one-handed BH open stance vs. closed stance

[tmaetz]

Hi John

Many thanks to you, visualisation is the right thing to me. My brain nevers stops thinking but to think in images is helping my game instead of harming it with "do this do that" messages.

My new coach, Martin, promotes the open stance one-handed backhand topspin as default stance for BH stokes. But I never read an item on this in your site and begin to wonder if it is the right thing to me.

In fact I'm comfortable with both closed and open stance.

My impression is the open stance BH is rather a defensive shot to withstand the power of a hard and long FH ball with much topspin. But the closed stance BH allows to be more aggressive when you have some more time.

On the run I have the option to play open stance or closed stance topspin BH or slice BH. Three options... difficult to make a decision.

So I would like to know your opinion regarding the one-handed open stance BH in general. My coach claims it will be used by the future champions and even Federer would improve his game with an open stance BH. But basically all pros play with the closed stance.

So I wonder if I should go on with the open stance BH as default stroke or revert to the closed. With the open stance BH I tend to play high looping balls in a rather upright position because it is difficult to stay low before and during the stroke.

As I did not read any item yet on the one-handed open stance BH in your site I keep guessing...

Kind regards from Switzerland

Thierry

[johnyandell]

Basically I think Martin is correct to stress the open stance. I'm not sure how often he feels players should hit from it, but my own feeling is that the elements of open stance are critical. By this I mean setting up behind the ball on the outside foot.

Check Bob Hansen's seminal footwork articles for some great examples. If you are balanced, turned, and set up on the outside foot then you can step in, step across, and also hit open on both the one-handed and two handed backhands.

All top players use all three. I feel players should learn them in this order: netural, open, then closed. But the set up elements will be very similar if not identical.