My Son and the One Handers

[arturohernandez]

My son hits a one-handed backhand ( I do too but I am just a bit older). He switched from two to one at 12. Right now he feels like it is a liability at 14. He has a great slice and a great backhand volley. Both are much better than other players at his level. But the topspin backhand is more complicated. He can hit it off his back foot but finds it more difficult to master the timing of stepping into it. He can step into it when he has time but can be rushed at times.


He is basically alone. He rarely plays against someone who also uses a one-handed backhand. He is growing quickly and I can see it improving but I tell him that it won't be at the same level as other juniors who have a two-handed backhand until 16 or 17. Can you point me in the direction of some good articles on the experiences of juniors who persevere and eventually come to play much better? Maybe college players or former college players. I know the pros do but that is a whole other level. He will not change but I have not read a lot on how juniors weather the storm in their early teens except for the story of Sampras.

[johnyandell]

Arturo,
There aren't any testimonials like that I know of. At the French last year half of the last 16 had one-handers.
But not sure that this is the way to evaluate it. Sampras couldn't come over his backhand until he was 14. Myself it took til 18. Still I think it is only part performance and as much or more what the player wants and which feels more natural. Lansdorp himself has said this. I can say as I watch high level ntrp league play now a lot of ex college players don't look nearly as good with two hands at age 35 as they did at 18.
I am copying my friend and Tennisplayer contributor Scott Murphy on this who is a student and lover of the one hander. Scott any thoughts to share with Arturo?

[scottmurphy]

Arturo,

As John mentioned I'm a real lover of the one hander and love the fact that your son uses it. I have a student who's 13 and I've been working with since he was 9. From the day we started he was insistent about using the one hander. Of course we discussed the problems he could incur until he got bigger, stronger and more proficient but he was undeterred. He played in a 14 and under tournament here in Northern California yesterday and I watched him win two matches. His one hander was exceptionally good throughout and today he's in the semi-finals. Like your son his slice and backhand volley are very good but I'll put his topspin backhand up against anyone his age.

One has to wonder what your son's technical proficiency is like with this shot. What grip does he use...is his wrist in a mechanically strong position...how early and complete is his preparation...what space does he allow for both laterally and back to front...does he lock the hitting arm out and counter balance with the opposite arm etc., etc???

I teach in Italy in the summer and have to tell you that although the ratio of two handers to one handers is still greater there are a lot more juniors using the one hander than I see here in the US. And most of those kids are outstanding one handers. I was at a tournament in Forte di Marmi with a girl I coach there when my wife told me I should watch this boy a few courts away. I went over on a change over and here was this 16 year old kid absolutely ripping one handers with as beautiful a model as you'll see. When I spoke to him later he said his influences were Federer and Almagro. He found a coach that could explain what they were doing and then he worked like a maniac to perfect it. As far as I'm concerned that's the bottom line...a good athlete, the right information and confidence building through tons of replication in varied situations both orchestrated and unorchestrated. BTW hopefully he's using his slice to great effect while the other develops i.e. a laser slice to the opponent's backhand corner to set up a forehand.

I wish you lived in the Bay Area as I would love to work with your son.

All the best,

Scott

[arturohernandez]

John and Scott, Thanks so much for the encouragement and for a more optimistic view of the one hander. Interesting that clay would tend to benefit the one hander. Having played on it over three or four years in Europe I could definitely see the benefits of it for children. The slower bounce gives them more time to setup and they have to worry less about the ball speeding by them.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has a testimonial. It's funny because my son likes Wawrinka's backhand and has begun to imitate it.

I am pasting in a picture here of him last weekend at the South Carolina 14U Intermediate nationals and of him at 12 hitting his two handed backhand a few months before he switched full time. I also have two daughters who hit two-handed backhands and realize the oney is not for everyone.

Again thanks to both of you and hopefully others will join in.

[klacr]

Arturo,

Thanks so much for adding to this forum. Your question and consideration for your son and his game are greatly respected. I'm sure you'll get a fair share of advice from many of us.

Congrats on your son using a one-hander. I began using one hand when I first started at 10. I attempted the two hander and it just never felt natural. The one-hander always did.

Scott asks alot of good questions on the technical foundation of your sons backhand. Type of grip, preparation, arm and wrist structure etc. An answer to these questions would be exceptionally helpful. Video of his shot would be priceless.

You mentioned your son hits an effective slice and possesses a good backhand volley. BRAVO! Nothing wrong with these two shots as it makes him have a multi-dimensional with his game. Greater than many juniors I see out there. Let me repeat, his volleys and slice are good shots (possibly stregths) but his groundstroke is not. Hmmm, Not only could we improve his backhand but perhaps we could think about how to help him win without one...
Here's a video of working on your strengths...
http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...ths/index.html

It's hard to jump into the deep end of the pool until we see video or know the basic technical checkpoints he's working with. Please let us know.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[tennis_chiro]

A Lefty!!

Plus he's a lefty!! Even better to develop the volley and slice approach shot. Gives a completely different look to his opponents. Most opponents will not have practiced hitting a lot of balls to the deuce corner, especially high which is the liability. Lopez is a one-handed lefty. Not sure about Llodra. But Wawrinka is a great model. With a complete game including a front court game.

don

[don_budge]

Oscar Wegner...Don Budge...Niko

Obviously your son is not beginning from scratch...but this short video from Oscar Wegner provides us with a nice little basis from where to begin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQRgnqWtUOY&feature=related

One hand left handed backhands...a subject close to my heart as it obviously is to yours. I have four twelve years olds that are just beginning to play their first matches...just for fun and to get their feet wet as to how it feels to be competitive. I started all of these guys out hitting two handed...and I started them out with my variation of Oscar's two hand backhand from scratch.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=1972&highlight=hand+backhand+scratch

However...for some strange reason they have all converted themselves to one hand backhands and to say the least...I am very pleased. I never base teaching an individual on their competitiveness at the age of twelve...John makes a great point that tennis is a game for a lifetime and there are many players today that are currently evolving with one hand backhands. I have more or less let this go on for a number of months in order that they discover the feel for the backhand on their own with the fundamentals that I have taught them.

As you note they have beautiful backhand volleys and they surprise me with what they do with the ball from that position. The surprising thing is that they are all learning how to drive the ball for some reason. I know why they are doing this too...they are imitating me.

Arturo,

BTW hopefully he's using his slice to great effect while the other develops i.e. a laser slice to the opponent's backhand corner to set up a forehand.

Scott

One solid point among others from Scott. From a tactical point of view this comment is the subject of hours of discussion...from a left handed point of view you are looking nearly into the infinite. Tactics expand exponentially when looking in the mirror of left handedness...in practically any sport but particularly so in tennis.

Plus he's a lefty!! Even better to develop the volley and slice approach shot. Gives a completely different look to his opponents. Most opponents will not have practiced hitting a lot of balls to the deuce corner, especially high which is the liability.

don

This point from tennis_chiro is a thought that should produce some serious brainstorming in his coach and is not be underestimated. The variation of spin and pace and depth alone with a slice backhand is enough to befuddle most opponents. The fact that most opponents will have less training attacking the deuce side of the court is an asset that must be exploited in your son's repertoire of shots.

Hmmm, Not only could we improve his backhand but perhaps we could think about how to help him win without one...

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Before rushing off to produce a topspin backhand it is best to develop this slice fully and thoroughly. Fourteen years old is way to soon to be consumed with the competitive results. I repeat...way too soon. The groundwork or the fundamental basis for his game is still developing and this is a very important period for his ultimate finished product. Development for one handed backhand players is going to take a bit longer...and it is worth the while.

But I believe that he will profit enormously from learning to compete with a predominately sliced backhand. It will give him an additional tactical perspective that will greatly expand his education for the future of his game. It provides another layer to his game...another alternative to exploit his opponents game with.

This is an extremely interesting post and I am going to give it some deep consideration before expressing my full feelings about it and trust me...I have some very strong feelings on this subject. Thanks for your thread and those are great posts from the others...it has a lot of promise and I am quite certain that you will get some "food for thought" on the way forwards for your son.

I have a couple of thoughts just based on the still of his one hand backhand. First of all it is a perfect shot to submit if you are going to submit just one still...I call this "get into position" position. That point where the player is ready to go forwards to the ball...the point where the backswing ends and the forward begins. One might argue the relative merits of taking racquet back so far where it is nearly parallel to the baseline...particularly during the developmental process...but he has a very good basis for his set up position.

That being said...theoretically I like to see the three lines of racquet, feet and shoulders in somewhat the same plane. That front foot will step somewhat across and forwards to the ball and his shoulders and feet should be basically in the same plane to begin going forwards...the one thing here is to point that front shoulder down at the ball so that his rotation into the ball will be on a upwards trajectory starting with that front shoulder.

His shoulders look very level which is of course a very nice basis to hit a slice backhand. One other thing...if he sort of tucks that left arm onto his chest it will help him to come at the ball from the inside path as opposed to over the top as in the slice. A little more tuck of the arm and a little less backswing may get him on the path to a more simplified and easily reproducible motion that he will feel confident in and one that he can build upon as he gets older and stronger.

As far as a Wawrinka model...there are certain dangers in imitation. A theme that I have been writing about recently. This boy is not Wawrinka...at least not yet. So pare down the big backswing somewhat until he is physically stable enough to execute it within his means otherwise it becomes something that is over his head and hinders him in the current developmental time frame.

[klacr]

Before rushing off to produce a topspin backhand it is best to develop this slice fully and thoroughly. Fourteen years old is way to soon to be consumed with the competitive results. I repeat...way too soon. The groundwork or the fundamental basis for his game is still developing and this is a very important period for his ultimate finished product. Development for one handed backhand players is going to take a bit longer...and it is worth the while.

This is turning out to be a very nice thread. Many of us on here seem to be fond of the one-hander.

don_budge touched on an important point that I didn't make clear enough in my first post. I'm not advocating we place an emphasis on results and try to win, but just that for the time being, this young junior still has a nice slice and backhand volley. These two shots alone allow him to compete well and become a more well-rounded player if he embraces it. It's all about long term right? The one-handed backhand does require patience from coach, parent and player. If he continues to play in junior tournaments during this developmental process, they all need to understand this. Let him enjoy playing and allow him to feel his backhand. I have no doubt his backhand drive will get better, and I have no doubt all the contributors in this forum will help in that process. You came to the right place Arturo.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[arturohernandez]

Thanks everyone! I have fully enjoyed the comments and hope to see more. Keep them coming!

A lot of encouragement and good advice. There is a lot to chew on already and quite a bit for me to digest. Here is what I have gathered so far:

1) Develop the slice. It will give him many options to exploit weaknesses. With a slice and volley he can go a long way. Keep developing his strengths. In fact, embrace this style of play as using the slice will serve him well even when he his topspin backhand becomes a weapon.

2) Tactics. Especially important is the backhand slice down the line to the righty's backhand. From here he is likely to get a ball to his forehand which he can then use to increase pressure on his opponent. Mix up the slice depth and spin to confuse opponents and keep pressuring the opponent with his forehand. Using variations of this strategy can take him a long way.

3) Technique. Keep the shoulder down and tuck the elbow in a bit. See if the backswing can be reduced a bit to create a nice repeatable solid backhand. From there he can develop more of his own flair as he gets older and stronger.

4) Tournament play. It is way too early to worry about his results. He needs to develop his game. On this we agree. Everything is so results oriented (not just in tennis, my daughter is a senior is applying to college this year!). I have always emphasized process over results and doing one or two things well rather than doing a million half-baked things. But it's tough nonetheless. My son sees other two handed players who appear to be more developed and are playing higher-level tournaments. But as others have noted we should embrace the slice as way for him to learn to attack in a different way. We should not be so worried about his one handed topspin being fully developed yet.

Two questions based on the comments:

1) The infinite nature of the tactical possibilities is a bit overwhelming. Maybe some video points of prototypical patterns used by lefties would help. I have some below but maybe there are others I am missing.

2) I get the part of righties not being able to attack cross court with their forehands as much. I am trying to visualize what the basic concept is. Here is how I see it. Right now based on my son's strengths.

a) For balls to the his lefty backhand simply use the slice to elicit an attackable ball. If the ball comes back to his backhand he can run around his backhand since it will not be sharply cross court. From there he can go inside-in or inside-out. He can also slice again and wait if he is not able to run around and hit a forehand. He can use variety and spin to simply prod at his right handed opponents until they give him a shot he really likes or they miss.

b) For balls to his forehand in the ad corner of the court he should vary what he does. For a while he simply hit balls to the backhand until they missed. But this does not work against better players. So my sense is that he has to hit both down the line and cross court to get his opponent moving. It's a basic tactic but that is the one that Nadal has had to learn against Djokovic. Otherwise, Djokovic just camps out in his backhand corner all day and hits his two-hander and does the same to Nadal. Nadal has also used it against Federer as well. So now Federer has to fight off the high backhand and worry that Nadal will go up the line and make him run to the forehand side. It just adds more pressure and makes the opponent uncertain.


I will post a video on Sunday. I told my son he needed a one week break after playing 5 singles matches and two doubles matches in three days last weekend. He is itching to play again so it will be easy to get him out on Sunday even if it is at the crack of dawn. We live in Houston so it is still in the 60's even early in the morning.

Thanks again!

Arturo

[jryle1]

Hi,

Well, I don't really have any testimonials about a lot of top players, me personally, I've used a 1 handed backhand since I was 8 years old. Yes, the very first time I picked up a racket. For years there was a guy in the club, he wasn't a coach and didn't know very much about technique but he tried to switch me to two hands but I found it very unnatural and just plain horrible.

I'm 21 now but I remember in the 12s, 14s I used to struggle with hitting over it (primarily due to a lack of coaching I guess), when I was around 15/16 I discovered this site and started coaching myself, yes, any strokes you see of mine are there because I learned them myself because of this site (Thank you John).

Anyway, I used to slice EVERYTHING. Now though, through persistence, literally people pounding balls to my backhand in practice and me shadowing in front a mirror, hitting as many balls as possible, my backhand is now one of my best shots. It's my most consistent shot,I can generate the most pace off of it and it's my best return in doubles. Whenever I try to teach the one hander though it's amazing how many don't have a true feel for it. I look at juniors sometimes with two handers and sometimes they'll try to hit it for fun and it looks incredibly unnatural!

I would suggest that if your son prefers the shot, has a good slice and volley, to build on the backhand, keep going, shadow shadow shadow, make it as simple and mechanically sound as possible and also hit balls and play loads of matches, where he would it slice backhands in a match, try to hit over it instead (unless stretched obviously and he physically can't), even if it's the difference between winning and losing, it will help, it did for me anyway. I'm not an astounding player now by any means but I can hit a relatively decent backhand. (And I'm still working on mine).

[don_budge]

Nice...SYNTHESIS

Tremendous synthesis...

Synthesis...(in Hegelian philosophy) the final stage in the process of dialectical reasoning, in which a new idea resolves the conflict between thesis and antithesis.

Thanks everyone! I have fully enjoyed the comments and hope to see more. Keep them coming!

A lot of encouragement and good advice. There is a lot to chew on already and quite a bit for me to digest. Here is what I have gathered so far:

1) Develop the slice. It will give him many options to exploit weaknesses. With a slice and volley he can go a long way. Keep developing his strengths. In fact, embrace this style of play as using the slice will serve him well even when he his topspin backhand becomes a weapon.

2) Tactics. Especially important is the backhand slice down the line to the righty's backhand. From here he is likely to get a ball to his forehand which he can then use to increase pressure on his opponent. Mix up the slice depth and spin to confuse opponents and keep pressuring the opponent with his forehand. Using variations of this strategy can take him a long way.

3) Technique. Keep the shoulder down and tuck the elbow in a bit. See if the backswing can be reduced a bit to create a nice repeatable solid backhand. From there he can develop more of his own flair as he gets older and stronger.

4) Tournament play. It is way too early to worry about his results. He needs to develop his game. On this we agree. Everything is so results oriented (not just in tennis, my daughter is a senior is applying to college this year!). I have always emphasized process over results and doing one or two things well rather than doing a million half-baked things. But it's tough nonetheless. My son sees other two handed players who appear to be more developed and are playing higher-level tournaments. But as others have noted we should embrace the slice as way for him to learn to attack in a different way. We should not be so worried about his one handed topspin being fully developed yet.

Two questions based on the comments:

1) The infinite nature of the tactical possibilities is a bit overwhelming. Maybe some video points of prototypical patterns used by lefties would help. I have some below but maybe there are others I am missing.

2) I get the part of righties not being able to attack cross court with their forehands as much. I am trying to visualize what the basic concept is. Here is how I see it. Right now based on my son's strengths.

a) For balls to the his lefty backhand simply use the slice to elicit an attackable ball. If the ball comes back to his backhand he can run around his backhand since it will not be sharply cross court. From there he can go inside-in or inside-out. He can also slice again and wait if he is not able to run around and hit a forehand. He can use variety and spin to simply prod at his right handed opponents until they give him a shot he really likes or they miss.

b) For balls to his forehand in the ad corner of the court he should vary what he does. For a while he simply hit balls to the backhand until they missed. But this does not work against better players. So my sense is that he has to hit both down the line and cross court to get his opponent moving. It's a basic tactic but that is the one that Nadal has had to learn against Djokovic. Otherwise, Djokovic just camps out in his backhand corner all day and hits his two-hander and does the same to Nadal. Nadal has also used it against Federer as well. So now Federer has to fight off the high backhand and worry that Nadal will go up the line and make him run to the forehand side. It just adds more pressure and makes the opponent uncertain.


I will post a video on Sunday. I told my son he needed a one week break after playing 5 singles matches and two doubles matches in three days last weekend. He is itching to play again so it will be easy to get him out on Sunday even if it is at the crack of dawn. We live in Houston so it is still in the 60's even early in the morning.

Thanks again!

Arturo

[don_budge]

Underspin...Topspin...When to and why...competition...infinity.

The Left Handed Tennis Player

The left handed tennis player should initially learn to play solid defense off of the backhand side and much of this is accomplished with the slice backhand. While the slice my leave something to be desired in terms of power...one must ask themselves what is power in the end? Well...power is control. Pure and simple.

One can overpower an opponent with speed and brute force or one can set out to dismantle an opponent tactically and therefore overpowering him from a cerebral or psychological perspective. Which is more effective? Certainly a combination of both but don't underestimate the mental side of this game. To defeat an opponent through thoughtful analysis of their relative strengths and weaknesses as they stack up to yours is the brilliant concept that is tennis. Unfortunately the equipment nowadays puts way too much emphasis on brute speed and power and perhaps that is why the mental and tactical part of the game has been so overlooked in recent years.

In the case of left handed tennis players the question of tactics and gamesmanship go hand in hand. Gamesmanship implies the psychological battle that is going on between adversaries has transcended the "normal" boundaries and that is exactly what happens when a tennis player is playing against a left hander because now all of a sudden everything is in reverse...you are playing "against" the mirror. The mirror image. Something wants to give...inside the Gold Mine.

So with that in mind one realizes that given this reversal of logic in the tactics of opponents there is perhaps just a split second of uncertainty when they are playing their shots or implementing their strategies and a clever left handed player plays to this hesitation and uncertainty and does everything in his power to throw his opponent off balance. The use of the slice backhand is truly a unique weapon if used to its full potential. Of course it is nice to have the nice topspin drive as well to complement that side and that is attainable as well but it should be done in increments and without undue emphasis on excessive spin. Theoretically it is better to develop strokes to be more penetrating as a foundation as spin can be be built on top of sound fundamentals and not necessarily the other way around.

Oscar Wegner One Hand Backhand from Scratch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQRgnqWtUOY&feature=related

The brilliance of this short clip is lost on many a tennis coach because of the results oriented emphasis in today's game. Juniors and children are being taught the "professional" without the sort of thoughtful approach to tennis teaching that the game richly deserves. There is sort of a mindless approach to coaching these days that goes straight for the power and excessive spin aspect of the game without paying due attention to the more subtle and artistic aspects of the game that are an inherent part of the game's history. The end product is what you see in the professional game today.

Oscar's video starts with the grip on the racquet which is conservative by todays standards but is the point in which I recommend that a student begin in their quest for the "drive" backhand...as opposed to the topspin backhand. His grip of choice...the thumb up the handle. Consequently it is the grip most often associated with the legendary J. Donald Budge. By using the thumb up the handle you give the reinforcement to the grip that is needed when you are perhaps younger and weaker than the wrecking machines currently playing the men's game today.

Here's a visual image for the novice or beginner to use when attempting to drive a backhand. Using that thumb as the guide...think of drawing a line through your shot using the thumb to trace that line to the target. Start by conservatively setting the racquet somewhat behind the ball with the arm somewhat tucked onto the chest (as golfers are taught to do) and using the rotation of the shoulder to supply the lions share of the thrust...of course in coordination of the legs and swing of the arm and racquet. Draw a line using the thumb on the backhand. Draw a line using the index finger on the forehand side.

The other visual that is the most difficult to overcome to the novice is that the drive backhand must be played so much further in front of the body than either the backhand slice or the forehand for that matter. Both of these shots may comfortably be played off of the front hip or there whereabouts. But the drive and topspin backhand must be played in a comparatively exaggerated forwards position with relationship to the body given the structure of the grip and the basis of the shoulder being in front of the body. Consequently the weight must be balanced and securely over the front foot at contact...another good trick to master. It takes time. So the student must become acutely aware of this point and also be aware of that incremental point that much closer to the net and in front of your body requires a split second earlier preparation...in order to GET IN POSITION!

So here is another point for your son to think about...quickness. He is at an age where this kind of training if begun now will pay huge dividends in the future. Not only on the drive backhand but in every facet of his game. More energy and devotion to developing quickness is a huge investment when applied to the finished product some four more years up the road...when it is time to go to college and when it is time to enter the real game...the men's game. Junior tennis is just practice in a sense.

But back to your point number one in your brilliant synthesis. Develop that "left handed" slice to the point where your son can hit any square inch of the whole court with various amounts of spin, speed and trajectory. Once he learns to control the ball by means of using the face of the racquet in concert with his body and his brain he will be well on his way to learning how to drive the ball as well if you start him now to drive fundamentally correctly. The slice development should include a lot of attention to defense as well as subtle offense. Put the drop shot and lob at a high end of the priorities as well. What a beautiful shot the slice backhand is...spin as a factor of angle of racquet face, steepness of swing, acceleration through ball and placement of ball in the swing. That's a lot of stuff...and worth taking the time to develop. It's options baby.

Offense in the sense of placement and moving your opponent out of position and keeping him off balance. Offense in the sense that use the stroke to move your opponent as far as possible from one position on the court to the other. High and soft to the backhand renders many a two handed backhand befuddled...to generate your own power off of a well placed cupcake is no easy task to do consistently...particularly so if you have been faced with all kinds of different placements and spins and never see the same ball twice. When you sort of have your opponent looking for one ball you should be able to deliver something to the other far reach of the court with enough pace to keep him off balance.

This is the John McEnroe approach to playing the left handed backhand. Here...you want a road map to a left handed backhand. Look no further. A testimony? Here's Johnny....I wrote this with your son in mind.

My Thoughts on the McEnroe Backhand

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2252&highlight=john+mcenroe+continental+backhand

To watch the tactics in action...here is the classic lesson on how a left handed tennis player should play a right handed tennis player with a two handed backhand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayQ2ZCfHVnk

So there you go my friend...we have covered your first three synthetic revelations and you are really on the money. You obviously get it. So we come to point number 4...the aspect of tournament play and competitive play. The boy will have to realize that it is a long climb up the food chain of life. Nothing in life is worth having that is not worth struggling for...working for. The only thing that this old world understands is hard work. The rest of it is nonsense...a lot of BS. Tournament play at this point is all about gaining experience and learning how to play the game...actively engaging with different opponents in different conditions. It is going to school and there will be good days and bad days. That doesn't necessarily mean that there will be days that you win and days the you lose. Everyday can be a winner...just take something of value from your efforts. Every tennis player worth his salt knows that more is to be learned from "losing experiences" than from winning. Winning is easy...anyone can be a good winner. But losing is another story...if you learn to be thoughtful and contemplate your loss much is to be won. Your philosophical approach with this regard assures me that your son is in very good hands. Yours.

Learn to play solid defense and subtle defense with the slice backhand while learning to play the drive conservatively at first. Tactically at first. The objective for inflicting damage to an opponent from a left handed tennis perspective should initially be from an aggressive forehand and a perfect service motion with perfect left handed service tactics. I believe that the ability to flatten out the forehand and being able to produce spin is a lethal combination. Serving is another book in itself.

[stotty]

Sliced backhands aren't dead...

Interesting thread. I have my own thoughts on the order of teaching what type of backhand first to students...but to save on meandering and to keep things on a direct path, I will save these for another thread

The 54 stroke rally in the US Open final was interesting from the standpoint of sliced backhands. Nadal hit 9 sliced backhands in that rally. He steps through only one of them. The other 8 he slices and leans off the ball to regain position back to the middle. He often cuts slightly across the face of the ball to achieve this...clever. His sliced backhand is a way of neutralizing things and of "buying time".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdjNghcCNPU

Djokovic did not hit one sliced backhand in that 54 stroke rally.

The sliced backhand is a lifesaver for Nadal when he plays Djokovic. Were he to slug it out toe-to-toe with Djokovic with drives he'd lose most matches. As has already been pointed out in another thread, Nadal has been subtly developing his sliced backhand to the point it's become a more effective shot than it was.

I was going to post a clip of McEnroe playing sliced backhands but as the boy cited in the thread is young, I decided to post the 54 stroke rally instead. It shows the sliced backhand is still alive and kicking even in the modern crash-bang game. For the purpose of teaching I would have loved Nadal to have won that rally...sadly he lost it. Never mind, there is still a great lesson there. It shows how slice, used at key moments, can help you keep rallies on an even keel.

[arturohernandez]

Maybe I will start my own testimonial. So I went out with my son last night. His topspin backhand was fine. A bit inconsistent but not bad at all. But then he started slicing and I noticed that it was not as effective as it could be. The modern slice is very much down and so I asked him to hit through it more. It was not pleasant to deal with. He hits the ball very low and it bites. His short slice is very effective.

When I asked him why he doesn't do it more often he said he never thought about it. So then we began to work on him attacking my backhand and varying it with a forehand up the line. He struggled at first but quickly started to hit some nice forehands into my backhand and then attack up the line when he created an opening. As I asked him about his matches he confirmed what all of you suggested. No one attacks his backhand. He says he hits forehands all the time. I said that is your strength. I asked him why he loses. He says that he gets into long rallies and then ends up losing them. So then a light went off in my head. My son hits with me a lot. More than with anyone else. I know how to play a lefty and I am older so I can neutralize a lot of his attack balls. So by playing with me we never practiced the patterns he sees in a match.

All this time I have been worried sick about his backhand and in fact it is forehand attack that needs to improve.

Yes, from thesis and antithesis comes synthesis. I feel like this should go in a different thread but it was really an eye opener for me.

No chance to take a video last night as it was dark. But I hope to get one tomorrow and post soon.

[bottle]

We're always having a discussion here in the forum about what constitutes great backhand slice. But I sincerely do not believe that most people think enough on this subject. The evidence is lousy slice across the board at the club where I play. And even the lousy slice, men and women, we witness on the tour. Stotty of Great Britain, who used to sit as close as possible for his Wimbledon studies of Ken Rosewall's slice and backhand volley, saw infinite variety. Is infinite variety the hallmark of modern slice? Hardly. And this lack of variety is, if I can find the single word best to describe it, stupid.

My late life development of Rosewall-derived slice is producing a steady stream of compliments but hardly an infinity of possibility. I am nevertheless convinced that the person who is able to hit fast flat backhands with "a modicum of slice" for control (that observation through Stotty's communicated watching of Rosewall) can better understand the full backspin of Federer and Nadal or the mid-range spin of Karsten Popp (just put the name "Karsten Popp" in the Tennis Player search box).

From skunk tail position Rosewall's racket head is motivated to the inside by forward hips rotation while arm gets barred for hitting very level around through the ball. From same skunk tail position Popp's racket head is motivated the same way but barely to inside for more of a half chop, i.e., slantwise down and again with barred arm.

If one get can hit those two shots, it's nothing to wind up farther around closer to the back of one's neck and let hips motivate more openness of racket face but keep the arm bent and let the subsequent straightening at elbow be one ingredient of an entirely steep (and some would mistakenly say "cheap") chop.