Interactive Forum: May 2014 : Philipp Kohlschreiber Backhand Returns

[johnyandell]

Philipp Kohlschreiber Backhand Returns

Let's stay on the one-handed backhand but take a look this month at the return. It's often said to be a weakness at the pro level, so let's look at the variations Philipp Kohlschreiber uses. First a drive, second a block, and third a slice. Filmed on the practice courts at IW while he was playing a set, these clips give a great look at his return grips. How would you describe them and what else do you see?

[johnyandell]

Quicktime version

Philipp Kohlschreiber Backhand Returns

[klacr]

Kohlschreiber. Achtung Baby!

Philipp Kohlschreiber is a very accomplished player. 4 career titles and a top ranking of 16 in the world plus some great wins over big names on big stages. Has beaten Isner the last two years in a row at the US Open. His game packs a punch and he is a very crafty all court player with a impressive tennis IQ and beautiful one handed backhand.

These clips of his one hander show you some great variety on the return of serve.

His first backhand, a classic drive, probably off a 2nd serve, starts with a very nice turn and although the ball bounces above his shoulder he raises up and stikes it beautifully as a relatively flat drive. There is little if any supination on the follow through and is more horizontal in its path after impact, not vertical. But what I really love about this first backhand is the fact that although he starts the motion in a semi open stance he is able to control his upper and lower body in such a way that when the stroke finishes he uses the left leg to kick back and keep him turned so he does not over rotate. very cool stuff.

The second backhand is a block. Seems simple enough but look at how quickly he reads the serve and changes his grip! He makes the grip change at the start of his split step and already has a plan. A large number of recreational players have a bad habit of making the grip change one of the last things they do. He makes contact off a serve with good pace and keeps the wrist firm and that arm locked. Notice also how the left arm goes in the opposite direction naturally, no forcing or extraneous movements. Funny enough, both the left hand and right hitting hand seem to mirror each other in height during and after contact.

The 3rd backhand is a chip return from a big serve down the T into the deuce box. Again, his recognition of the serve and his grip change are great, but also notice hw he seems to turn it over from a conservative eastern grip/continent to what he intended to be a full eastern (knuckles on top bevel) backhand but then realizes it may be coming too fast so he settles in between. It's a small detail that happens quickly. See if you can spot it. Also notice s his hips and gets those knees bent so he can spring up and accelerate to the return. During and after impact notice how although his eyes are drifting to see the ball, his head remains still and chin down. Good stuff.

The grip preparations have also intrigued me on the return of serve. Always find it interesting to see and hear how all players at all levels prepare and change their grips depending on serve.

I had the chance to warm-up on a practice court next to Kohlschreiber in Delray Beach at the ATP stop a few years ago. That may be as close as I come to dealing with the Kohlschreiber backhand return. The good news for Philipp is that may be as close as he ever gets to dealing with my game.

Great clips John. Thanks for sharing and using Kohlschreiber as a talking point this month.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

Its going to be difficult to add much after what Kyle said. I do agree that Kohlchreiber has one of the best one handlers out there. He is up there with Stan, Gasquet, Almagro.

[bottle]

Rejection Here or Ignorance of Flying Grip Philosophy

I'm not an expert on the virtues of non flying grip change philosophy, as demonstrated here, therefore don't choose to discuss it.

Sure would like to hear that discussion though. Life seems too short to play tennis both ways rather than one way or the other: flying grip change or no flying grip change, with the latter shown here three times.

[lobndropshot]

He must have been reading other cues on the block return because he changed his grip before the spilt step. Incredible!

[bottle]

Sorry, but in each of the three different shots he changes his grip before he turns. Incredibly slow! Or, incredibly slow? I'm asking. Why should I or anybody do this? Are there good reasons?

[bmonsour]

Love the early grip change

Speaking purely as a recreational one-hander who has struggled with a full commitment to the full eastern backhand grip, over the last year and a half or so, I decided to rely purely on a slice...using a continental grip. For me, it's a reliable shot and I've learned to make it an offensive shot. More recently, enjoying the success of Stan, Dimitrov, and the other leading one-handlers, I've started working on my topspin shot. And I'm finding that I have the best success with an early and full commitment to an eastern backhand grip. There's a meaningful mental component to this (for me) and it's helped me with my confidence on the shot. I'm not sure if any of this affects the touring pro mindset, but I thought I'd throw this into the discussion.

[bottle]

Quicker? You Cannot be Serious!

A flying grip change, Mr. Monsour, can be fuller commitment to the full eastern grip than what Mr. Cabbage Patch Kid (rough translation from the German) is showing us here.

The reason there is a fuller commitment is that the racket tip flies back as handle changes its arrangement within the loose fingers.

I call that a much bigger commitment to getting the racket back and the grip changed and the unit turn happening all at once. Much quicker. Very economical. A better use of time with no dawdling. Elimination of needless sequence.

If you don't choose to do this, Mr. Monsour, please tell me why-- I'm eager to learn!

[bottle]

Are people waiting for me to answer my own question? What if I'm committed to flying grip change and can't think about anything else? Then you'll not get the answer from me!

[don_budge]

Anticipating backhand with strong eastern grip...plus beefed up backswing

Speaking purely as a recreational one-hander who has struggled with a full commitment to the full eastern backhand grip, over the last year and a half or so, I decided to rely purely on a slice...using a continental grip. For me, it's a reliable shot and I've learned to make it an offensive shot. More recently, enjoying the success of Stan, Dimitrov, and the other leading one-handlers, I've started working on my topspin shot. And I'm finding that I have the best success with an early and full commitment to an eastern backhand grip. There's a meaningful mental component to this (for me) and it's helped me with my confidence on the shot. I'm not sure if any of this affects the touring pro mindset, but I thought I'd throw this into the discussion.

Yep...me too. Exactly. I have been playing mostly weak eastern to strong continental to slice. But the recent series of articles by Chris Lewis and the subsequent discussions have gotten me interested in reviving my topspin backhand...the one of Jack Kramer ProStaff wooden racquet days.

The early grip change facilitates my drive intentions to meet the ball well out in front of me and the backswing with the strings pointed in the direction of the back wall at some acute angle less than ninety degrees has allowed me to start to drive it...with impunity. Well maybe not the kind of impunity of a Wawrinka or a Thiem...but impunity nonetheless!

[bottle]

Take Your Time: Get the Racket Hand Back Slow

How often have you heard that, reader? Never.

But here come the fastest serves in the world. Philipp Kohlschreiber wouldn't want to get out ahead of them, would he?

So he slows down his backswing. Or put another way, he adds a whole step to it: preliminary grip change. If he didn't keep mental connection between his hand and the oncoming ball, he might miss it altogether.

So Philipp temporizes through his grip change, which is accomplished from start to finish with his racket parallel to the net.

Has his unit turn begun? Hardly. "Begin unit turn immediately" is what I was taught and taught other people.

But what is the evidence here? Philipp's shoulders also remain parallel to the net throughout his grip change, nicht wahr?

One can better use hand to size up the ball if one isn't whirling one's racket and one's body at the same time, nein?, i.e., keep brain still.

After that comes fast body turn, abbreviated loop, cut the wire racket head speed to and through the ball.

Key words here: "fast" and "abbreviated." Because there is just so much total time-- hardly any-- against a fast serve.

Reader, did I successfully present the other side of flying grip change vs. no flying grip change? Reader, you are the judge as always.

No one else chose to lock horns in this argument so I did it myself.

For a full topspin backhand (extremely ill-suited by the way for my returning of a fast serve), I choose an up and down dive-bombing loop beginning with flying grip change and modeled on and departing from SMART BOMB: THE BACKHAND OF DOMINIC THIEM, posts #2114 through 2120 at A New Year's Serve.

The first time I tried this shot as a backhand service return from ad court in doubles, my friend Ron successfully poached and put it away. And why not? Speed of shot may have been good but the exotic racket work signaled Ron into a head start.

"After all the effort I took to learn that shot, you do that to it?" I said.

Ron laughed.