Interactive Forum November 2014: Ham Richardson Backhand

[jimparker]

Memories of Ham

It's great to see you feature one of the heroes of my youth! I had a picture on my bedroom wall of Ham hitting a backhand and to this day I still hit my backhand flatter than the players of today. One of my early thrills was playing Ham when I was 14 in 1957 - one of the fortuitous possibilities of the the pre-ranking points era. I won the first game, and after that Ham settled down to annihilate me 6-2,6-1, but it was the half-hour that he spent with me after the match that made the biggest impression. He was a true old-school gentleman who approached the game with humility and insight. He has passed, but the memory of seeing him hit that backhand is etched permanently in the cockles of my mind......and the rest of his game wasn't that shabby either! Jimmy

[johnyandell]

Jimmy,

Good to hear from you. Playing him is a step up from ball boying, which was the closest I got to him on the court. The guy had a lot of rhythm and just seemed so smooth and effortless.

[EdWeiss]

Video of that backhand

Below is a clip from a doubles match of Hoad and Rosewall vs. Ham Richardson and Vic Seixas. The first point has Ham returning with a backhand and there is another backhand of his in the video.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/selected-originals-sports-news-tennis

[klacr]

Below is a clip from a doubles match of Hoad and Rosewall vs. Ham Richardson and Vic Seixas. The first point has Ham returning with a backhand and there is another backhand of his in the video.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/se...ts-news-tennis

Anyone else see that ridiculously casual and amazing drop volley Rosewall hit at the 47 second mark. Great doubles. Great find Ed. I should have been born 40 years earlier.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton