Nadal's onehanded slice backhand...

[gzhpcu]

looks like a pretty weird shot to me, just a short hacker shot. Very ungainly...

[lobndropshot]

Its a rope a dope tactic. if you don't do enough with the shot you are dead meat.

[stotty]

looks like a pretty weird shot to me, just a short hacker shot. Very ungainly...

Yes, not a pretty shot. It's often just a stab. It's improved compared to how it was at the start of his career. I watched his 2008 Wimbledon final versus Federer from about ten rows back and can tell you his slice was just a plop that day. It had no pace and just hung in the air.

It just goes to show in today's tennis it's a shot you can almost do without.

[johnyandell]

Here's a typical one:

BH Slice Wide ClosedStance Rear1 500fps

[johnyandell]

The problem is that it's impossible to control the ball in the modern pro game with the old style Rosewall drive. Still works great for 99.99% though...

[GeoffWilliams]

Slice just sets up/lays up for the other guy to get set and cream the next ball. Only works against big flat hitters who don't like to wait for the ball, but not many of those left at all.

[klacr]

Slice just sets up/lays up for the other guy to get set and cream the next ball. Only works against big flat hitters who don't like to wait for the ball, but not many of those left at all.

Berdych and I may be the last of the Mohicans.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

I've always felt that Nadal and Novak have too much of a forehand grip on their backhand slice and backhand volley. Because of this, their contact point is not as far forward as someone like Roger(or Stepanek), who nails the continental grip, and as a consequence, naturally extends their wrist on contact, the strongest position for the wrist, producing a much firmer, stronger contact, and farther out in front.

[bottle]

Here's a typical one:

BH Slice Wide ClosedStance Rear1 500fps

I see extension of the wrist occurring as transition loop in this one. Then his only task is to swing the front edge of the racket. Simple is good.

Or is my description too simple? Is there forward roll into the shot to form the 45 degrees at contact? Or any lowering of the front shoulder to accomplish the same? Or plunging of racket trajectory. Or some balance or imbalance among these factors? I'll look at the video again right now and report back if I have any wisdom to impart.

Hmm, nice hip turn mit bowing at the waist.

[tennis_chiro]

Berdych and I may be the last of the Mohicans.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I don't like the haircut, but I liked Daniel Day Lewis in the movie...

and I also still think there is a place for the Rosewallian slice in the pro game.

don

[klacr]

I don't like the haircut, but I liked Daniel Day Lewis in the movie...

and I also still think there is a place for the Rosewallian slice in the pro game.

don

In a summer blockbuster movie about my life, the actor chosen to play me is a close race between Val Kilmer and Daniel Day Lewis. But I digress...

A Roswallian slice has a place at every level...except for the pros. The ball the top players hit is too big, too heavy and too much spin. I hate saying that as I'm a huge advocate of the slice and I will be the first one to claim its effectiveness but its very tough to control and manipulate a pro caliber ball with that type of swing. don, I agree with you on 99.9% of the things you mention, but this is where we agree to disagree.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[tennis_chiro]

You need both

In a summer blockbuster movie about my life, the actor chosen to play me is a close race between Val Kilmer and Daniel Day Lewis. But I digress...

A Roswallian slice has a place at every level...except for the pros. The ball the top players hit is too big, too heavy and too much spin. I hate saying that as I'm a huge advocate of the slice and I will be the first one to claim its effectiveness but its very tough to control and manipulate a pro caliber ball with that type of swing. don, I agree with you on 99.9% of the things you mention, but this is where we agree to disagree.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

You may not be able to use a Rosewallian slice against a heavy deep drive from one of today's pros, but even the best of them do not hit that ball all the time. Perhaps, for those shots, you have to have the heavy chopping slice or what I call the Federerian slice. But everyone hits balls under pressure that sit a little; it's those slightly short balls that can't be adequately attacked with a Federerian slice, but would be an excellent opportunity to hit a Rosewallian "knife" low and driving into a corner. Such a shot might even create, OMG, a chance to go to the net. The Federerian slice doesn't have quite the "stick". A truly complete player needs to be able to hit both.

don

[klacr]

don,

This makes better sense. In a neutral or defensive rally, the Roswallian slice just will not hold up. However, when the ball is shorter, slower, easier and resembles the pace of a club level ball, the rosewallian slice can certainly be used. But if a ball is truly that weak, most players nowadays will want to drive that ball and crush it to the open court, not slice it. But yes, a slice backhand approach, when done properly is a thing of beauty.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Looking at Rafa's backhand slice, the follow through is so short...

[stotty]

But everyone hits balls under pressure that sit a little; it's those slightly short balls that can't be adequately attacked with a Federerian slice, but would be an excellent opportunity to hit a Rosewallian "knife" low and driving into a corner. Such a shot might even create, OMG, a chance to go to the net. The Federerian slice doesn't have quite the "stick". A truly complete player needs to be able to hit both.
don

Spot on...