12 year old girl with one handed backhand

[arturohernandez]

Hi Everyone,

I have read all the articles on tennisplayer.net. I have talked to MANY coaches and I have experience working with my two older kids (now 21 and 17). My oldest daughter always hit with a two handed backhand. It was clear that she preferred two hands. My son hit with two until about age 12 or so. Then he switched to one pretty quickly.

My youngest daughter decided a year ago at 11 to switch to one hand.

I notice that younger children tend to hit their backhand open stance more. I used to worry about my son not stepping into his backhand. But today he steps into it plenty and his open stance backhand is pretty good as well.

My question is whether this is just part of the developmental process. I realize that under ideal circumstances children should hit nice and closed on their backhands.

Here are two videos of my daughter about six months ago at 11 and a half.

Here is a link where the ball comes in a very nice spot:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B11Y-x7S3VRBTXlpSUMzRFAyRzg

But then one where it does not (sorry not the best video but you get the idea) and she has to adapt accordingly:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B11Y-x7S3VRBV3NKNXVzcmNEZFU

I think it is easy to reinforce ideal form using hand fed drills or even by volleying balls back to them at a slower pace. But under the pressure of playing there will always be balls that come in too high. Or they will be rushed and will have to hit open stance.

Even high level older junior girls have to hit open stance:

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/classiclessons/chris_lewit/one_handed_backhand_part_2/

For adults, they will have to hit high balls much less frequently either by stepping in or by moving back. And adults are stronger!

So are some ADULT coaches thinking too much like adults and not picking up on what it is like for a child at 12 to play with these high bouncing balls.

I am guilty of this sin as well. I used to criticize my son and ask him to step in. But today it is not an issue at all.

Again, I am not advocating that we not teach kids to hit under ideal circumstances so that they exhibit really nice form and develop fundamentals.

I am just saying that kids will hit the ball differently and will adapt to the ball given their physical dimensions. I pasted in a link to work from D'arcy Thompson. He basically argued that we could use math to transform skulls or the forms of fish.

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Miscellaneous/darcy.html

My logic is that children will eventually transform into stepping into the ball and hitting like adults when they are older.

But their form will look different when they are younger.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Arturo

[don_budge]

My logic is that children will eventually transform into stepping into the ball and hitting like adults when they are older.

When you play one handed you have the option. In fact you have all of the options. You can play the all-court game that way it was designed to be played. Read "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball" by Bill Tilden.

Once you sign up for the all-court game don't expect overwhelming results until the child becomes a young adult. It is all developmental stages. The concepts and strategies for the all-court game are beyond the child's mind save for the occasional Mozart or child prodigy. But let's face it...we are all going to grow up eventually. And when you do find yourself to be autonomous and independent and able to think and decide for yourself...you will find that it is more expressive and creative to play with one-hand. The range of permutations and combinations expand with the capacity of the mind. There isn't any question regarding this. Not in my mind.

Hold the course and train at the developmental level always challenging the student just out of their reach. Just pushing enough to fuel the fire and not to extinguish the flame.

I believe it is a wonderful thing that you have done in teaching your girl a one-hand backhand at such a young age. Kids like to run and play. They like to hit things. Just get her to run and hit for now. Aggressive with the forehand and good solid tactical defense with the backhand. It won't be long before they naturally pick up the speed on the backhand...as you have seen with your son.

Here is an interesting thread that I started years ago...Oscar Wegner on the one hand backhand. Forgive me John.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...d-from-scratch

Try to get that racquet head up on the finish...for now.

[arturohernandez]

I remember seeing that thread! It made me realize how all strokes start from a very simple premise and then eventually build up and out so to speak. The most impressive thing I ever read was from a German junior coach who created a figure for junior development. The peak for junior girls is somewhere around 20 and juniors boys somewhere around 24. It made me realize that making any type of tennis defining decisions at 8 or 12 or even 16 makes very little sense.

Everyone who watches pro tennis (especially the top 20) in the world is looking at prodigies. Imitating that is almost impossible. According to what I have read, Wawrinka played twice a week until age 12. What normal kid practices one thing for hours on end from a young age. Then they make it to adulthood with the physical gifts and ability to win on the biggest stages. They are all prodigies at that level.

But you are right. My daughter is all alone. There are a few boys that hit one handed in Texas and no girls that do. She doesn't realize it yet but she could Steffi Graf her way to a college scholarship if she really wants to. I mean with a slice and a good forehand I just can't imagine how junior girls who all hit two handed would deal with a player like that. If you mix slice and topspin on the backhand it would be enough to drive all the two handers off the court. Federer got away with this tactic for years with Roddick. Eventually, you have to adapt as Fed did with Nadal. But there is a long way between college and Nadal.

But the real reason she plays one handed is because she chose to. She told me a year ago that she wanted to hit one handed. I figure it is because she saw my son and I do it.

So why not let her. We are not even gunning for a college scholarship. Tennis is just fun for us. I'll try and take some better videos and post them to see the progression even in six months.

Thanks for the words of support!

[stotty]

Personally I think it's important kids learn to step into backhands first. Critically they then need to learn clearing steps and to move out and back in...to gain the best position and weight transfer. Open stances on the backhand come later....but not too much later or kids will fail master the skill or become comfortable with it. The intuitive skill of the coach is paramount here...when to introduce the open stance and blend it with the closed and neutral stances. Learning the balance required for open stance backhand, be it two-hander or one-hander, is a tricky skill to learn. Unless kids are talented enough, I don't go there.

[don_budge]

I remember seeing that thread! It made me realize how all strokes start from a very simple premise and then eventually build up and out so to speak. The most impressive thing I ever read was from a German junior coach who created a figure for junior development. The peak for junior girls is somewhere around 20 and juniors boys somewhere around 24. It made me realize that making any type of tennis defining decisions at 8 or 12 or even 16 makes very little sense.

Everyone who watches pro tennis (especially the top 20) in the world is looking at prodigies. Imitating that is almost impossible. According to what I have read, Wawrinka played twice a week until age 12. What normal kid practices one thing for hours on end from a young age. Then they make it to adulthood with the physical gifts and ability to win on the biggest stages. They are all prodigies at that level.

These days if you watch the professional game you realize how much emphasis has been put on these players at too young of an age. They never matured. They never graduated. The game is really dumbed down...like much of society.

Very encouraging feedback from a tennis parent. Wonderful perspective and expectations. This business of peaking at an early age has always been a bit of nonsense for me. "What normal kid?" Isn't that what a parent hopes for...a normal kid? Wawrinka's development makes all the sense. I bit of exposure in the fragile eggshell mind and then as it starts to mature give it the option. Give it the opportunity by nurturing and supporting. Encouraging.

Patience is a virtue and there really is so little virtue in the world nowadays. It's a great game and an activity for a lifetime. One doesn't have to be a professional tennis player. That isn't such a great life anyways. Can you imagine the pressure involved unless you are bankrolled like a thoroughbred race horse? I had borrowed this book called "Tennis for the Bloody Fun of It!" by Rod Laver and Roy Emerson. I can't think of a more appropriate name for a book of tennis.

A tennis scholarship would be great! Think of the wonderful experience that involves. I was lucky to do that. Get her interested in playing the piano...or something else.

Yeah...Roger Federer versus Andy Roddick. Classic example of how the one handed backhand can be used to dissect the two handed game. Here's another for you...Roger Federer versus Robin Söderling. I used to love that one. He owned Söderling.

[arturohernandez]

Great advice! I tried a few things and realized that she was having trouble with her contact point. So worked on just tapping it at contact. Seems to have helped a bit.

[arturohernandez]

Very encouraging feedback from a tennis parent. Wonderful perspective and expectations. This business of peaking at an early age has always been a bit of nonsense for me. "What normal kid?" Isn't that what a parent hopes for...a normal kid? Wawrinka's development makes all the sense. I bit of exposure in the fragile eggshell mind and then as it starts to mature give it the option. Give it the opportunity by nurturing and supporting. Encouraging.

Adding to the discussion here. My daughter played a tournament and was clearly struggling on the BH side. Her opponents learned quickly to exploit her backhand. She lost many points and won a few with her slice but was not able to stay with them at all.

On the forehand side, she more than held her own. And on the serve it was no problem.

My wife said to try the two handed. My son who hits one handed asked how many one handed backhands there were in the top 100 WTA.

Suarez Navarro is the only one I think.

So we went out and I let her hit with two hands which she had been doing up until a year ago.

And BOOM. So much pop and acceleration. My daughter even said that her one hander made her two hander better.

She now accelerates because she has been practicing this with the one hander.

Her unit turn is very good and she gets great shoulder turn with two hands.

She could easily step into the ball and finished on her front foot with authority.

The problem is that a really weak backhand is tough to deal with because it kind of holds the player back.

I think in two months she could literally jump two levels with a backhand like that.

She also hits a decent left-handed forehand.

We are still working on slice and I will continue to feed her easier backhands and ask her to hit with one hand.

But it is almost impossible to stick with a one hander when you see the difference at 12 in girls.

There are players who have switched later:

https://www.hobartinternational.com.au/2016/01/a-changed-tatjana-maria-ready-for-hobart-return

But given the fact that girls mature earlier I really wonder if the one hander is perhaps a hill to high to climb for talented girls.

Boys who are stronger and mature later may keep the one hander but in girls I am starting to wonder if we will ever see a top player again who plays one handed.

Even Navratilova says girls should hit with two.

Give me hope please!

[don_budge]

Suarez Navarro is the only one I think.

Give me hope please!

Navarro. Hmmm...nice name. I think I will call myself Johnny Navarro. I did use that at one time. A stage name.

But back to the one hand backhand. Good job arturohernandez! She's your kid but she is her own person. She will decide in the end. Don't pay attention to what anyone says...including Martina Navratilova. She's a switch hitter anyways. She played one handed...why would she be telling everyone to play two handed?

The one hand backhand is actually a one and a half hand backhand. The other hand is VERY important in controlling the racquet head in the backswing and in getting the thing going forwards as well. Just as the one hand backhand has helped your daughter's two hander, the two hander will help your daughter's one hander. It is tough for a small 12 year old to see all of the ramifications for the future but it is such a good idea to teach her more and more about the one hander. If she wants to hit two handed now that's fine. If she wants to always play two handed that is fine too. But it isn't fair to a tennis player to not introduce the idea and give the student an option when there is a very good one.

Most of the players are using two handed because of the very reasons that you state here in your post. They are more secure as a junior with two. Winning and losing is a big deal...to anyone. Juniors grow up to be adults and cling to the two hander like some security blanket and perhaps they were never given the option.

Have your daughter watch Roger Federer as long as he is playing. Suggest to here that this just may be in the cards for her in the future when she is big enough to get her head around the idea that the game is not solely played from the backcourt. Too bad Suarez Navarro doesn't have a motivation to go forwards to the net. She is rather short and traditionally Spaniards are backcourt player...I hate to stereotype the Spanish. The Spanish surnamed. But it's true.

I am convinced that the table is set for the players that can see through the trees that the game is going to go back to one handed in the future. Tennis like that. Even Bill Tilden wrote about the faddish nature of the sport. It's not a hill at all...it is only a different way of interpreting the game. Justine Henin comes to mind as well.