Interactive Forum April 2018: Steffi Graf Backhand

[johnyandell]

Steffi Graf Backhand

So of course following last month?s Forum on Steffi?s forehand, the requests came in. Show us her backhand. Again, I didn?t shoot it and the frame rate and shutter speed are huge limiting factors. But here it is. The slice and the drive.

Take a look at the relationship between the hand and the racket head on the slice. More classic or modern? Anyone think she should have hit the drive more? Or was the slice the perfect compliment to her forehand and playing style? Would that style still work?

[don_budge]

Fundamentally Absolutely Correct (FAC). A+...for Adidas.

[1alexander]

Steffi was the greatest in my opinion she let her tennis do the talking for her no grunting on court or threatening line judges. Absolute legend.

[bottle]

One reason the slice is so effective is the kinetic straightening of the arm in the middle of the stroke.

Also, look at the chin turning back. Wasn't just on the forehand. That is something to explore, too.

[klacr]

Steffi was the greatest in my opinion she let her tennis do the talking for her no grunting on court or threatening line judges. Absolute legend.

I concur.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Grunt or no grunt, great slice.

[arturohernandez]

I think the slice is great. She doesn't seem to get as much turn on her topspin/flat forehand. So she appears to kind of just place it back in the court. The slice got her a long way, so why add anything else?

[kristuttle]

I think her slice was a good compliment to the rest of her game and could work today. I'm biased since I also have a slice backhand paired with a big topspin forehand. By having both you get a broader range of looks to give your opponents. You can change the pace of the ball, height, spin, arc and placement with much more variety having the slice BH with a good FH. My 2c. She's was a great player to watch!

[johnyandell]

kris,
Could not agree more. All these people torturing themselves one hand vs. two, strong Wawrinka grip topspin, etc. I think Ken Rosewall could still be world club champion. And Steffi easily--men or women.

[jmtennis]

great classical slice one of if not the best

[stotty]

Steffi really started to own Navratilova from 1988 when she started to hit over her backhand more. Steffi had a good sliced backhand, but on grass, against Navratilova, it wasn't quite enough. In the 1988 Wimbledon final, Steffi got of to a poor start, narrowly losing the first set, but once she started driving her backhand more, she went through Navratilova like a dose of salts.

Rosewall's backhand wasn't really a slice backhand at all. It had a modicum of under spin and was actually mostly flat. With Rosewall's backhand you can hit passing shots, with Steffi's you can't.

[johnyandell]

Well according to Vic Braden Rosewall hit 1500rpm of underspin. Think we are talking about matters of degree. In pro tennis it would now be hard to get to the top without a drive, but for 99.99% of players better a solid slice drive than a bad attempt at topspin. My friend Charlie Hoeveler who owns Nike Tennis Camps was number 1 in the world in the 45s and he hit nothing but slice off the ground. Backhand and a hard, nasty slice forehand drive. Not advocating that just making a point and obviously for elite players and aspiring juniors you need it all.

[stotty]

I wouldn't disagree with that. Up until Rod Laver, plenty of tour players hit predominantly slice. John Newcombe won Wimbledon three times with nothing but a sliced backhand. It's a way easier shot to hit than a topspin backhand.

I always think a key element in a sliced backhand is you can move forward through the shot at the same time as hitting it which is a key assist in getting to net that bit quicker. With topspin a player has to 'set and hit' then move up to the net. Much harder to move through a drive or topspin backhand, certainly at club level, or even at levels quite a bit higher.

[trump27]

Viva Espa?a.

[jimlosaltos]

Love the section with footwork. I could watch a compilation video of great pro footwork.