this one higher and deeper into his opponents backhand. after hitting his reply mcenroe asks himself the same question every single time...what are the possibilities and what are the percentage that he will try each and every one of them. then he positions himself accordingly. the beauty of the slice is the variations in it and the way that he can tactically deliver the goods while at the same time he is able to rule out certain possibilities giving him the opportunity to cover the court that he most likely needs to...the the n’th percentage of the time. the technique is simple...but the tactics are very, very sophisticated.

[don_budge]

Driving the Continental Gripped backhand...

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

Studied the video and my thoughts for an hour before going to the courts. I had a great hitting partner who just rips the forehand. Progress grade up to B-...very, very productive session. The imaging points are becoming more reflexive now and less contemplative. One small step for a man...it is of the utmost importance to turn from the ball with shoulders and racquet in the same plane and then to turn back to the ball and leveling the shoulders and racquet with the same sense of synchronicity. Then the release and swoosh through the ball.

Used two buckets of balls with 75 balls each and emptied them three times...450 rallies. One and a half hours. One rep with my partner at the net for quicker reflexive action. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon.

[bottle]

Backhand Working Beautifully-- Maintain or Change, Tiger?

Nice reps in these posts, don_budge.

Doubles scores on this side of Atlantic: 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 with different partners and opponents. In mitigation of this report: When the man running this indoor Friday night tennis social saw the professional bandaging on my left knee he wasn't about to assign me to overly tough competition since he is the former CEO of the huge St. John hospital here in Detroit.

How many of the new backhands did I hit? Perhaps six (was slicing backhands and getting to net the rest of the time).

Two were clean winners. Three were not returned. I hit one into the net. At least I didn't hit it long the way Coach Kyril always says will happen with somebody using continental grip.

I'm thinking: There really could be-- in this shot-- a mild suggestion of the old Braden sit-and-hit from TENNIS FOR THE FUTURE.

This would occur during the phase where shoulders and racket level down from forward hips adjustment. All one would have to do is-- intellectually-- assign this little move to backswing or transition rather than to foreswing.

Of course the shot might become overly smooth, too facile, not carry enough pop.

The time then would be nigh to return to videoed Laver and McEnroe.

[don_budge]

In conclusion...The Continental Grips of John McEnroe

Of course the shot might become overly smooth, too facile, not carry enough pop.

The time then would be nigh to return to videoed Laver and McEnroe.

Thank you my good friend and esteemed colleague...bottle. The pop is in the ingredients. Keep working at it...but you are the last person that I need to say that to!

What a wonderful journey it has been...into the nether world of continental gripped tennis. I have learned so much...I only wanted to share with all of you. Thank you for listening to my thoughts, my dreams and at times my hallucinations.

John McEnroe is a great role model. For continental gripped tennis. A stalwart spokesperson on the game in general. To forgive him for his behavior, his outburst and his ticks is all unnecessary. It is not his responsibility to raise the children of the world. He didn't do anything that was so wrong. The language was "colorful" at times...I have heard worse. He challenged the authorities. Maybe we should all take a page out of his book these days. His genius made him a bit of a mad man although he seems to be mellowing in his years and he is having a good time mimicking himself and his old personna.

But as far as his tennis goes...sheer genius. The likes of which is sorely missed these days. One trick ponies. Cookie cutter players. Ditto the coaching. One dimensional imagination is no imagination at all. It has been great fun and a lot of work. But anything that is worth having in life is worth working for. It's the blood, sweat and tears in the end that count...not the dollars and material possessions. Work hard! Play hard! Do your best...the game will come to you. I promise!

[bottle]

The game will come to you.

[don_budge]

For doctorhl or anybody else that might be interested for that matter...or not.

[bottle]

I remember this as a good time when you were working on McEnroe backhands on one side of the ocean and I on the other. You hit with another pro, as I recall, an elderly Swede.

It wasn't in slices that our experiments overlapped but rather in attempted backhand topspin. A teaching pro at Wimbledon Racket Club here in Detroit actually permitted me to partner in league tennis with his wife and was amazed that with my composite grip-- wrist humped like McEnroe-- I was able to bring the ball down in the opposite court.

That shot didn't turn out well for me however. I always have wondered how it turned out for you.

Now, when I want to try it, I use a J. Donald Budge backhand grip with thumb on a diagonal across the back of the racket and keep my wrist straight.

[gzhpcu]

For doctorhl or anybody else that might be interested for that matter...or not.

Good to see you back, alive and kicking....

[don_budge]

Good to see you back, alive and kicking....

Thanks man. Hope all is well with you as well! Great to be back among my friends and fellow tennis aficionados at tennisplayer.net.

[doctorhl]

DB: Read your repost. Great stuff.
Mac has a return I need on a 2nd service return in doubles. Since I don’t have good lateral movement, I have to often times cut off the service angle by closing in and catching the 2nd serve kicker to my bh on the rise. I can’t seem to come over a high bounce with a topspin. I need the flat bh “ nudge”. There is a McEnroe example in Yandell’s Stroke Archive, BH RET 2nd S Deuce BH Side. In anticipation of spin on opponent’s second serve, he closes in with 2 big steps when server is bent and looking at his toss.. Mac slightly pauses, then his forward momentum allows him to “flat block” and nudge the ball deep enough to close in quickly. It’s not that difficult to close out with a volley when you can get in that close to the net, but you have to have depth on your block. Do you or ( anyone else) have any comments or video examples of any pros closing in with a flat block like Mac. I can do it a little easier if I string real loose.

[don_budge]

DB: Read your repost. Great stuff.
Mac has a return I need on a 2nd service return in doubles. Since I don’t have good lateral movement, I have to often times cut off the service angle by closing in and catching the 2nd serve kicker to my bh on the rise. I can’t seem to come over a high bounce with a topspin. I need the flat bh “ nudge”. There is a McEnroe example in Yandell’s Stroke Archive, BH RET 2nd S Deuce BH Side. In anticipation of spin on opponent’s second serve, he closes in with 2 big steps when server is bent and looking at his toss.. Mac slightly pauses, then his forward momentum allows him to “flat block” and nudge the ball deep enough to close in quickly. It’s not that difficult to close out with a volley when you can get in that close to the net, but you have to have depth on your block. Do you or ( anyone else) have any comments or video examples of any pros closing in with a flat block like Mac. I can do it a little easier if I string real loose.

"Do you or ( anyone else) have any comments or video examples of any pros closing in with a flat block like Mac?"

Yes sir...Doc. What about Roger Federer for instance? Much has been made of Roger's "new" found ability to come over the backhand and drive it with gusto. But much less has made about the fact that generally speaking when the match is trekking into the danger zone...the touchy feely zone where push comes to shove, Roger makes sound tactical use of the block and slice returns off of the backhand to insure he gets the ball back in play number one but equally important he gets the ball back in play WHERE he wants his opponent to play from. I often wonder why Federer doesn't just stick with the slice/block return throughout. At least as option number one.

Looking at all of the videos that John has generously bestowed upon us in the "Stroke Archive", McEnroe looks to be blocking most of his returns on the backhand side and he blocks with different variations including flatter balls and balls with a modicum of topspin. I love that word...borrowed it from the original Don Budge backhand.

Much is made of Federer the tennis player and the beauty of his strokes. But beyond the technique is the ability to produce tactics and it never ceases to amaze me that it is the slice and blocked backhands that he sends back to his opponent that seem to befuddle them. Rarely to you see any player really able do something serious with these neutralizing shots. Even Novak Djokovic is hand tied when Federer is able to get some teeth on his slice or block. The power is in the control...elements of speed, spin and placement. Many times it is the lack of speed that befuddles the opponent. Take the air out of the ball so to speak. Other times he uses this technique to hit short and low to the two handed backhand which seems to have a built in weak spot in this vicinity.

McEnroe hit this shot just like a volley at times...when time was of the essence. He didn't need a full swing to get a bit of mustard on the ball. By using his weight and impeccable footwork he was able to maximize what he was doing to the ball with a minimal amount of movement. Therein lies one of the secrets to his ability to close quickly on the net. Instead of the mass of energy being thrown to the other side his energy was a direct vector towards the net. In one movement he was hitting the ball and scampering forwards. He had an uncanny ability to anticipate as well. He knew the percentages of a successful play depending upon what kind of shot he played and he played the percentages going forwards and often doubling down. His guess were not just guesses...there was so much method in his madness it was really quite crazy. Insanity being one of the prerequisites to being an artistic genius.

Moving forwards to take the ball so early has been treated like some sort of novelty act when it came to Roger Federer's "Saber" or whatever it was called. There is nothing new under the sun actually...well, except bigger racquets. Johnny Boy used a volley technique in playing a ball that was on its way up or on the rise as they say. Even at shoulder high he is able to maneuver the ball with incredible success.

Being a great doubles player was an advantage for McEnroe in many ways. Not a big fan of practicing apparently he used the doubles to fine tune his game for singles. This tactic of moving in on second serves and dumping the ball at the feet of your opponent used to be standard play. I have no idea what they are doing now in doubles. It's been a long, long time since I saw any meaningful doubles being played. Apparently the doubles is now a specialty item. Not a stock item.