Backhand-follow through issue?

[eaglesburg]

Looking at my two hander, it appears to me that I do not fully complete the rotational aspect of the swing or fully bring my left arm around/across my body in comparison to the pros.

The finish also appears excessively tight to me. The pros seem to go to a high point and then let their arms and racket relax and drop but I hold my high position for a while and never really release it except for when I move to the next shot.

Other things to note are that my backhand is honestly quite terrible in that while my forehand is probably among the best with my peers my backhand is definitely very close to the bottom if not the very worst. It is rather flat and I do not get a lot of power or control either. On high balls I know everyone has trouble but I feel like a flailing fish out of the water on high backhands and its much worse than most people's I think. You can also see that my backhand is just an awkward and tight swing in general.

These videos are from a while back but what I wrote above holds true in all of them.

https://youtu.be/TEmxnCYzl_8?t=53s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG10Znhx4PE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlp7AL1quH0

I don't know if this is helpful or relevant at all but I wanted to see my choked up lefty forehand a few days ago so here it is (it is also very bad. I have a very difficult time controlling it even off of these simple drop feeds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM-ebHeqryA

What are your thoughts on these things? Is it one problem or many? What is the root of them (disease rather than symptom)? Or am I completely off the mark?

I use rowvid.com to view the videos frame by frame.

Thanks for your help and input!

Eaglesburg

PS: the one thing I know for sure is wrong is that my take back/prep is too late as John mentioned a while ago. But I think that is mostly a separate issue from the ones presented above.

[don_budge]

Dr. House…in the house

Looking at my two hander, it appears to me that I do not fully complete the rotational aspect of the swing or fully bring my left arm around/across my body in comparison to the pros.

The finish also appears excessively tight to me. The pros seem to go to a high point and then let their arms and racket relax and drop but I hold my high position for a while and never really release it except for when I move to the next shot.

Other things to note are that my backhand is honestly quite terrible in that while my forehand is probably among the best with my peers my backhand is definitely very close to the bottom if not the very worst. It is rather flat and I do not get a lot of power or control either. On high balls I know everyone has trouble but I feel like a flailing fish out of the water on high backhands and its much worse than most people's I think. You can also see that my backhand is just an awkward and tight swing in general.

These videos are from a while back but what I wrote above holds true in all of them.

https://youtu.be/TEmxnCYzl_8?t=53s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG10Znhx4PE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlp7AL1quH0

I don't know if this is helpful or relevant at all but I wanted to see my choked up lefty forehand a few days ago so here it is (it is also very bad. I have a very difficult time controlling it even off of these simple drop feeds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM-ebHeqryA

What are your thoughts on these things? Is it one problem or many? What is the root of them (disease rather than symptom)? Or am I completely off the mark?

I use rowvid.com to view the videos frame by frame.

Thanks for your help and input!

Eaglesburg

PS: the one thing I know for sure is wrong is that my take back/prep is too late as John mentioned a while ago. But I think that is mostly a separate issue from the ones presented above.

Practice using a right hand grip that has only your right index finger and thumb on the grip in combination with your left hand. Now swing that left arm like a forehand. Case solved. Your welcome.

[eaglesburg]

Practice using a right hand grip that has only your right index finger and thumb on the grip in combination with your left hand. Now swing that left arm like a forehand. Case solved. Your welcome.

Thanks for your suggestion. Do you think of that as a stroke I should actually use or just temporarily and then later put my right hand on fully?

[don_budge]

It's a stroke…and otherwise

Thanks for your suggestion. Do you think of that as a stroke I should actually use or just temporarily and then later put my right hand on fully?

Think of it as a training exercise to get you to swing a bit looser and freer through the ball. It's all an experiment to get you to feel the stroke. Who knows…if it felt like the "real" thing…stick with it.

I believe that this is the grip with which a man by the name of Pancho Segura used to hit his two handed forehand. That "stroke" was long considered to be among the best in the world…of all time.

[bowt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWWS6j41Rs

take the racket back with your feet not with your arms

the initial preparation phase of ur shot needs work

[johnyandell]

Dude,

You are a natural one hander. In the meantime get around the backhand and play inside.

[eaglesburg]

Dude,

You are a natural one hander. In the meantime get around the backhand and play inside.

As in run around it?

That's good news and bad news...
Good news: now I don't feel terrible for having such an awful two hander. Plus the one hander is more enjoyable to hit.
Bad news: my high school season just started.

In the long term do you think I could just go straight/straight two hander or do you think it looks like it would be best to just go the whole way to the one hander?

I have a lesson today and I'll try to experiment including with the tips about prep and lefty forehand and get back to you guys.

[bottle]

bot to bowt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWWS6j41Rs

take the racket back with your feet not with your arms

the initial preparation phase of ur shot needs work

just get the hands going a little to the side before you take the racket back with your feet (and read dennis ralston on this). this reversal of usual thought is no answer (there never is one answer) but it's a perfectly good alternative. must be since no one has challenged me on it.

[don_budge]

Bite the Bullet…think traveling

As in run around it?

That's good news and bad news...
Good news: now I don't feel terrible for having such an awful two hander. Plus the one hander is more enjoyable to hit.
Bad news: my high school season just started.

In the long term do you think I could just go straight/straight two hander or do you think it looks like it would be best to just go the whole way to the one hander?

I have a lesson today and I'll try to experiment including with the tips about prep and lefty forehand and get back to you guys.

Bite the bullet and go one-handed. Of course it will hurt in the present as you make the transition…but in the long run it is the thing to do. I think that I mentioned this when you first started posting on the forum. If you had done it then you would have been well on your way in the transition. Instead you "procrastinated" for very "normal" reasons. Change is uncomfortable and it makes one feel temporarily insecure. It takes courage to change.

Think of it as traveling to parts unknown. That is one of the more exciting aspects of life. Adventure.

Experiment with the two hand forehand grip on your forehand side. In this manner think about the limited range of your backswing and try to copy it one handed. This is bound to get you to possibly modify your grip and correct your footwork as well.

[eaglesburg]

Bite the bullet and go one-handed. Of course it will hurt in the present as you make the transition…but in the long run it is the thing to do. I think that I mentioned this when you first started posting on the forum. If you had done it then you would have been well on your way in the transition. Instead you "procrastinated" for very "normal" reasons. Change is uncomfortable and it makes one feel temporarily insecure. It takes courage to change.

Think of it as traveling to parts unknown. That is one of the more exciting aspects of life. Adventure.

Experiment with the two hand forehand grip on your forehand side. In this manner think about the limited range of your backswing and try to copy it one handed. This is bound to get you to possibly modify your grip and correct your footwork as well.

I initally wanted to go with the one hander...but my private coach convinced me that my two hander was better and discouraged me from the one because to him the two hander looked better. However, he said it was up to me and he is a really nice guy so if I really want to go one hand he will definitely try to help me out.

My school coach would probably get mad at me for using a one hander though since no one else has one. He will probably just think I'm screwing around and not trying to help the team because right now I can probably put more balls in play with two hands. I have to tread carefully and make sure not to upset him.

My lesson today is with the private coach. I'll have to see what happens and I'll keep you posted.

[johnyandell]

I thought you had changed months ago. You may want to wait til after the season. And yes run around. There is a reason good players play in the backhand corner. Few people can beat anyone with a backhand down the line. And you should hit your forehand relentlessly inside out.

[lobndropshot]

Eaglesburg,

I was around your age when I committed completely to the one hander. It was also right in the middle of my sophomore tennis season. This was the best decision I made because my backhand is my best shot and will always be my go to shot. However, the only way I was able to get through the season was by hitting two-handed returns and every other backhand was hit with a one hander.

[eaglesburg]

Eaglesburg,

I was around your age when I committed completely to the one hander. It was also right in the middle of my sophomore tennis season. This was the best decision I made because my backhand is my best shot and will always be my go to shot. However, the only way I was able to get through the season was by hitting two-handed returns and every other backhand was hit with a one hander.

Nice to hear a similar story. What made you switch?

[lobndropshot]

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_speed_archive/pro_men/gustavo_kuerten/gustavo_kuerten_v1/gustavo_kuerten_v1.html?GKFHCenterFront1-0174523-0001-001.pct

This guy

[eaglesburg]

The last word days I have actually been decent with my two hander by trying to hit it like a one hander with the left hand just along for the ride. I don't know if it's all in my head or if something actuall changed but it feels good.

It'll be hard for me to switch now in the middle of season.

But after season ends I will definitely experiment more and find what works best for me. The one hander is beautiful and I have to wonder what I could do with it given months of training.

Thanks for all your help guys!